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Frequently Asked Questions
ARRIVAL
- BREAKS
- CHAIRS
- DANCING
- DEMO
CD - INSTRUMENTS
LIGHTING
- OUTDOORS
- OUTFITS
- MOBILITY
- PAYMENT
REFRESHMENTS
- SPACE
- VOLUME
| How much space does the Quartet require? |
| Ideally, a space measuring approximately 3m x 2m is perfect for a String
Quartet. Bear in mind that as well as four people, there are instruments
and music stands to fit in, and a fair amount of space is needed for bows.
The Quartet can adapt to fit into smaller spaces where necessary, but please don't
put four chairs together in a line and assume they will fit! If you are booking Chaminade Electric, significantly more space is required (eg a stage area or dance floor), to accomodate speakers, cables, etc. (Back to top) |
| What needs to be provided by the venue? |
| The Quartet will require four chairs without arms. Chaminade Electric
will also require a single standard electrical socket. (Back to top) |
| Our dinner is being served by candlelight. Will the Quartet need any further lighting? |
| Chaminade have small, battery-powered lights that attach to the music
stands, and will not interfere with subtle lighting such as candlelight
throughout the rest of the room. However, if these are needed, the Quartet
does appreciate advance notice. (Back to top) |
| Our event is being held in quite a large room. Will my guests be able to hear the music? |
| The natural sound of the Quartet will carry in a room with up to around
150 people. For large parties (ie over 100 people), the ideal scenario
would be to put the musicians on a raised platform, to ensure that the
music carries around the room. With a large number of guests at your event,
Chaminade Electric may be a more viable option: there are up to four speakers
available, which can be placed so that the sound is evenly spread throughout
the venue. (Back to top) |
| Will the musicians need to take a break? |
| Yes! During a standard three-hour session, the Quartet will usually take
one break of about twenty minutes. Where possible, they will try to time
this with cake-cutting, speeches etc. (Back to top) |
| Will the Quartet require any refreshments? |
| Glasses of mineral water or orange juice will keep them happy throughout
the course of the event! A number of venues are able to provide a platter
of sandwiches for the musicians during their break. Although this is not
essential, it is very much appreciated! The musicians do like to know
beforehand whether any food is to be provided, so that they can make
alternative arrangements if necessary. (Back to top) |
| Our event is in the Summer. Are the musicians happy to play outside? |
| A String Quartet playing on a lawn on a summer's afternoon is indeed a
beautiful image. However, there are a few points to consider. The varnish
on stringed instruments cannot withstand high temperatures, and as such
the Quartet need to be in a shady area (eg in the shade of a tree, or
under large sun-umbrellas). They do carry clips and pegs with them in the
summer months, but on a particularly windy day pages of music can often be
blown around. Consider sitting the musicians by patio doors or large windows,
where the music will flow out into the grounds, and can be enjoyed by
everyone, both inside and out. Alternatively, Chaminade Electric may be
a viable option: there are up to four speakers available, which can be
placed so that the sound is evenly spread across the grounds. (Back to top) |
| How long does the Quartet take to set up their equipment? |
| For the acoustic quartet, the musicians usually arrive about 30-40 minutes
before the start time.
As there is no electrical equipment to deal with, 'setting up' is simply a
case of changing their clothes, putting up the music stands and finding
the chairs. Chaminade Electric will arrive 60 - 90 minutes before they start playing, to allow time for setting up the equipment, cables, etc. (Back to top) |
| What do the musicians wear? |
| The usual dress code is black - this blends into the background and
there's no danger of clashing with the colour scheme of your event. (Back to top) |
| Does the Quartet have a demo CD available? |
| Yes. If possible, please
listen to Chaminade online. If you would like
to hear more, please complete the
enquiry form, and you will receive a demo CD (subject to availability). (Back to top) |
| Which instruments make up a String Quartet? |
| A String Quartet is made up of four instruments: two violins (known as
the 'first' and 'second' violins), a viola and a cello. (Back to top) |
| Is the music suitable for dancing to? |
| Chaminade do not sell themselves as a dance band. However, with a number
of waltzes, tangos etc in their repertoire, they can provide a certain
amount of music which can be danced to. Chaminade Electric may be a more
viable option for this scenario, as there is complete control over the
volume - a luxury not available to an acoustic quartet! (Back to top) |
| Must the Quartet remain in one location throughout the course of the event, or can they move around between rooms within the venue? |
| By the very nature of the occasions that Chaminade plays for, moving
from one location to another is often called for. For example, during the
course of a wedding, they may start in the room where the ceremony is
being held. Then they might move into a bar area to play for the drinks
reception during the photographs, and finally move into the restaurant to
play for the wedding breakfast. The musicians are happy to move around as
required, but do ask that chairs are readily available wherever they are
required to play. If you are booking Chaminade Electric, the musicians are not able to move to different areas, as the equipment would need to be dismantled and set up again, leaving very little performance time. (Back to top) |
| Do I have to pay a deposit, and when is the final balance due? |
| We do require a 10% deposit to be paid when your booking is confirmed.
The final balance is usually settled two weeks before the event. However,
we do appreciate that this policy needs to be flexible, particularly in
the case of last-minute bookings. (Back to top) |
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© Chaminade String Quartet, 2010. email: enquiries@chaminade.co.uk telephone: 01892 822762 |
Last modified: Tue, 10th Mar 2009 |
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