The Cotswold String Quartet!

Recently, Sarah and Dury were invited to have a stall at the Winkworth Farm Open Day.

It was a great chance for couples to come and see the venue and meet the venue’s reccommended suppliers. In between caterers, cake-makers and photographers, we set up our stall complete with a chance to visit our website and see our video clips. It was great to see so many prospective clients, and the free cake and soup from the caterers wasn’t bad either!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you…..!

Well what a lovely afternoon! Thanks very much to Jeff and family, who booked us for his wife’s special birthday celebrations at Calcot Manor near Tetbury. It’s always very complimentary to know we’ve been recommended by previous clients, and we had performed for the wedding of their family friends a few years ago.

It’s always a pleasure to play music to such appreciative guests, and we must of course say thank you for giving us some of the delicious cupcakes – Yum!

We don’t just play for weddings….

…..we also love playing for corporate occasions, and this one was no exception. We were delighted to provide pre-dinner entertainment for the SciSys PLC Christmas Party in the Assembly Rooms in Bath on 10th December. We greeted guests with a mixture of well-known classical music and a few festive tunes too. I’m sure some toes were seen to be tapping to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer!

Wedding at Castle Coch, Caerphilly, Cardiff

Congratulations to Carly and Adam – married at Castle Coch.

It’s been 4 years since the quartet moved from Cardiff to Bristol. Makes us sound like a family doesn’t it? But weirdly we did all move at about the same time!

But I digress. It’s always nice to pop back over, and today was no exception. One of our favourite registrars from this part of the world popped up at Castle Coch this afternoon. Always good for a laugh, he referred back to one of the funny poems the couple had read out during their ceremony, he closed proceedings with, ‘well, even if he does leave the loo seat up I’m happy to pronounce you husband and wife!’. It’s one of the great things about civil ceremonies.

It was a very intimate wedding. Whether we’re playing for 120 or, as in this case, 11 guests it’s always the same high level of performance and professionalism for us. Carly had asked for a specific set-lists of classical music before the ceremony, and walked in with her Dad to Pachelbel’s Canon in D. There was then Air on a G String for the registers, before they walked out to Handel’s Queen of Sheba.

It was a fantastic setting, and it was a delight to finish the day with the couple sneaking back into the room for some private photos in front of the quartet, and we were happy to play Handel’s Air from the WaterMusic at Carly’s request.

Wedding at De Courcey’s, Cardiff

Congratulations to Gemma and Andrew

Another trip across the bridge for us. A little tight on space, but we managed to fit in, just. Gemma walked in to Pachelbel, and out to The Queen of Sheba. The guests absolutely loved ‘All you need is love’ for the registers – becoming quite a favourite of late that one! One couple in particular came over to us at the end of the ceremony to congratulate us on our ‘Arrival of the Queen of Sheba’ – they’d had it played on organ for their wedding, but thought it was much better with strings – and thought our version of the Beatles song was even better!

Whilst the guests and the photographers dodged the showers outside to get the group photos, we set up in the reception hall so guests inside and out could hear us. We had a few light classics and jazz, but not too many of the popular ones as Gemma and Andrew had used the jukebox cards on the tables – so as we played for their meal we were treated to a constant flow of requests from guests which always sends us of into a few unusual pieces in our folders!

It’s always satisfying to know that after 6 hours of playing, we still had at least 3 more hours of music we hadn’t played! That said, today we were treated to a great spread of food and an hour’s break during the speeches – which Jan used to catch up on the canoeing on the telly!

Wedding at Priston Mill – Sep 10

Congratulations to Cate and Craig who booked the Bristol and Bath based String Quartet – The Ardeton String Quartet!

Not that we’re biased or anything, but we love a wedding with a vintage bus! This meant the guests arrived in small groups – which gave us an ever-growing audience to entertain!

Cate had requested light classics before the ceremony, which added an extra level of refinement to the great setting of Priston Mill. As the registrars asked everyone to stand, we played first the bridesmaids and then Cate and her dad in to Snow Patrol’s ‘Chasing Cars’ which worked brilliantly. Our ever-popular arrangement of ‘All you need is love’ accompanied the registers, before everyone left to a special request – Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’. A fan of ‘Shaun of the Dead’, I wondered how this was going to go down, but every one of the guests seemed to enjoy it, with everyone taking a closer look at what we were doing before heading out to the drinks reception. I have to say, it really is a good arrangement so we’ll be playing it lots over the coming weeks.

Again, another couple lucky with the weather – the rain held off just long enough for us to provide some pop and jazz as the group shots were taken, although at times we needed weights to stop our music stands blowing away in the wind!

Wedding at Clearwell Castle

Congratulations to Charlotte and James – Married at Clearwell Castle

We hadn’t been to Clearwell Castle for a while, so it was a welcome return to the venue just across the Severn Bridge from us. Except, today it wasn’t just across the bridge as the Highways Agency had closed the original bridge so we had a detour via the M5, then Magor Services, then up the A48. Ever punctual, we made it still with plenty of time, but let’s just say it didn’t help our fuel-economy or blood-pressure!

Charlotte looked radiant as she walked in to Wagner and out to Mendelsohnn’s Wedding Marches, with ‘All you need is love’ whilst signing the registers.

Charlotte and James must have pulled some strings when it came to the weather – it stayed dry just long enough for their drinks reception (where we concentrated on pop and jazz tunes), the heavens opening as the line-up began! With 3 photographers and 2 videographers the quartet provided a great backdrop as the photo-pros went about their jobs, including getting guests to dance holding sparkly letters spelling out the word ‘love'(!)

Wedding at Orchardleigh, near Bath

A lovely Summers day, and a return trip (the 2nd this weekend!) down the Warminster road this time stopping at Orchardleigh.

A lovely drinks reception on the balcony at the rear, armed with a large can of wasp spray to fend of a pesky swarm that had decided to invade the Orchardleigh estate at the last minute. A splendid mix of popular classics for such a refined setting and lovely view.

Then a quick break – always great here for a spot of snooker. Keeps me very happy indeed!

We don’t often play for meals at Orchardleigh as there isn’t always the space, but today there was just the perfect performing area in the library end of the room. We had plenty of requests to keep us busy, from Snow Patrol to Clapton, and a rapturous round of applause greeted our semi-improvised 15 minute Beatles medley!