Jim the Guitarist

Jim the Guitarist

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Location Surrey
Starting from £223
12 Reviews

Jim is a professional classical guitarist with over 20 years of performance experience.

  • Highlights
  • Plays a unique and unusual 10-string classical guitar
  • Rich repertoire of traditional, Celtic, Renaissance, Baroque, Spanish and contemporary classical music
  • Fully insured with PAT-tested sound equipment

Performed very well. Jim arrived on time and was very friendly and chatty.

Mike Jones, Surrey

We really wish Jim could have stayed longer! He was absolutely amazing!

Dee Baker, Hampshire

About


With over 500 years of music to choose from, Jim creates a beautiful, sensitive and balanced musical ambience, drawing from early traditional and Celtic styles, through Renaissance and Baroque to Spanish and contemporary classical music.

Choosing wedding music can be daunting when faced with a large repertoire, so Jim is always happy to offer assistance and advice in selecting the perfect music for the occasion. The music Jim performs at weddings and events is also the music that he personally chooses to listen to, which guarantees a passionate and heartfelt performance every time.

Jim plays a 10-string classical guitar, which is a unique and unusual instrument. The extra strings enable him to perform a wider range of music, allowig him to remain more faithful to the original arrangements and styles. It is particularly useful for Celtic, Renaissance and Baroque music.

Recent clients include Surrey Police, RBS and Magdalene College Oxford. Venues Jim has performed at in London include The Dorchester, The Langham, Mandarin Oriental, The Hilton Group, The Four Seasons Group, The Great Eastern and the Commonwealth Club, as well as wedding venues throughout the south including Hampton Court, The Lainston, Pennyhill Park, Goodwood, Runnymede, Windsor Guildhall, Farnham Castle and Wiston House.

Repertoire


Renaissance & Baroque Example Repertoire

  • Adagio - Albinoni
  • Air (on the G String) - Bach
  • Arrival of the Queen of Sheba - Handel
  • Canon in D – Pachelbel
  • Cantata 147 - Bach
  • Greensleeves-Trad. English
  • Largo (Lute Concerto in D) - Vivaldi
  • Preludes 846, 999 & 1007 - Bach
  • Toccata Arpeggiata - Kapsberger
  • Trumpet Voluntary – Clarke
  • Winter (Largo - The 4 Seasons) - Vivaldi
  • Xerxes (Largo) - Handel
  • Zadok the Priest (Coronation Anthem) - Handel

Classical Example Repertoire

  • Andecy - York
  • By Candlelight - York
  • Cavatina - Myers
  • Clair de Lune (excerpt)-Debussy
  • Divenire - Einaudi
  • Gabriel’s Oboe (Nella Fantasia) - Morricone
  • Glasgow Theme (Love Actually) - Armstrong
  • Gnossienne #1 - Satie
  • I Giorni – Einaudi
  • Jupiter (excerpt) - Holst
  • Madrugada - John Williams
  • Nimrod - Elgar

Spanish Example Repertoire

  • Adagio (Concierto de Aranjuez) - Rodrigo
  • Cancion - Pena
  • Etude in E minor – Tarrega
  • La Muerte - Sainz de la Maza
  • Lagrima - Tarrega
  • Oriental - Granados
  • Paseo - Sainz de la Maza
  • Romanza - Anonymous
  • Siguenza - Torroba
  • Soleares - Trad. flamenco
  • Torija - Torroba
  • Vuelvo al Sur - Piazzolla

Celtic & Traditional

  • Athair ar Neamh - Enya
  • Harry’s Game - Clannad
  • Horses Brawl - Trad. French
  • Local Hero (Theme) - Knopfler
  • Lothlorien – Enya
  • May It Be (Lord of the Rings) - Enya
  • Scarborough Fair - Trad. English
  • She Moved Through the Fair- Trad. Irish
  • Si Bheag Si Mhor – O’Carolan
  • The Arran Boat Song - Trad. Scottish
  • The Skye Boat Song - Trad. Scottish
  • Watermark - Enya
  • Wild Mountain Thyme - Trad. Scottish
  • Women of Ireland - O Riada

Contemporary

  • Classical Gas-Williams
  • Fields of Gold - Sting
  • Here Comes the Sun - Harrison
  • Over the Rainbow - Arlen / Harburg
  • Wind of Change  - Acoustic Alchemy
  • Wonderful World - Armstrong
Previous Clients

  • The Dorchester Hotel
  • RBS
  • Magdalene College Oxford
  • Hilton Hotels Group
  • The Four Seasons Group
  • Farnham Castle
  • Wiston House
  • Goodwood
  • The Lainston

11 Reviews

Top reviews

Peter and Shi-Mei

Event: Wedding
Location: Dorset
5/5

Jim provided the music for our wedding ceremony and drinks reception. Communicating with him beforehand was easy and he has a large repertoire to choose from. Having classical guitar music for our ceremony made it really special. We thought Jim played wonderfully!


Susan Smith

Event: Wedding
Location: Berkshire
5/5

Five out of five.


Abigail Papuga

Event: Wedding
Location: Hampshire
5/5

Jim is simply a fantastic musician and made our special day even more magical. It was amazing to walk up the aisle to live classical music. A true professional and great artist.


Mike Jones

Event: Private Party
Location: Surrey
5/5

Performed very well. Jim arrived on time and was very friendly and chatty during lunch.


Dee Baker

Event: Wedding
Location: Hampshire
5/5

We really wish Jim could have stayed longer! He was absolutely amazing! As the bride I was sat next to him most of the time mesmerised! And I felt like a princess at the ceremony very pretty and romantic. Looking for an excuse for the next celebration to have Jim come along, he was very professional, very organised lovely guy.


Ben van den Tol

Event: Wedding
Location: Isle of Wight
5/5

Jim was amazing, his playing is absolutely beautiful. We had Jim in the church for the ceremony and again at our reception, everything about his songs added so much to the day. We would recommend him to anyone wanting a classical guitarist who can also play the modern songs as well as the classics, he gives his songs such a beautiful and elegant sound. We asked him to learn a few of our favourite modern songs and he learnt them and played them perfectly, it meant so much to us. Thank you Jim, you added and contributed so much to our big day. Hope you enjoyed the Isle of Wight too!!!


Fay Bainbridge & Austin Strong

Event: Wedding
Location: Hertfordshire
5/5

Great music and a really nice individual. Highly skilled guitarist and it sounded great for our outdoors wedding. Would highly recommend to all.


Lauren Beal

Event: Wedding
Location: Dorset
5/5

Jim was a lovely gentleman and smiled the whole day! His music was perfect and he's a very talented musician. Song choices were just what we were after.


Kirsty Simon

Event: Wedding
Location: Buckinghamshire
5/5

We asked Jim to play during our wedding ceremony and reception drinks. His classical repertoire fit the setting beautifully and the guests thoroughly enjoyed his playing. He was excellent; would thoroughly recommend!


Jane Waters

Event: Wedding
Location: Kent
5/5

Fantastic, thoroughly enjoyed by us all.


Claire and John

Event: Wedding
Location: Hampshire
5/5

We booked Jim to play at our wedding on recommendation and we were not disappointed. The music was perfect and really complemented our ceremony. Jim is a true professional and we have already passed his details on to my cousin, who is getting married later this year.


    Pricing

    We give you a bespoke price based on the exact location of your event. The pricing below is based on a central location for your area so you have an idea of what your price will be. The exact price will be given in the booking process after you’ve provided the location details.

    East
    • Cambridgeshire £310
    • Norfolk £310
    • Norwich £310
    • Suffolk £310
    South East
    • Bedfordshire £360
    • Berkshire £260
    • Buckinghamshire £310
    • East Sussex £273
    • Essex £310
    • Hampshire £236
    • Hertfordshire £248
    • Isle of Wight £384
    • Kent £285
    • Middlesex £260
    • Oxfordshire £273
    • Surrey £223
    • Sussex £273
    • West Sussex £248
    South West
    • Bath £360
    • Bristol £372
    • Bristol £372
    • Cornwall £434
    • Devon £397
    • Dorset £372
    • Somerset £397
    • Wiltshire £285

    Ready to book
    Jim the Guitarist?

    Jim the Guitarist
    Or call 01270 501 164

    FAQs

    Can you help with musical choices for my wedding ceremony?
    Yes, I am happy to help with suggestions based upon popular choices or styles.

    Do you take specific requests?
    Yes, subject to the piece being suitable for instrumental guitar and a minimum of 2 months' notice prior to the event.

    Do you use amplification?
    Usually, yes. Classical guitar is a surprisingly quiet instrument and usually needs a little bit of help to be heard. Amplification is essential during drinks receptions and banquets. Generally, the only occasions when amplification isn't always necessary is for smaller, intimate ceremonies and recitals. It is definitely advisable in larger spaces, such as churches.

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