Can I have a special piece arranged and how much notice do I need to give you?

Although we have a huge repertoire of over 800 pieces of music, there are inevitably times when a client wants a piece especially preparing because it is meaningful to them and will make their occasion memorable. To create a quartet arrangement of an average 3 minute pop song takes approximately 5 to 6 hours of work, depending on the complexity. Vaughan, our arranger doesn’t just purchase a piano / vocal score and tweak it for strings in a couple of hours, as this could end up sounding dull and oversimplified. To really bring a song alive, he arranges by listening directly to the track. It’s a painstaking and highly detailed task, but the only way to truly capture the spirit and vitality of the original. Some songs are more suitable for quartet format than others – for example if a song is heavily reliant on a drum machine, creative ways have to be found to work around this. It’s amazing how funky a cello can be when it has to be a drum kit and bass guitar at the same time, while the violins tackle the lead guitar and vocals and the viola player takes over the rhythm guitar part. The secret of a good arrangement is all in the detail – such as slight inflections in the vocal melody or guitar rhythms. If you would like an arrangement written uniquely for a special moment in your event (such as signing the register during your wedding ceremony), we do ask for 2 months notice for this. We charge an additional £75 per song for a 2-hour booking and £50 for a 3-hour booking.