Hire a string quartet the easy way

Lastly, let us look at how you find a String Quartet, string trio, harpist or some other classical group. This is different again. Not many string quartet play in your local pub. Not many Village halls have a harpist playing on the Saturday night. So where do you find a string quartet, or string qtrio that you could hire for your wedding?

How to book a string quartet the hard way 

string quartet posing infront of fountainWell, if it's for a wedding you could ask the Vicar of the church, if it is a church ceremony rather than a civil ceremony. Churches often have classical music groups playing in them for fundraising events like replacing the church roof or improving the heating or installing a loose at the congregation don't have to keep their legs crossed whenever they're in the church. Weddings and classical music  have Traditionally gone together for hundreds of years. The church of course, since time the early popes, has been a benefactor of the Arts. This is one way to find a String quartet or Soprano for your wedding, but you are not likely to get much choice. Vicars rarely seem interested In who plays in the church so long as it is bringing in funds. This is probably an unfair generalization but I've had this distinct feeling on many occasions.

 Another route is the wedding venue. Many wedding venues have a preferred suppliers list. This can be good because the string quartet or harpist they have on their list is familiar with the venue, but the downside is that you normally have very little choice and one can find that if a  music group has been playing at a venue for years they can become a little blase and bored and don't necessarily give the best performance. Again probably very unfair generalization, but it can happen. Also you may not find a String Quartet or string trio by the Venue simply because the Venue wants to keep his distance from the problems of recommending and being responsible for suppliers. They know it's difficult to find good music groups and they won't believe the problems and difficulties I've had to find a band to the bride and groom. In many ways this is a sensible attitude.

 One of the difficulties for a wedding venue is that what they think is a good Ceilidh band or jazz band is only good in their eyes, from their personal taste and the Bride or groom may have very different tastes.

How to hire a string quartet the easy way

So what should the bride and groom do if they want to have a string quartet play at their wedding ceremony or during the wedding breakfast?  What should the army or airforce Officer do when he is tasked with arranging music for a regimental dinner? This used to be easy when each of the Armed Forces had their own music service, the bandsman of the Royal Air Force, of the army and so on. These were talented musicians who were so versatile so they could play in a String Quartet for the regimental dinner, turn himself into a Jazz Band for the drinks after the meal and if it was a mixed event could even turn themselves into a function band. Unfortunately, with cutbacks in the armed services most of the musicians have gone for the Chop .  This is of course unfortunate the bandsman but very good for business for midsummer music who often supply barn dance bands, jazz bands and string quartets four armed service events.

And how should they find a string quartet, harpist or wind ensemble. I think you know the answer now. It's the same place that you should go to find a jazz band Ceilidh band or  a barn dance band,  the Internet and an agency like midsummer music, unless of course you have a lot of time to contact individual bands which some people do have and which some people prefer to do. There is no right or wrong way, it is what suits you and the time you have available.

 So now you know more about how to find a band for your wedding or how to find a band for your birthday party, fundraising event or whatever special occasion it is. Good luck to you and every success.