Review Centre: Organists

"I still remember the day I first met him at church, when he stood in for our organist and played the most incredible piece. Since then he has shown me the widest repertoire i have ever seen! He can play almost anything you can think of. He also has done many things like helping me pass my grade 5 bass exam with distinction and get grade 5 theory over with, to helping me get a scholarship. Gareth is an amazing man with an unforgettable personality. His arrangements are always amazing and his compositions even more so. I will never forget the jazz rendition of Für Elise he wrote for my thirteenth. He is an fantastic man and i would never hesitate to recommend him to anyone."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Hi Mark, We wanted to say thank you so much for the outstanding music you brought to Alana's wedding on 8th December. Both the music at the church and later at the reception was exceptional. Your interpretation of the Theme from the Secret Garden was beautiful: a tune that Alana had always dreamed of walking down the aisle to since a child. You rocked the church with 'Happy' whilst the register was being signed, even the vicar was moving to the beat! You're ability to play all genres from Cathedral Organ to Pop, Bollywood to Jazz was amazing. We have been asked by so many guests who you were. Of course we gave them your contact details. We hope to see you again for further celebrations in the near future. Once again, thank you Mark, you are the best. With best wishes. "

Reply by Mark Burton - Wedding Organist / Pianist
Gill, thank you for such a fantastic review! It really was a pleasure to play for you all, it was a wonderful Christmas Wedding. Also, many thanks to Neil who helped me move the keyboard so quickly out of the church to the Drinks Reception. The Ceremony was very special and I was pleased to be able to perform all the different styles of music that you asked for, especially Alana's entrance music, the Theme from the Secret Garden on piano. I wish you and the family all the best for the future, please keep in touch. Mark

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Mark came to play for my husband's 40th Birthday and he was absolutely incredible! A true gentleman and a one of the best pianists I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. He was so professional from the moment he arrived, he took into account all of our requests and even allowed my husband to get up and have a sing along. I now cannot wait to have more parties and will be sure to book Mark every time as he really made the party go with a bang. Mark, thank you so much, everyone loved you!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Mark really helped to make our wedding super special and set the tone with his excellent and engaging music. He was a pleasure throughout, making things easy for us and obviously put in a lot of hard work behind the scenes - his music from the church and the reception was one of the main talking points of the day - people are still talking about his atmospheric rendition of the Game of Thrones theme in the church! We couldn't recommend Mark enough - he obviously loves what he does - and that comes through in all his performances and created a wonderful atmosphere right from the start of our special day."

Reply by Mark Burton - Wedding Organist / Pianist
Thank you Will and Sarah for your great review! I'm really pleased that everyone present enjoyed the music in church, and after at the wedding breakfast in the barn. I particularly enjoyed using the little Victorian organ alongside my keyboard in the church, it gave me the sound variations that I needed to play all of your requested music authentically - yes, Game of Thrones was a blast, and then exiting to Dire Straits 'The Walk of Life' worked brilliantly! It was lovely to meet you finally after nearly a years planning, thank you again for choosing me, keep in touch. Mark (May 2016)

