We are getting married in a church and want some fantastic music to be a real highlight of our day. Can you help?

Absolutely!

We have no idea about the sort of songs that might be relevant — what would you suggest?

Perfect Pitch offers free consultations in which we sit down with the bride and groom to discuss their musical ideas. A draft service sheet is a good place to start, then we fill in the gaps with musical ideas, most of which can be heard on YouTube.

At what points in the service can we have music?

Before the service begins, at the entrance of the bride, during the signing of the register, in-between readings, maybe a sung Amen after the blessing — there are plenty of opportunities to fill a service with beautiful music.

Do our choices have to be religious?

Not necessarily. It’s well worth having a chat with the vicar to establish how flexible he might be, but on many occasions Perfect Pitch has arranged popular songs that are favourites of the bride and groom.

How many singers would normally perform at a wedding?

I would recommend a choir of eight or twelve professional singers, depending on the size of the church and the number of guests

And where have your singers come from?

All the singers at Perfect Pitch have trained at London’s leading conservatoires — the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal College of Music and Guildhall School of Music & Drama — and are now working full-time in the music profession. Many are regulars with groups such as The Sixteen, the Monteverdi Choir and the Tallis Scholars, whilst some of our soloists can be heard performing at the Royal Opera House and English National Opera.

The church says it has a local organist. Should we use them?

This is always a tricky one. I’d say 99% of the time we’re told the local organist is fantastic, and it’s not always the case. To be safe, and to ensure you get the highest standard, I would always book one through Perfect Pitch.

Where do you find your organists?

All our organists can be heard performing at major London venues such as Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, St Paul’s Cathedral and St Bride’s Fleet St.

Is it worth paying for a trumpeter if they are only going to play for one piece?

A trumpeter is a wonderful addition to a wedding service. They can play for the entrance of the bride, add descants to the hymns, and even play a solo piece during the service.

What do your choir members wear?

Men wear smart suits and women suitable wedding attire.

And what about rehearsals?

The choir would usually arrive an hour and a half before the service in order to have plenty of time to rehearse before the guests arrive.

Can you recommend any hymns and do the choir sing descants?

It’s well worth having a few favourites that the congregation will enjoy joining in with. Dear Lord and Father of Mankind, Jerusalem and I vow to thee my country are popular, and it’s always nice to include one that is maybe less well known such as Sing Hosanna or Lord of the Dance. And yes, the choir can sing wonderful descants.

A friend of ours is a writer and we wondered whether it might be possible to set a poem he has written to music?

It certainly is. We have a number of composers that can write a unique piece for your day.

Can choir singers also sing solos or do we need to employ someone else for this?

Works such as Laudate Dominum and Panis Angelicus are popular and feature solos — all our choir members are of a standard at which they can sing these. We recently provided a choir for a wedding in Brussels and the Laudate Dominum solo was sung by Mary Bevan, who is currently singing at the Royal Opera House.

Where do the choir sit and stand for the ceremony?

Usually on the north and south sides of the church, at the altar end.

Do you also provide a conductor?

We certainly do. The conductor unites the singers, rehearses them and ensures a slick performance of the highest standard.

How do your musicians get to the church — do we need to pay for travel expenses?

Depending on where the wedding is taking place, we would normally travel either in the Perfect Pitch minibus or drive in cars.

Can you provide music for a reception?

Of course. Perfect Pitch has a number of fantastic jazz groups and string quartets available for the reception, and brilliant bands and DJs for the party. We’ve recently put together a group consisting of DJ, saxophone and drums, which is proving madly popular for parties.

How best do we get in touch?

Use the contact form or you can give us a call on 07958 786153.