Choosing Entertainment for Your Wedding

George Watts: I'm here at the Renaissance Chancery Court Hotel here in London to meet Sarah Balfour, a quite fantastic musician to talk about music for your wedding day. [Demonstration] George Watts: So Sarah tells us about your company music by arrangement. It sounds a little bit intriguing. Sarah Balfour: Well music by arrangement was set up four years ago. I started out as a pianist, a session musician and I used to play with various artists on TV, radio and touring and I decided about four years ago to set up a music agency having been treated so poorly by various agents and managers who weren’t paying on time, weren’t treating you right, they weren’t making sure you were fed and looked up to properly on gigs. So I decided it’s about time somebody did it properly and you’re enough musicians from being a musician for so long, so I set up the agency and I met lots and lots of new people when I spent my first year auditioning different genres of music, violinist, string quartets, bands, DJs, hops etcetera and eventually I selected what is now 700 musicians. George Watts: So with the rest of 700, you can literally supply any musical requirement I’d imagine. Sarah Balfour: Anything it’s who whether it’s a string quartet or something slightly more unusual like 60 piece orchestra or a banjo player or ballad like or Samba, I can place it together display. George Watts: Where do you start in choosing the right music, the right instruments? So what did you do? Sarah Balfour: Well, the most important part of the day is when that moment when the bride walks down the aisle. It’s the most special poignant part of the ceremony and the best way of highlighting that is with a really wonderful piece of music. This can even be a traditional choice such as vibrant bridal march or pack of bells, cannon. In fact from my website, I have a list of choices to help people that aren’t too sure you know what do I choose, what is the best piece of music to have that. The other thing that you can do and something that I can offer is to even write something especially for the bride and groom just to give it that nice personal bespoke touch and I think again that’s something that most music agents can’t offer. George Watts: So when somebody arranged the piece of music for a couple, where do they start if they didn’t know them very well? Sarah Balfour: Well, you would start off by having quite a long conversation with the bride and groom in order to really try and to get to know them. And then once you have that, you’ve got your sketch, you’ve got your information and then it’s about putting pen to paper and making some poetry. Recently there was a very big wedding and the best man didn’t want to make a speech. He is very, very, nervous. So we scripted his speech. We had many conversations with him all of which were recorded on tape and then we put together a speech, set it to music and performed at the wedding. And so the best man had his speech sung by the band. George Watts: That is such a lovely idea and it must be amazing for you to create something original for the couple. Sarah Balfour: It’s very special and it makes the job much more enjoyable and much more heartfelt. That was stayed in touch with all the brides and grooms so it’s lovely. George Watts: So Sarah, what makes you different of musical agencies? Sarah Balfour: I think what makes me different is that I have the musical expertise that a lot of music agents don’t have. I think a lot of music agents are businessman. Obviously I can offer musical expertise to brides and grooms which I think is greatly appreciated. I know about repertoire both within the pop industry, the jazz industry, and the classical industry. So for example, when you’re having a wedding ceremony what music to have? What do you have when the congregation taking their seats. What music should the bride have when she walks down the aisle? I can offer suggestions. George Watts: Sarah, thank you so much for joining us on the show. It’s been great. Well, I actually have notice too conveniently behind the piano. I would like to invite you to play for us. Sarah Balfour: Love too. George Watts: Thank you.