Availability is constantly changing. Prices depend not only on the music group, but how long they are with you, how far they have to travel, and sometimes the date on which you would like them to play e.g. New Year. From the information you send us, we endeavour to propose to you one or more music groups who best meet your requirements, who are currently available, and because of their geographic location, offer the best price. é back to top For weddings, we typically take bookings 9 to 18 months ahead. We also sometimes arrange music groups at 1 week's notice. It really depends on: the day and date you want the music (Certain Saturdays in the summer get fully booked many months in advance, other dates and mid week have availability until closer to the day) how important it is to you to have music on a specific day. (A Ceilidh for a fund raising event can possibly be moved if necessary, a wedding day or corporate sales launch can't be moved, and may be ruined if no music groups are available. how important it is to you to have a particular group. (Most music groups will have some dates unfilled until the last moment, but have other dates booked 2 years ahead. If you want a particular group, it is best to get in early, to avoid disappointment.)
é back to top You may be concerned about the sort of music group is suitable for the size of your event. First, decided whether you are thinking in terms of Classical & Light music, Jazz, Ceilidh or Barn Dance etc. Here are some things to consider, but we are happy to discuss the options with you in light of our years of experience. Why not us an email with your questions:
Classical & Light MusicThe most generally versatile music group is the String Quartet, where we have played for events with 2 to 200 guests. Quartets usually play un-amplified, so the acoustics of the venue and how noisy the guests are, is also a consideration. The quartet can be very compact, and have played in private houses and tiny packed village churches. Other options, such as harp, string trio, etc produce less volume of sound, with the classical guitar & lute being the quietest and most intimate of instrumentalists. Jazz Jazz bands and duos often play with amplification, so large numbers of guests are not normally a problem. A more important consideration is sometimes the floor area the group will take up. Where space is restricted, sometimes a duo or group playing without amplification is a good option. Ceilidh & Barn DanceFor a Ceilidh to work, one needs a minimum of 8 dancers, so when you take into account those people who are having a rests from dancing, usually this means the minimum number of people at a Ceilidh needs to be about 20. The maximum number at a Ceilidh that I have played for is 400. So, most situations can be covered. Ceilidh bands will use amplification, because even when the number of dancers is small, they will get excited and noisy. So, if space is tight, a small band is useful. When space for the band is not a problem, perhaps a bigger band gives a fuller sound. é back to top In general, if the music is being played un-amplified, the musicians can move easily. If being played amplified, it is often (but not always), impractical to move location once set up. Exceptions to this are pianos (unless a lightweight electric piano is being used) and to an extent harps, which can be moved but take a little time to do so (They're big and delicate.) If you have a jazz band that you want to relocate, consider them playing un-amplified in one or other location (the possibility of this depends on the instruments in the band). For a Ceilidh or Barn Dance Band, it is not practical to move the dance location part way through the event, BUT the band can often play un-amplified for music to listen to, in another location. We sometimes do this for weddings, where we would play un-amplified during a reception or meal, then plug in at the dance location for the actual Ceilidh, é back to top Music groups that play un-amplified can generally set up in about 10-20 minutes PROVIDED that the venue has allocated a suitable space for the musicians, complete with armless chairs and somewhere to put instrument cases etc. The exception to this is the Harp, which can take half an hour or more to unload from the vehicle, get it on its trolley, negotiate steps etc, unload and unwrap in the performance location. For groups with amplification the setup time is longer. For Jazz and Ceilidh / Barn Dance Bands, PROVIDED that the band's vehicle can be brought to close to the playing location and there are not thousands of steps or never ending corridors to negotiate, the setup time is normally round about 45 minutes. Don't forget that the band will have to do a sound check 5 or 10 minutes before start time. Function bands can take anywhere from 45 minutes to hours to set up, depending on the kind of band and the extent of their equipment. When we quote a price for a band, it is on the basis that they set up immediately before their performance. If the band is required to set up earlier, there will often be an extra charge, as the musicians have to commit more of their time to being at your event. é back to top Our musicians have played in just about every conceivable situation, indoors and out, in huge venues and in tiny venues. The important thing is to fit the style and size of group to the situation. Also, that the venue know that musicians have to be accommodated and what their requirements are. Why not email us about it? We can do most things one way or another!
é back to top Here are links to some pages about this. If you book one of our music groups, for some of them we will send you more detailed information, for others you can discuss the requirements with us or directly with the musicians. Venues for weddings Venues for special occasions Venues for Corporate Events é back to top We ask that you supply soft drinks during the performance, as needed, for classical musicians. For all other musicians we ask you to provide 2 rounds of drinks for the musicians (beer, wine, or soft as requested by them). We also ask for you to provide the musicians with sandwiches or eat from the buffet etc. if they are with you for more than 2 hours. We think this is the fairest way. Performing is physically hard work. You wouldn't want them pegging out on you instead of playing music. Because we play in such a range of venues, drinks could cost nothing to £££s each. Rather than add £££s to our prices to cover this, we think it is fairer to you, the customer, to keep our prices low and let you supply the refreshments. é back to top This depends on how long the musicians are playing and the kind of music & instrument played. Wind and brass need to play in sets [perhaps 45 minutes], then take a break before the next set. String players can often play for longer before taking a break, but they will need a break in due course. Ceilidh Bands normally need to take a half hour or so break half way through the evening. What we try to do is take breaks where there is a natural pause in the music. e.g. at a wedding, the photographer will often whisk everyone away for some photos in strange parts of the building or gardens, during a meal there are often speeches, where the musicians can break. So we do need breaks, but try our best to minimise the impact on you, the customer. If this is something of specific concern to your situation, discuss it with us. é back to top Our musicians often do play out doors, but there are a number of considerations that we would discuss with you in more detail if you booked our musicians. In general music groups who don't need amplification (most classical groups), can play outside if the weather is suitable. For groups who use amplification, it is more complicated, as they will need a safe external power supply and normally cover should it suddenly rain. (we are in Britain, after all!) In all cases, musicians can't play outdoors unless they are shaded from hot sun, protected from wind and cold (fingers can get injured playing instruments in cold conditions, and some instruments won't play in tune). There is no problem if the weather is good or bad. The problem comes when it is 'in between'. Guests are happy to brave the spitting rain, or cold, but the musicians can't risk damage to their very valuable instruments or to their muscles. é back to top é back to top c MidsummerMusicCS | 
