Hire String Quartets, Trios & Duos Performers / Artists | Charm Music

String Quartets, Trios & Duos

Hiring a String quartet is a beautiful addition to any event.

String Quartets are ideal for the wedding ceremony, drinks reception and the wedding breakfast, also perfect for corporate events for drinks receptions and product launches.

Hire a String Quartet

1. Start Searching As Early As You Can:

Don't leave it too late, as popular quartets get booked well in advance especially for popular dates (e.g. Christmas parties Saturday weddings in the Summer etc.)

. Know What You're Looking For:

Try and have an idea of what effect you want the music to have. If you're organizing a corporate reception for instance, know whether you want your guests to be in a really relaxed, informal mood, or if you want to keep things relatively formal.

you're planning your wedding, decide if you want a soft, moving accompaniment to the Bridal entrance, or if you would like something more regal and majestic.

may seem like unnecessary things to think about at the planning stage, but if you want your event to be really special, it helps to have ideas that you can pass on to the musicians you are hiring. It's their job to turn those ideas into reality, and the choice and style of music can have a massive effect on how that happens.

. Choice of Music:

A good quartet or music ensemble should be able to provide a full selection of background music on the day of the performance without you having to spend precious time thinking about programming. Particularly if your event is a reception, there's little need to worry about specific pieces. However, you should make it clear to the group what genre of music you desire.

Most classical groups will present a mixture of classical, pop, classical, folk, Broadway, romantic, and popular music arrangements. However, it is good to check.

Also remember to say if there's a particular piece that you don't want to hear! One particular piece that comes to mind is Greensleeves! This traditional tune is loved by millions, but there is always a small minority who find it as irritating as a bad mobile phone ringtone! If this is the case for you, remember to point it out!

Another time when a repertoire list is useful is if you want to have a specific piece of music to round off part of an event. For example if the string quartet is playing for a reception just before a sit-down dinner. A great way of moving everyone into the next room is for the quartet to play a really virtuosic showpiece that gets everyone's attention, and makes them applaud at the end.

gives a natural break in proceedings, which you or your compere/toastmaster/event organiser can use to announce dinner. Little tricks like this can be enormously effective, and should be second nature to an experienced event musician.

5. Little Details:

Dress: Make sure you're specific about what the musicians should wear. Usually this is either lounge suit, dinner jacket, or all black, depending on the time of day and the tone of your event.

Final Confirmation:

Contact the musicians a few weeks before the event to confirm the date / time, and any last minute changes It's always a good idea to give the group leader the mobile phone number of whoever will be running the event, such as the venue organizer or, if it's a wedding, the best man.

Open-Air Music:

If you require musicians to play outside, ensure this is made clear and agreed with the artist before the event as their instruments are extremely fragile to temperatures and moisture changes, it is unrealistic to ask a string quartet to play outside unless there is adequate cover, such as a mini-marquee or Gazebo. If the weather is very inclement e.g. there are thunderstorms, it might be difficult for musicians to play outside in a marquee if there is severe risk of damp.

Schedule:

If the quartet or group that you book is playing in more than one location, or for more than one session (e.g. a quartet plays either side of a set of speeches), it's always worth providing a schedule of events, even if it's just a scribbled bit of paper outlining the timetable of the event.