I am a professional pianist and accompanist with more than thirty years of experience performing at weddings, concerts, church services and events across the UK. My work ranges from solo piano and contemporary music to accompanying singers, choirs and ensembles.
The piano has been a fairly constant presence throughout my life. In fact, when I look back over more than thirty years of performing, rehearsing, accompanying and generally earning a living from music, a remarkable amount of it has been spent sitting at a piano or keyboard in one form or another.
Sometimes that has meant accompanying a choir in a church or cathedral, sometimes playing alongside a singer, sometimes providing jazz and background music at an event, and increasingly it has meant performing at weddings across the UK.
The settings have changed considerably over the years. The basic job, however, has remained much the same: listen carefully, understand what is happening around you and make the music fit the occasion.
A Life at the Piano
I have never really thought of myself as a pianist who fits neatly into one particular category.
My musical life has always involved moving between different styles and situations. Classical music has naturally played a major part, particularly through my work as an organist and church musician, but over the years I have accompanied everything from traditional choral repertoire to contemporary songs, jazz standards and popular music.
That variety is one of the things I enjoy most about being a pianist.
One day might involve accompanying a choir; another could mean playing contemporary music at a wedding or providing relaxed jazz for an evening event. The ability to move comfortably between those different worlds has become an important part of the way I work.
It also means that I approach the piano primarily as a performing and accompanying instrument rather than as something which exists purely for the recital platform.
For me, the most interesting musical moments often happen when the piano is part of something larger.
Accompanying Singers
Accompanying singers has been a recurring part of my musical career, both in churches and at concerts and events.
Working with a singer requires a slightly different approach from playing alone. A good accompanist needs to be able to follow, anticipate and support without overwhelming the person actually singing.
Tempo may change slightly. A phrase might need an extra fraction of a second. A singer may decide in the moment to take something in a slightly different direction. The pianist needs to be listening rather than simply concentrating on the notes in front of them.
That applies whether the music is a traditional sacred solo, a contemporary song or a jazz standard.
I have particularly enjoyed accompanying singers in more relaxed settings, where there is room for the music to breathe and for the performance to develop naturally.
Choir Accompaniment
Choirs have also formed a substantial part of my work as a pianist and organist.
Over the years I have accompanied a wide range of groups, from traditional choral societies and church choirs to community choirs, smaller ensembles and jazz-based groups.
Each requires something slightly different from the pianist.
A large choral society may need a strong and dependable accompaniment capable of supporting a substantial number of singers. A smaller choir often demands rather more sensitivity, while community choirs tend to require an accompanist who can react quickly and help keep rehearsals moving.
There is also a certain amount of diplomacy involved in accompanying choirs. Rehearsals do not always proceed exactly as written in the score, conductors occasionally change their minds and singers have an impressive ability to discover entirely new places from which to start.
The pianist learns to be ready for all of it.
That adaptability is, in many ways, what good accompanying is about.
Jazz, Popular Music and Events
Although much of my early musical background came through classical and church music, the piano has increasingly taken me into contemporary music, jazz and live event work.
I have accompanied singers performing jazz standards and contemporary repertoire, as well as providing solo piano music for receptions and events.
For this kind of playing, the atmosphere is often just as important as the individual pieces.
Sometimes the piano should be noticed. At other times its job is simply to give a room a sense of warmth and movement without demanding everyone’s attention.
That might mean a mixture of well-known jazz standards, familiar popular songs, film music, classical favourites or something contemporary.
I particularly enjoy creating a programme which can move between styles rather than spending an entire evening firmly rooted in one musical genre.
The piano is exceptionally good at this. Few other instruments can move quite so easily from Bach to Billy Joel, or from a Chopin nocturne to a jazz standard, without anybody feeling that something terribly strange has happened.
Solo Piano for Weddings
I am available as a solo pianist for weddings and events across the UK.
A pianist can work particularly well during a wedding because the instrument is capable of creating several very different atmospheres throughout the day.
For a ceremony, the music might be elegant and understated as guests arrive before becoming more expressive for the bridal entrance.
During a drinks reception, the mood can become lighter, with contemporary songs, jazz and familiar favourites.
For a wedding breakfast or evening reception, solo piano can provide a relaxed musical backdrop while guests eat, talk and occasionally attempt to identify the tune being played from three tables away.
I am equally happy playing a venue’s own piano where a suitable instrument is available or using my professional stage piano when required.
My repertoire covers classical music, contemporary pop, film music, jazz and many of the songs people naturally associate with weddings and special occasions.
If there is a particular piece that matters to you, I am also happy to discuss arranging it for piano.
Playing for the Occasion
One of the greatest advantages of live piano music is flexibility.
A recording lasts exactly as long as the recording lasts. A pianist does not have that problem.
Music can be extended if somebody is running late, shortened if everybody has arrived unexpectedly quickly, changed if the atmosphere of the room changes or adapted to what is happening in front of you.
That ability to respond to the moment has always been one of the things I value most about live performance.
It is also one of the reasons why accompanying has featured so heavily throughout my career.
You are not simply playing notes. You are paying attention.
JAM Duo
A major part of my work as a pianist today is as one half of JAM Duo, performing alongside cellist Anne-Marie Humphries.
Together we provide live cello and piano music for weddings and events across the UK, performing an extensive repertoire ranging from classical music to contemporary songs and film music.
JAM Duo has its own dedicated section on this website, where you can find more information about our work together.
My solo piano work, however, remains a separate strand of my musical life and gives me the opportunity to perform in situations where a single instrument is exactly what is required.
Pianist for Concerts, Choirs and Events
Alongside weddings, I am available for a variety of freelance piano work including:
- Solo piano for weddings and private events
- Accompanying singers
- Choir rehearsals and performances
- Choral societies and community choirs
- Jazz and contemporary music
- Church and concert accompaniment
- Background piano music for receptions and events
- One-off concerts and special occasions
I am always happy to discuss something slightly outside these categories. A considerable part of freelance musical life consists of being asked to do something which does not quite fit neatly into a website menu.
An Accompanist at Heart
Although I enjoy solo playing, much of my musical life has been built around accompanying other people.
There is something particularly rewarding about making music collaboratively, whether that means supporting a singer, following a conductor, playing alongside a cellist or simply helping a congregation find the confidence to sing.
An accompanist is rarely the centre of attention, and that is rather the point.
The job is to make the whole performance work.
After several decades spent behind keyboards of one sort or another, that instinct has become fairly deeply ingrained.
Enquiries
If you are looking for an experienced pianist for a wedding, event, concert, choir or singer, please feel free to get in touch.
I am based in Wiltshire but regularly travel throughout the UK for performances and events.
Whether you are looking for elegant solo piano music, an experienced accompanist or simply someone who is comfortable sitting down at an unfamiliar piano and getting on with it, I would be very happy to discuss what you have in mind.