Classical String Duo

Design your dream duo! Our Classical String Duos are perfect for more intimate settings.

String Duo

Overview

A traditionally harmonious paring for smaller spaces or smaller budgets, the Classical String Duo is an elegant reduction of our quartet ideal for proposals, rehearsal dinners, cocktail parties, restaurants, champagne receptions and of course weddings. The Classical String Duo are most appropriate for quieter, more reserved settings though they are still loud enough to play over a noisy gathering or a windy garden party. While specialising in traditionally classical music the Duo also have a strong Jewish repertoire with Israeli dancing as well as Bollywood music. As with our other groups, the Duo are also able to rehearse and perform any requests for your special event – we always love a challenge!

The Duo are ideal for weddings as they can fit into smaller spaces for the service, can play outdoors during the photographs to keep your guests entertained, and take no time to set up at the reception before your guests begin to arrive. Many of our wedding packages are designed with continuity and ease in mind so please see the ‘Wedding Entertainment’ page for more options.

Design your own pair! Whether you want two violins, a violin and a cello, a violin and a harp, the Strings Duo option is fully flexible according to your requirements. Our Duo will dress to brief and can master your favourite playlist no matter the content!

All of our players are professional musicians with top session and concert credits who have trained at the best establishments. They have a wealth of experience playing at corporate events, weddings and social engagements. In addition to playing at private residences other regular venues include: The Dorchester, Grosvenor House, Claridges, Leeds Castle and The Grove Hotel.

Repertoire

Wedding / Classical

Bach – Air on the G String

Bach – Brandenberg Concerti

Bach – Double Violin Concerto

Bach – Jesu Joy of Manʼs Desiring

Beethoven – Ode to Joy

Bizet – Selections from Carmen

Boccherini – Menuett

Borodin – Polotsvian Dances

Brahms – Hungarian Dances

Capua – O Sole Mio

Charpentier – Prelude from Te Deum

Clarke – Trumpet Voluntary

Corelli – Christmas Concerto

Delibes – Flower Duet (Lakme)

Delibes – Mazurka (Coppelia)

Dvorak – Humoresque

Dvorak – Largo from the New World Symphony

Elgar – Chanson de Nuit

Elgar – Salut DʼAmour

Faure – Pavane

Franck – Panis Angelicus

Gounod – Ave Maria

Greig – In the Hall of the Mountain King

Handel – Arrival of the Queen of Sheba

Handel – La Rejouissance

Handel – The Water Music

Herold – Clog Dance

Jenkins – Palladio

Mendelssohn – Wedding March

Mouret – Rondo

Mozart – Allelulia from Exultate Jubilate

Mozart – Divertimenti

Mozart – Eine Kleine Nachtmusic

Mozart – Non Piu Andrai

Mozart – Overture from the Marriage of Figaro

Offenbach – Barcarolle

Offenbach – Melodies

Pachelbel – Canon

Parry – Jerusalem

Puccini – Nessun Dorma

Puccini – O Mio Babbino Caro

Purcell – Air and Rondo

Purcell – Trumpet Tune

Ravel – Bolero

Saint Saens – The Swan

Sartori – Con te Partiro

Satie – Gymnopedies

Strauss – Fledermaus Waltzes

Tchaikovsky – Waltz from Sleeping Beauty

Vivaldi – The Four Seasons

Wagner – Bridal Chorus

Reception / Popular

Abba – I do, I do, I do

Abba – Mamma Mia

Adele/Dylan – Make You Feel My Love

Adele – Skyfall

Aerosmith – I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing

Air – You Make it Easy

Alicia Keys – No One

Aznavour – She

Bacharach – Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head

Beach Boys – California Girls

Beach Boys – Don’t Worry Baby

Beach Boys – God Only Knows

Beach Boys – Good Vibrations

Beatles – All you need is Love

Beatles – Hey Jude

Beatles – Lady Madonna

Beatles – Michelle

Beatles – Paperback Writer

Beatles – When Iʼm 64

Beatles – Yesterday

Bee Gees – How Deep is your Love

Blunt – Youʼre Beautiful

Blur – The Universal

Bowie – Changes

Carpenters – Yesterday Once More

Clapton – Layla

Coldplay – In My Place

Coldplay – Viva la Vida

Coldplay – Yellow

Collins – Cock Linnet

Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Come on Eileen

Doors – Light My Fire

Elbow – One Day like This

Elvis – Can’t Help Falling In Love

Europe – The Final Countdown

Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams are Made of This

Foo Fighters – Everlong

Gaynor – I Will Survive

Greenday – Good Riddance

Heusen – Come Fly with Me

Jackson – Smooth Criminal

Jackson – Thriller

Kaiser Cheifs – I Predict a Riot

Lady Gaga – Paparrazi

Led Zepplin – Stairway to Heaven

Maroon Five – She will be Loved

Melua – Closest Thing to Crazy

McFLy – All about You

Metallica – Nothing Else Matters

Oasis – Little By Little

Oasis – Whatever

Pink Floyd – Money

Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here

Plain White T’s – Hey There Delilah

Presley – Love me Tender

Presley – The Wonder of You

Procol Harum – A Whiter Shade of Pale

Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody

Richie – My Destiny

Rolling Stones – Paint it Black

Rolling Stones – Satisfaction

Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge over Trouble Water

Simone – Nobody Does it Better

Sinatra – My Way

Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars

Take That – Greatest Day

Take That – Patience

Take That – Rule the World

Valli – Can’t Take My Eyes Off You

Verve – Bittersweet Symphony

Village People – YMCA

Wannadies – The You and Me Song

Warren – Thatʼs Amore

Weiss – What a Wonderful World

Reception / Jazz

Anderson – Blue Tango

Anderson- The Syncopated Clock

Desmond – Take Five

Ellington – It Donʼt Mean a Thing

Gershwin – Fascinating Rhythm

Gershwin – Nice Work if you can Get It

Gershwin – Somebody Loves Me

Gershwin – Summertime

Gershwin – Swansea

Gershwin – The Man I Love

Gershwin – They Canʼt take That Away from Me

Grever – What a Difference a Day Made

Herman – Hello Dolly

Howard – Fly me to the Moon

Johnson – Pennies from Heaven

Joplin – Country Club

Joplin – The Entertainer

King Cole – Letʼs Face the Music

King Cole – L-O-V-E

Film, Television & Theatre

Arlen – Over the Rainbow

Armstrong – Balcony Scene from Love Actually

Baerwold – Come What May from Moulin Rouge

Bernstein – Selections from West Side Story

Boch – Selections from Fiddler on the Roof

Bricusse – Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka

Davis – Theme from Pride and Prejudice

Des’ree – Kissing You from Romeo and Juliet

Fonteyn – Theme from Ski Sunday

Hess – Ladies in Lavender

Horner – My Heart Will Go On from Titanic

Hupfeld – As Time goes By

Jacobs – Selections from Grease

Journey – Don’t Stop Believing

Lai – Theme from Love Story

Lloyd Webber – All I ask of You

Lloyd Webber – Selections from Cats

Mancini – Theme from Curb Your Enthusiasm

Mancini – Moon River

Naughtin – Theme from Looney tunes

Porter – Anything Goes

Porter – Every time we say Goodbye

Porter – I get a Kick out of You

Porter – Letʼs do It

Porter – Youʼre the Top

Rogers – Blue Moon

Rogers – My Funny Valentine

Ross – Hernandoʼs Hideaway

Rota – Theme from the Godfather

Schonberg – Selections from Les Miserables

Sousa – Liberty Bell

Sulliavan – Selections from the Mikado

Williams – Theme from E.T.

Williams – Theme from Jurassic Park

Wiliams – Theme from Schindlers List

Williams – Theme from Star Wars

Williams – Theme from Superman

Wilson – Theme from Fawlty Towers

Young – When I Fall in Love

Traditional & Tango

Albeniz – Tango

Beltran – Sway

Gade – Jealousy

Gardel – Por una Cabeza

Padilla – El Relicario

Piazzolla – Libertango

Piazzolla – Tango Fugata

Rodriguez – La Cumparsita

Trad. English – Swing Low Sweet Chariot

Trad. Jewish – Hava Nagila

Trad. Mexican – La Bamba

Trad. Russian – Dark Eyes

Trad. Scottish – Loch Lomond

Villodo – El Choclo

Christmas

Anderson – Sleigh Ride

Cantiones – Good King Wenceslas

Gantlett – Once in Royal David’s City

Goss – See Amid the Winter’s Snow

Gruber – Silent Night

Handel – Joy to the World

Kilpatrick – Away in a Manger

Kocher – As with Gladness men of Old

Mendelssohn – Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Psalms – While Shepheards Watched

Sullivan – It came upon a midnight Clear

Wade – O Come all ye Faithfull

Woodward – Ding dong Merrily on High

Wedding Favorites

Wedding Ceremony Music

Entrance of the bride top 10 classical

Canon in D – Pachelbel (all time favorite)
Trumpet Voluntary – Clarke
Air on the G string – Bach
Arrival of the Queen of Sheba – Handel
Intermezzo (from ʻCavalleria Rusticanaʼ)
Prelude (from ʻTe Deumʼ) – Charpentier
Trumpet Tune – Purcell
Allegro from ʻSpringʼ – Vivaldi
Grand March (from ʻAidaʼ) – Verdi
Wedding March – Wagner

Entrance of the bride top 10 modern songs
John Legend: All Of ME
Elvis: I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You
Beach Boys: God Only Knows
Desʼree: Kissing You
Christina Perri: A Thousand Years
Beatles: All You Need Is Love
Elbow: One Day Like This
Adele/Bob Dylan: Make You Feel My Love
Ben E King: Stand By Me
James Blunt: Youʼre Beautiful
Foo Fighters: Everlong

Signing of the register
O Mio Babbino Caro – Puccini
Meditation – Massenet
Chanson de Matin – Elgar
Intermezzo – Mascagni
Clair de Lune – Debussy
Largo from Winter – Vivaldi

Exit of the bride and groom
Queen of Sheba -Handel
Spring – Vivaldi
Rondeau – Mouret
Hornpipe – Handel
Wedding March – Mendelssohn

Specification

General information
A string duo is an intimate musical ensemble of two string players: violin & cello, but also – two violins – violin and harp – two cellos. All of our music arrangements can be performed by any of the mentioned combinations.

Requirements
Chairs: two, sturdy and armless. Space: 1.5m x 1.5m

PA system and Amplification
Normally our acoustic duo will suffice for the ceremony and often for the drinks reception or background music. However sometimes the drinks reception is in a smallish room and is full of 100 or more guests so people can’t hear the duo (and the musicians can’t hear each other either!) The wedding breakfast is often in a large room where only the nearest 3 or 4 tables can hear the duo whilst the rest of the room are unable to hear anything. We can provide suitable amplification to make your event a success. We recommend our 400w PA system for events up to 150 guests and our 800w system for up to 250 guests. Any larger number of guests will require a sound engineer.

Testimonials

“Dear David, many thanks for providing the music at the Chuppah. It was very beautiful and Gilda and I are most appreciative to you and your fellow musicians. Wishing you continued great success for the future. “

Michael Abraham LevyBaron Levy

“They were an excellent group, genuinely happy to be playing music for us and even walked over with their instruments to a lady who’s birthday it was. They played as everyone sang. They couldn’t have been better, we were really pleased. Fantastic range of music, classical and modern day. Giardino String Quartet were also really really nice people, very approachable, professional and flexible. ”

Hayley GommPrivate client

“The Giardino String Quartet was in fact the first to perform – as the guests arrived. They really set a high standard for the whole day. They turned up on time, looked great, rehearsed with another performer whom they had not previously met, and performed beautifully, first on their own and then during the ceremony with US singer Matt Alber.”

Phillip LuffPrivate client

“Dear David, just a short note to say a big thank you to your string quartet for reliably turning up to play at the wedding in Ely last week. They were very obliging and played a great selection of music. Thank you so much and I hope to stay in touch and email with more bookings in due course. “

Jenny Loyd Wedding Organiser

You were all really great at the wedding and really made the atmosphere we were hoping for!

Ilana LeaderBride

David, your duo was elegant, tasteful and lovely to listen to. You are a pleasure to work with. Thank you.

Raymond DinkinFather of the groom

I just wanted to say a big thank you for the string duo that you sent for my wedding. They were absolutely amazing! I was very impressed and my guests also loved them. I was very pleased with the music selection and that you were able to play some of my song choices. Thank you again.

Michelle GrantBride