About The Manchester String Group – professional string quartet based in Manchester
The Manchester String Group is a young, exciting and dynamic group of professional musicians who formed as a string quartet at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.
Lily, Isobel, Jess and Lucy have experience of playing at hundreds of wedding and events worldwide, with recent engagements including a performance for David Cameron and President Xi Jinping of China on his visit to the UK.
More information about The Manchester String Group
Our players perform regularly for orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Hallé, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Manchester Camerata and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
We pride ourselves on the quality and versatility we provide, making The Manchester String Group a 'must-have' for your occasion. Our extremely extensive and diverse repertoire list makes each performance highly individualised and we are happy to arrange all of your requests in advance of the event.
We are most commonly booked as a string quartet. However we are available as both a trio and duo at a reduced rate. Please make an enquiry for more information and for our current rates.
We offer a requests box at events which enables guests to request any music from our repertoire list throughout the event. This unique and interactive experience is very popular with our clients!
The Manchester String Group are the perfect accompaniment to your wedding day, whether for the ceremony, drinks reception, wedding breakfast, or all of them! We guarantee to create a beautiful atmosphere to enhance your special day.
From many years of experience, we understand how stressful the planning can be, so we are here to offer you any advice you may need.
The Wedding Ceremony
Our musicians can play for half an hour before the ceremony as your guests find their seats. We work with you to find your perfect song choices for walking down the aisle, signing of the register and your (and your guests) exit. For church services we can also accompany hymns in place of the organ if you wish.
Drinks Reception and Wedding Breakfast
We can also perform during your drinks reception and/or wedding breakfast. Our extensive repertoire list will give you a wide variety of music to create the perfect atmosphere to keep your guests entertained.
You are welcome to make as many requests from our repertoire list as you like, or you can choose to leave the selection to the experienced musicians. We have a special requests box for your guests, which means they can choose the music that they want to hear from our set list.
Which areas do you cover?Wherever you want us to be! We are based in the North West, which is where most of our bookings take place. Travel is included within 50 miles of Manchester City Centre, and after this is charged at a pre-determined rate. We all have passports and are extremely happy to travel abroad should you wish.
What is the difference between the quartet, trio and duo?The string quartet is our most popular booking and has 4 players: 2 violins, a viola and a cello. The trio has 3 players: a violin, viola and a cello and is a good compromise for a great sound but at a slightly lower cost.
For lower budget events we recommend our duo: a violinist and a cellist. Occasionally we have requests for a larger ensemble – this is also easily achieved, just get in touch!
How much do you charge?Please submit an enquiry on FixTheMusic for our current rates and for an individual quote.
Can I request my favourite song?Of course! You are welcome to request anything already on our repertoire list which we will happily play for you. If your favourite song isn't already on our repertoire list, we will arrange it for you for a small fee. Please note we need at least 6 weeks notice to be able to do this!
What will The Manchester String Group require on the day?Just armless chairs, enough light to read in and some refreshments – a glass of water is fine!
Do we have to provide food for you?It is entirely your choice whether you want to provide any food for us. However, for longer bookings (over 2.5 hours) this would be much appreciated!
What will you wear on the day?We tend to wear long black formal wear. However, you will have the chance to request an alternative on the music requests form if you wish. We will try to accommodate all requests (within reason!)
Will you take any breaks?We take a short break (approx. 5-10 minutes) every hour. However, this can be flexible around your needs and requirements. If we are playing for your ceremony then we stay in place throughout and take no additional breaks.
Can you play outdoors?It depends. We are happy to discuss this possibility, however, due to the value of our instruments they cannot be exposed to direct sunlight, wind, rain or temperature extremes.
We would need either a shady area or an adequate shelter (minimum size 3 x 3 metres), although unfortunately in the event of rain, we will be unable to play outside even with the shelter. The Manchester String Group will do everything possible to meet your request. However, the decision of the group on the day is final.
What happens if one of you is unavailable for my event?We are in the fortunate position of being able to call on a huge pool of exceptional professional musicians who can deputise for one of us at your event.
Do you have insurance?Yes. We have Public Liability Insurance of up to £10 million.
