Review Centre: Organists

"Mark, thank you so much for doing a brilliant job playing the organ for our wedding at Queens. Our guests commented on how great the organ sounded and we loved hearing Bollywood love themes played on the organ, that must be a first! Highly recommended."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"With a month or so to go before our wedding (July 2015) we found ourselves without an organist. Not knowing quite what to do next, we turned to Google and found Lastminutemusicians.com. Choosing an organist from the site was such a daunting prospect given how important the organist's role was to be and not knowing if the person we would end up choosing would be any good! After a number of replies from other performers we chose Mark and we couldn't have been in better hands. Mark is a true professional and a talented performer. He is eager to please, vastly experienced and could adapt most songs/pieces of music for the organ. A week or so before our wedding, and in his own time, he visited our chapel and familiarised himself with the organ he would be playing. We also spoke frequently on the phone to discuss our thoughts regarding what we wanted to be performed and he also provided helpful suggestions and ideas without 'taking over'. On the day itself he was prompt, well presented and played beautifully. Thank you again Mark for your contribution to our special day, I really can't recommend you enough...in fact two of the guests at our wedding used Mark as the organist at their wedding having been impressed, I'm sure, at what they heard!"

Reply by Mark Burton - Wedding Organist / Pianist
Mark and Di - the pleasure was all mine! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to play the Binns Organ in Queens College, Cambridge - it was a treat for me too as an organist. I'm pleased that you were happy with my performance on such a hot day, the organ took time to set up for the wedding, but it was worth it. And, I got to do it all again in August for your friends wedding in the same chapel!

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Gareth could not have been more helpful and professional from our first 'planning' meeting to the very end of his entertaining playing at our reception. He certainly went the extra mile to make sure we had the music we wanted. He played the organ in the Church for the wedding ceremony and then rushed off to the reception and lunch venue to play the piano for our gathering guests. My husband is something of a jazz fan and so got on famously with Gareth and they both seemed to enjoy talking through the music we would have throughout the day - Gershwin, Stan Getz and lots in between. Having music at the reception was perfect - it wasn't at all 'wallpaper' but nor was it intrusive which is a very clever trick to pull off! It lifted the whole event to a new level. Thank you Gareth for helping to make our special day such a success - we were perhaps an unusual couple having a combined age over 150 but that didn't mean we were not keen to have lots of fun and smiles and the music was an important part of making this come true! Catherine Sacré Eassie 10/10"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I booked Mark to play a Garden Party that I was hosting at our Garden Centre. Everybody loved his performance and I would hire him again for any future events. Very professional, arrived extra early to set up and also stayed for bit extra too as the crowd wanted more!! He even went around a spoke to some of the guests after he had finished. Brilliant day all round!!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

" Last month I was incredibly lucky enough to see Gareth Giles in concert. I am so very glad I saw this wonderful man perform because I now feel for ever changed by my experience of Gareth. From beginning to end I was spellbound – never before have I experienced such energy, style, change of emotions, playful fun, gravitas – all in one afternoon I simply never wanted the performance to end. I was either moved to tears by Nimrod, excited by the powerful Sabre dance, sent to heaven with 'summer time' and stayed for a while with 'The Summer Knows '. I won't be happy until I have bought all Gareth's CDs! ...... And if I start talking about his Gershwin I will never stop typing! Thank you Gareth for this indescribably wonderful experience. God Bless You Helen "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We were let down at the last minuet and lost not only our venue but our music too! I contacted Mark on the Tuesday before our party on the Friday and he was brilliant. I could only hope I had made a good decision. Mark was there when we returned from the church and proceeded to play beautiful music all evening he was truly amazing, everyone really enjoyed him playing, he was versitile, had a huge repertoire, and even played for my daughter to sing. I couldn't have asked for more a truly lovely day. Thankyou "

Reply by Mark Burton - Wedding Organist / Pianist
Thank you for a lovely review Lucy, I'm glad that you were happy with Friday evening. It was a pleasure spending the evening with you all, thank you for the meal! Friday 15th September 2017

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you so much for playing at my 21st afternoon tea birthday party. You really added that extra touch! I loved all the Disney songs, they were great!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I met Gareth after having had a fairly comprehensive email correspondence with him, where we had discussed exactly I would like to achieve and what he felt he could offer. It felt very promising, but I knew the moment I saw him that he was absolutely right for this difficult occasion. When he sat down at the organ in the Chapel and rattled off several really wonderful pieces I found out how really special he is and that I had been really lucky to pick him. He had agreed to work with me on a very personal programme of music including a performance of songs with another professional soloist - a mini concert (Purcell and Duparc). The result turned out to be quite stunning with beautifully performed pieces from them both, as if they had worked together for years. Having played various gorgeous pieces throughout, at the end, he gave us his adaptation of Vaughan Williams Lark Ascending which was just beautiful. Nothing was too much trouble and I have received so many letters from people attending who said how much they enjoyed the music that day. Thank you Gareth for everything you did. I would always recommend you, because music is in your bones, you play like a dream and are an utter professional. Frances"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you very much again for entertaining us on Friday evening. Everyone commented on how amazing your playing is and how perfectly the music fitted in with our party."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Dear Mark, Thank You so much for playing for the wedding couple on 22nd of July 2017. The piano came to life in your hands and it was almost as if the people in the paintings were going to step out and dance. The atmosphere you created was Magical. We Definitely Highly Recommend your services, and you were in contact with all the Guests and made them feel part of the whole day. We will Definitely be calling you in future. Best Wishes, Susan Gibson."

Reply by Mark Burton - Wedding Organist / Pianist
Thank you for a lovely day on Saturday Sue. You and your team were very welcoming and made my job so much easier - and the Steinway piano, what can I say, fantastic! Such a brilliant location to get married in, I can thoroughly recommend New Walk Museum and Art Gallery in Leicester. I'm very much looking forward to working with you again in the future.

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you so so much for Saturday! You were incredible. I don’t know if you knew this but when you played before the ceremony, you played a Bollywood tune that was Kyles dads favourite song, and it really meant a lot to him! So thank you so so much Mark, it was perfect x "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Des, as always, was amazing. He played my chosen entrance music which is a intricate piece and topped it off by playing for me until I arrive - which was rather late! Thank you so much Des. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I hired Mark to accompany me for a Wedding in Hertfordshire. Mark bought along all the equipment, including a state of the art portable organ complete with surround sound . His skills as an organist and musician were fantastic, he is a pro and was excellent to work alongside . His music sounded fantastic and The Bride and Groom were so impressed they even wanted a photo of him at the end of the Wedding Ceremony. As a singer I felt relaxed and confident that he knew what he was doing which made me feel at ease. I will definitely hire him again for a future event."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Mark played the organ for us at our church wedding this summer and he was absolutely perfect, we couldn't have asked for better. He was incredibly skilled and had lots of options available to make the old organ sound fantastic. He has an extensive repertoire and he helped us make our choices which went down very well; we had several guests who commented on the brilliant choices and the skilled playing. Mark was also a lovely, helpful person to work with and we couldn't recommend him more highly."

Reply by Mark Burton - Wedding Organist / Pianist
Thanks for your lovely feedback Sarah. I'm pleased that you were both happy with the music, even though the organ was very small with only one manual - and less than a dozen stops, the overall sound was good. It was lovely to meet you both, and work with you to make your wedding day special - thanks for choosing me!

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Dear Mark, we just wanted to say a massive thank you for doing such a brilliant job playing the organ at our wedding on 6th May. It was just brilliant and so many of our guests have commented on how good you were. You also did a brilliant job accompanying Chris singing, it was all just perfect! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: