The Nightjars are duo Katie and Michael, both based in Bristol but playing and performing in a wide local area.  We've played over many years together, sometimes with others, sometimes alone,

at festivals, at charity and community events, and for public and private ceilidhs;

for weddings, birthday parties, Scouting and children's events, and anniversaries;

for clog, Morris, Appalachian, North West, rapper, Scottish Country Dancing, and maypole dancing;

for English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, French, Scandi, and klezmer bands and events;

for Burns Night, St Patrick's/George's/Andrew's/David's Day events, solstice and equinox, and wassails; and

for choirs, singer soloists, and community singalongs.

Katie can mostly be found cycling around Bristol with her flute, fiddle, and clogs.  She likes all types of music, but particularly enjoys playing by ear, and plays for ceilidhs, for Morris dancing, and at folk festivals.  She leads the Bristol Grammar School Reel Folk Group.

Michael used to play a respectable instrument, but he then discovered a furtive pleasure in borrowing other people's accordions.  Nowadays he is often found calling and playing for ceilidhs, usually while drinking tea.  His favourite scale is the suspended pentatonic.

Recent Events

We led two teaching sessions at the excellent Priddy Folk Festival on 12th/13th July 2025, teaching and playing a variety of traditional and new tunes.

We did a wedding Ceilidh at the Nailsea Baptist Church Centre on Saturday 16th August 2025 for Judith and Ian, with Jethro calling dances.  

We played in Wottton-under-Edge on Saturday 23rd August 2025 for the Read with Me Summer Garden Party fundraiser, which raised £1,400 for the charity. 

We have played Irish tunes for W.E. Irish events including Community Social events and St Patrick's Day Parades.

We played for a wedding reception of Matt and Tash in September 2025 at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre.

We have recently played for filming with Rag Morris.