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We booked Rob and Mark for our wedding reception evening 'do' and are so happy with the decision we made! Rob guided us through their repertoire, was prompt in his replies and gave us suggestions as to what order songs were done in. The evening flowed perfectly and we've had so many positive comments from guests. Lovely touches, such as some word tweaking to make it so very personal. Rob, and his band, just got on with it and are clearly professionals. We'd recommend them to anyone, for any event. There's nothing like brilliant live music!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I just wanted to say a huge thank you from myself and Andrew for Saturday. I had so many guests saying how beautiful the music was and how good the song choices were, we couldn't agree more!! It was exactly as I imagined :). Honestly, thank you so much for being part of our day."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Mark played at my dad’s funeral in the church, and I honestly don’t have the words to express just how incredible he was. From the moment he arrived, early, of course, he took complete control of the music and ensured everything was perfect. As people entered the church, Mark played meaningful music that completely set the tone. It was elegant, thoughtful, and unlike anything I’ve ever experienced at a funeral. It made the atmosphere feel so personal and beautiful, exactly what my dad would have wanted. Later, Mark also played at the celebration of my dad’s life at a stunning manor hotel, and again, he brought everything together with his extraordinary talent and care. He played songs that my dad absolutely loved, weaving them into both the church service and the celebration in a way that was seamless and full of heart. Mark truly exudes talent, but it’s not just his skill, it’s his kindness, his sensitivity, and his ability to read the moment. The day was, of course, deeply emotional and sad, but thanks to Mark, it also felt warm, thoughtful, and full of love. He created something so special. People spoke about the music all day and into the evening, about how moving it was, and how incredibly gifted he is. There is nothing this man cannot do. From hymns to personal favourites, Mark made my dad’s funeral and celebration of life something he would have been truly touched by. I know he would have been overwhelmed to know that someone so talented played for him. Mark, thank you from the bottom of my heart—for your music, your presence, and for helping us honor my dad in the most beautiful way."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Not much to add to the reviews on this site, CARING, CHARACTERFUL, HELPFUL, EXPERIENCED, VIRTUOSO, PHENOMENAL - we recommended you book him for your wedding or wedding blessing in our case and if we had known what an amazing Jazz pianist he is as well in time he would have been at the reception. H+S x"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"On 5 August 2015, Anthony Rudd came to play for my wedding at St Andrews, Bothal. Needless to say, his performance was perfect. St Andrews is a wonderfully renovated medieval church that once belonged to the castle and estate next door. The pristine church organ is small, manufactured in the late 19th century. It takes some skills to make that organ sound for the pieces that we had chosen, among them Bach and Widor. Anthony came to try out the organ two months before the date, so we had a chance to go over the repertoire and choose a range of pieces that might be suitable for both, the event and the organ. In short, his playing had a significant impact on the service and made the event to what it was, a powerful and exciting celebration of our entry into a new stage of our lives. Thanks so much! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you Gareth for making our wedding PERFECT in every way We really enjoyed meeting you at the consultation and your knowledge sense of humour and amazing skills on the organ provided us with a service we shall never forget We HIGHLY recccomend Gareth to any wedding couples reading rhis"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Sam is a highly competent, reliable and enthusiastic accompanist. He is creatively proactive in his role and has quickly become a great asset to the choir."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Gareth Giles is an amazing musician. Thank you for coming to our church and leading the hymnody with such musicality and regard for the liturgy within. Your idea to end the service by switching to the Piano and playing Debussy's 'Clair de Lune' was truly inspired. As the evening sun set and the evocative music filled our church there was not ONE whisper - every member sat riveted in their seats to this extraordinary musical treat. This was such a fitting end to the worship and I think a 'first' that all our members sat and listtened and applauded. Gareth is also an extremely nice person to work with - self-effacing, reserved, a wicked sense of humour but UTTERLY professional in every way. Anyone reading this should book him asap ! WONDERFUL. George "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"This Concert was absolutely amazing. Gareth was entertaining and informative whilst happy to answer questions between each piece and involve the audience. He is so very skilful in what he does and appears to have a vast repertoire to suit all tastes and genres. I am going to keenly look out for Gareth's other Performances and will definitely be recommending him to all I speak to. I even purchased one of his CDs and it is fabulous!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you so much for playing for our wedding and helping to make it such a great day. Many people commented on the great choice of music, so thank you for pulling it off in such great style. The addition of your keyboard really did make all the difference, so thank you once again."

Reply by Mark Burton - Wedding Organist / Pianist
Thank you for using me for your special day. I enjoyed playing the little organ for the hymns (it was the smallest organ I have used to date with only 61 keys and 4 stops) I'm glad that the combination of pipe organ and keyboard made all the difference to the music - Walton's Coronation March was a very grand exit for you both! Good luck for the future.

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you for playing the organ so brilliantly at our wedding on 24 September this year. Everyone said how well you played the hymns and the entry and recessional tunes were a triumph. Thank you so much."

Reply by Matt - Skilful Organist for Church Events
Some fantastic musical choices - I loved playing these. It was a memorable ceremony. No more excuses needed than to pull out all the stops for a wedding ceremony!

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: