The Crystal Palace String Quartet was founded by graduates of Britain's top music colleges. Our shared passion for chamber music allowed us to acquire an extensive repertoire and to gain experience in providing live music for all kinds of events, ranging from weddings, civil partnerships, parties and corporate functions to band music, sessions, and TV.
Our repertoire ranges from baroque to pop and covers nearly every imaginable genre in between. We mainly play for events in London and the Southeast but are willing to travel anywhere within the UK. We are also active on the concert platform, performing public recitals in London and the Southeast.
Past bookings include several tours with Saga Cruise Lines, weddings at Clearwell Castle (Gloucestershire), Addington Palace (Surrey) and the Institute of Directors (London), a garden party at the BBC Television Centre and recording sessions with The Nites and Chris Singleton.
Why hire a String Quartet?
The string quartet is the ideal size of ensemble for most events ranging from a handful of guests up to a few hundred or more. The combination of two violins, viola and cello can create a wide range of textures and moods varying from the most subtle and delicate to a full, rich string sound, which carries equally well in small or large halls, outdoors, or in a marquee.
The available repertoire for string quartet is by far the most extensive for any comparable size group, and encompasses many different musical genres. String quartets can perform music ranging from popular and traditional songs, light music, jazz, show tunes, and operatic extracts to masterworks of the baroque, classical and romantic eras.
While we usually perform as a string quartet, we also operate as a string trio or duo (violin plus viola or cello) for smaller events. A duo or trio is suitable for venues where performance space is limited, or if your budget doesn't stretch to a full string quartet.
We have performed at a wide variety of events for audiences that have included past and current presidents, prime ministers and senior royalty. The venues we have played at include:
- Addington Palace
- BBC Television Centre
- Bickley Manor
- Bingham Hotel
- Blenheim Palace
- British Museum
- Brocket Hall
- Browns Courtrooms
- Brown's Hotel
- Cambridge Cottage, Kew
- Chandos House
- Chiswick House
- Clandon Park
- Claridge's Hotel
- Clearwell Castle
- Cliveden House
- Commonwealth Club
- Coombe Abbey
- Covent Garden Hotel
- Down Hall Country House Hotel
- Dulwich College
- Dulwich Picture Gallery
- Englemere
- The Fennes Estate
- Foreign and Commonwealth Office
- Gosfield Hall
- Great Hall, Lincoln's Inn
- Guards Polo Club
- Hampton Court Palace
- Holy Trinity Brompton
- Home House
- Institute of Directors
- Ironmongers Hall
- King's College, Cambridge
- Lancaster House
- Landmark Hotel
- London Guildhall
- Loseley House
- Manoir au Quat' Saisons
- Mansion House
- Merton Registry Office
- Middle and Inner Temples
- Natural History Museum
- Oaks Farm
- Old Royal Naval College
- One Great George Street
- The Orangery, Holland Park
- Pembroke Lodge
- Pitzhanger Manor
- Polesden Lacey
- Royal Automobile Club
- Radisson Edwardian Heathrow Hotel
- Royal Institute of British Architects
- Royal Lancaster Hotel
- Saga Cruise Lines
- Salomons
- Selsdon Park Hotel
- St Paul's Cathedral
- Stafford Hotel
- Stock Brook Manor
- Templeton Estates
- Tithe Barn
- Victoria & Albert Museum
- Waldorf Hotel
- Woodlands Park Hotel
- Many local churches
On this site you can read our biographies, see a list of our repertoire, get help on planning the music for your wedding, reception or other function, and find out about how to book us.