The Crystal Palace String Quartet
Live music to make your event more memorable
The Crystal Palace Quartet is one of the UK's premier string quartets for hire, providing top quality entertainment on stages worldwide for over eight years. Based in Southeast London, the quartet will travel to wherever you or your clients require first-class musical performances: for weddings, civil partnerships, corporate functions, TV shows, studio recordings, cruises, concerts, or any other kind of event.
The Crystal Palace String Quartet offer a professional, reliable service with a proven track record of giving live musical performances of the highest calibre. We are at home in any venue, from small corporate offices and churches to public buildings and world-class arenas.
Our huge repertoire ranges from Bach to Bollywood and from Gershwin to Lady Gaga, and covers every genre in between!
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.
Venues
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
- Botleys Mansion
- British Museum
- Brocket Hall
- Browns Courtrooms
- Brown's Hotel
- Burgh House
- Cambridge Cottage, Kew
- Central Hall Westminster
- Chandos House
- Charlton 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
- Goodwood House
- Gosfield Hall
- Great Hall, Lincoln's Inn
- Greenwich Naval College
- Guards Polo Club
- Hampton Court Palace
- Heatherden Hall, Pinewood Studios
- Hedsor House
- Hempstead House
- Holy Trinity Brompton
- Home House
- Honourable Artillery Company
- Hunton Park
- Institute of Directors
- Ironmongers Hall
- Jumeirah Carlton Hotel
- King's College, Cambridge
- Lancaster House
- Landmark Hotel
- London Guildhall
- Loseley House
- Manoir au Quat' Saisons
- Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
- Mansion House
- Merton Registry Office
- Metropolitan Police Sports Club
- Middle and Inner Temples
- Millennium Gloucester Hotel
- Natural History Museum
- Newbury Racecourse
- Newick Park
- Nonsuch Mansion
- Northbrook Park
- Oaks Farm
- Old Royal Naval College
- One Great George Street
- One Whitehall Place
- The Orangery, Holland Park
- Paramount Centre Point
- Pembroke Lodge
- Petersham Hotel
- Pitzhanger Manor
- Plaisterers Hall
- Polesden Lacey
- Royal Automobile Club
- Radisson Edwardian Heathrow Hotel
- The Ritz
- Royal Institute of British Architects
- Royal Lancaster Hotel
- Saga Cruise Lines
- Salomons
- Selsdon Park Hotel
- St Paul's Cathedral
- Sopwell House
- Stafford Hotel
- Stationers Hall
- Stock Brook Manor
- Sundridge Park Manor
- Swinfen Hall
- Templeton Estates
- Tithe Barn
- Victoria & Albert Museum
- Waldorf Hotel
- Woodlands Park Hotel
- Wotton House
- Numerous local churches and private venues
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.
For more pictures please visit our Image gallery
Testimonials
It has been great with the Crystal Palace Quartet this year and lots of good feedback!–Amanda, Newbury Racecourse, December 2012
Thank you very much for the music on our special day. Many of our guests commented on how great the quartet was and were really impressed by the range of music that you covered! The music played during the ceremony was fantastic too!–Maya, December 2012
We had such great feedback from our guests regarding CPQ's performance throughout the day. Everyone was very impressed with their performance. They played so beautifully during our ceremony.–Natalie, September 2012
Thanks to the four excellent musicians who played at our wedding on Tuesday. They made the whole service a wonderful experience for Sally, myself and all our guests. They made light work of getting set up without any stress to me and they provided lovely smiling faces for me when I was waiting for Sally to walk down the aisle. I would highly recommend them to anyone needing a similar experience in the future.–Daniel, June 2012
We just wanted to thank you for your wonderful performance at our wedding last month. Our guests were effusive about the quality of the music and the atmosphere it created. We would heartily recommend you. –Tom & Azra, February 2012
Anil and I wanted to thank you for the wonderful music you played at our wedding at Hampton Court! We are just back from honeymoon and wanted to write and say a huge thank you for your part in making the day so special. We heard so much positive feedback from guests on your wonderful playing... you really helped to make the day memorable.–Sarah, December 2011
Brendan and I would just like to thank all of you for making our drinks reception at our wedding extremely special. The string quartet sounded fantastic and gave the reception a very relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. We had so many guests commenting how beautiful your music was and we both thought you sounded fantastic. Any future events and you would be the first we call.–Katie & Brendan, Syon Park, July 2011
