Review Centre: Accompanists

"I contacted Louise prior to our wedding which was held on the 26 August 2022 at St Mary at the Elms Church in Ipswich. I found Louise very helpful when it came to making arrangements, I planned to hold our reception at the Dove Inn, St Helens Street, Ipswich. One might think this was not a very posh venue for a wedding and one would be right. However, our Beckett family have had very close ties to the Dove Inn since the late 1800s. So, it is a very special place for us and has been a place we meet for birthdays and special evens as well as being a place to go for a quite drink etc. The wedding was held outside at the back of the pub, best described as a semi covered area with very large square canopies. I was surprised that Louise accepted the engagement as it was very apparent that Louise is a very experienced, professional, and celebrated pianist that you would be well suited at very high-class hotels and such events. Plus, she agreed to travel from Diss in Norfolk to play for us. I needed to make more than one last minute adjustments and I found Louise to be very versatile and she clearly understood what I was looking for. We agreed that she would play a mix of classical, light jazz and Frank Sinatra style of music, which Louise played to perfection. I had in the region of sixty-five guests. I originally agreed with Louise to play for two hours, expecting guests to switch off after that as there were no dancing facilities. Louise’s music was so infectiously pleasing to the ear that I asked her to play for another hour, because the atmosphere was electric and I did not want to lose that harmony that she was creating as the hour neared to the end, I begged her to play for another hour, which she agreed to. I have taken time to write this extended review because I am a person that wears my heart on my sleeve, and I am open and honest with everyone. Despite my brief to Louise, that I wanted her to feel like a guest and not just the pianist, I asked her to take regular breaks and participate in the ongoing buffet. I can honestly say that Louise played for four hours almost none stop. In my opinion this was way over the call of duty. I do however have one criticism of Louise if it can be called that. Louise I honestly believe that you should increase your fees. What you did for my wife and my guests was incredible. You made our day extra special, and your fees should be increased for the magical music and memories that you create. From the bottom of my heart thank you. Doug Beckett "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: Report this review

"Ben came and kindly played for our drinks reception at Alrewas Hayes and was absolutely brilliant! From his communication in the build up to our day, arriving at the venue nice and early so he was ready to go as soon as the ceremony was done, to the songs he performed on the day - a true professional! His ability to read the crowd and play songs to fit the mood and feel was great, we had so many guests say how good he was! Thank you so much Ben, you really helped make our day so special! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: Report this review

"I just wish to say a BIG thank you once again for being part of myself and Charlene’s wedding day, and contributing to such a special day! I thought you were absolutely fantastic, as did the rest of the guests, and you definitely left a lasting impression! Your passion clearly shone through when you sang, and there weren’t many dry eyes after you finished singing such a great song! If you would like to send me any information I can forward to guests, I would definitely like to recommend you!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: Report this review

"We couldn’t recommend Lucy more! She played so beautifully and we had so many compliments about her at our wedding. Lucy completely understood what we were going for and even provided us with a draft of our aisle song before the wedding so we could hear a preview. The perfect harpist for our big day! "

Reply by Lucy Nolan (Harpist)
Thank you so much Katie-it was such a pleasure to be part of such a beautiful day! Wishing you all the best in married life!! xx

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: Report this review

"Chris is an outstanding musician who made my 50th birthday celebrations very memorable. Chris played the piano for the champagne reception, and it was fantastic, it added a real classy ambiance to the celebrations, his catalog is vast and his music was enjoyed by all the guests. Then on New Year's Eve itself, he played the bagpipes at the entrance to the castle. It was amazing and authentic. Chris wore the full Scottish attire and amazed the guests. Everyone had a picture and everyone said how memorable it was. 100% book Chris again for my 60th! Such a great guy too and very easy to work with. Thanks so much again!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: Report this review

"I booked Chris for my friends wedding (pianist for the ceremony). Chris was great from start to finish in checking all the information with me and was happy to play all the songs my friend had been wanting. He was also great at making song suggestions for certain parts of the ceremony where we weren't quite sure. Overall great experience and would highly recommend Chris. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: Report this review

"Amazing young lady. Laura learned to play some special songs for me. Thank you for making our day unforgettable."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: Report this review

"I recommend Sarah Richmond as the professor of a warm vibrant mezzo voice suitable for the concert hall, opera house or recital venue with piano. It is a voice that will encompass baroque, classical, romantic and contemporary repertoire, which she will embrace with enthusiasm, musicianship, coupled with care or the text and music, sensitive to all stylistic requirements."

Reply by Sarah (Classical Singer)
Dear Roddy, thank you so much for your kind words! I hope all is well with you. Many thanks, Sarah

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: Report this review

"Wow what can I say, just a big thank you to Mark, such a talented musician. A really good selection of songs enjoyed by all. Thanks for making our wedding amazing and traveling such a long way. Mark is one of the best solo artist we have ever seen and would defiantly book him again. Also a really nice guy thanks again Mark. Julie & rob"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: Report this review

"Ciaran provided an excellent evening of entertainment for our BBQ evening - nice relaxing music, perfectly catered to the vibe and atmosphere we were trying to create for a relaxing summer's evening. We will be having him back again!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: Report this review

"Chris played piano for our wedding ceremony and drinks reception and did a wonderful job. Getting in touch and organising everything with him was super easy and he was very responsive to messages. We had a number of specific requests which ran a bit random from classical to modern pop to movie soundtracks as well as a general unhelpful brief of "contemporary" beyond that but he was happy to accommodate us, nailed the vibe we were going for and his playing was beautiful. A year on I still have guests talk about his playing of "Concerning Hobbits" that we had for the guests getting seated ha! I'd absolutely recommend Chris for anyone's special day. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: Report this review

"Hi Sarah-Jane, Just to let you know Bethan was brillant yesterday at our wedding. We had so much feedback from our guests to say Bethan played beautifully. I did ask Bethan to play one of the tunes that was cut short during the signing of the register - Fields of Gold which she did. Thank you for your help in arranging this. Best wishes "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: Report this review

"Thank you so so much for last night you certainly bring the party I appreciate it so much!! Everyone was asking who you were x"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: Report this review

"Andrew is absolutely superb , his wonderful performance at our wedding was just beautiful, Andrew looked amazing in all his attire and his playing was just perfection. Thankyou Andrew for making our day soo very special ."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: Report this review

"In 2016, Laura played as members of the North Staffordshire National Trust arrived for their Christmas dinner. We are a lively group with a wide range of activities and a different format for Christmas events each year. We were very pleased to have Laura’s discreet presence. She provided exactly what we asked for, an excellent choice of music beautifully played."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: Report this review