Thank you so much for the beautiful music you played at our ceremony. Everyone commented on how lovely it was and it was very special for us.–Louise & Anthony, One Whitehall Place, July 2011
I just wanted to drop you a line to thank you for playing at my wedding. We both thought you sounded brilliant and many of our guests commented on how good you were. Please pass on my thanks to the others.–Charlotte, September 2011
I just wanted to say a massive thank you to the Crystal Palace String Quartet for playing at our wedding at Selsdon Park Hotel. You were fantastic and I would recommend anyone to have a string quartet at their wedding as it makes the day that touch more special - lots of people commented on how beautiful the music was. Thanks again.–Sarah & Shane, September 2011
Well what can I say, we had a brilliant time! Thank you, you were amazing, I almost feel like having another party just to invite your string quartet to play. I think all our friends would not hesitate booking you guys in the future, We have decided to become your agents!–Mike and Sunitha, August 2011
I would just like to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you for your efforts on Friday. For everyone there you added an extra special touch to a fantastic day. Your quartet looked and sounded brilliant and if I ever require a string quartet again, I will not hesitate to look you guys up. Once again many thanks.–Luke, August 2011
Thanks to you and your ladies...you were really great, looked perfect and the client was delighted!–KP Events, June 2011
I just wanted to add my personal thanks for playing at Claire and Daniel's wedding last Friday, it made the day very special in a really lovely venue. Thank you so much, hope you enjoyed playing there too.–Sandie, June 2011
Please convey my thanks to your band mates in regards to last nights performance. Everyone enjoyed it so much and I had a lot of positive comments. –Anna, May 2011
Thank you and all of the string quartet for your amazing entertainment last night.–Sian, May 2011
So many people came to tell me how wonderful the music was and what a difference it made to the evening. It was truly a wonderful treat for me and I can't thank you enough.–Terry, February 2011
I just wanted to thank you and your team for the music you provided for my wedding. The music was beautiful and really suited the venue. –Victoria, February 2011
Thank you all for a perfect performance at my daughters wedding on Monday. Your music created a magical atmosphere for the service and reception. I would strongly recommend you to anyone planning a wedding or any other event without hesitation. Thank you all again for helping to make Charmaine & Gareth's wedding an extra special day. –Simon, February 2011
Just wanted to say thank you for your contribution to mums service yesterday. The music was beautiful, mum would have loved it, so moving. Thanks again and I hope that will be able to book you again.–Lilian, August 2010
This is to say "thank you" to you and your fellow musicians for providing such beautiful music on Saturday evening. It really set the tone and it was super to have people arriving to such a special ambiance. Everyone said how great the musicians were. Thank you for helping make the celebration of Peter's life such a jolly and very special occasion.–Gai, August 2010
I wanted to say thank you to you all for playing so beautifully at our wedding on 31st July. We were very happy with the music that you played, and would not hesitate to recommend you. Thank you again. –Faith, August 2010
Our sincere thanks. The music was delightful and really enhanced the day. –Joy, July 2010
We just wanted to say a big thank you for the amazing music you and your team played at our wedding at Northbrook Park. We thought you would like to know that we received a huge amount of compliments from our guests about how wonderful you sounded. One guest in particular is interested in hiring you for her wedding next year. We have passed on your details and hope you get the gig :-) –Angela and Simon, June 2010
We were in the little choir at the wedding in Biggin Hill today. You were marvellous. We wanted you to know how much we enjoyed your playing. –Nancy and Doug, June 2010
We want to say a huge thank you for the wonderful string quartet music that you produced for our wedding. Our guests also commented how lovely the music was. We were also impressed with how smoothly the transaction of moving one duo from one venue to another went. It was perfect. We would definitely have no qualms with recommending you to anyone in the future. –Fay and James, October 2009
The string quartet were wonderful, the music was enjoyed by everyone ... you all looked fantastic as well. Thank you so much for helping us make the day so special. –Ruth Cook, 2006