Valentines Day is celebrated on 14th February each year. A lot of restaurants and hotels hold valentine’s dinners accompanied by music. Below are our suggestions for ideal musicians for Valentines Day...

Harpists

The harp’s soothing and elegant tone makes it an ideal instrument to accompany two people getting to know one another.

Ideal background music, harpists tend to perform a selection of well known classical pieces as well as pop songs from the likes of Elton John, Brian Adams, Jeff Buckley and the Carpenters.

As the acoustic, un-amplified harp can be rather quiet, a harpist can work particularly well on private date nights, perhaps building up to a proposal.

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Guitarists

Whilst electric guitars and rock bands have their place, a solo classical guitarist performing fingerpicked love songs are a great way of setting the mood on an intimate Valentine’s date.

Whether the event is a private affair or a Valentine’s themed evening at a venue, many choose to hire a Spanish flamenco guitarist, often performing with a dancer.

However, particularly at larger romantic themed events, a varied repertoire is key and many guitarists are versatile enough to perform a selection of different genres in one performance.

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String duos / trios / quartets

String duos and quartets are a versatile form of entertainment, suited perfectly to accompanying romantic moments and gestures.

Performing the works of famous composers such as Handel, Mozart and Elgar, classically trained musicians will provide elegant background music to set a scene of romance, allowing for new couples to get to know one another.

For those on a budget, many solo musicians such as violinists choose to perform to a backing track, therefore allowing the client to pay less for their services whilst still achieving the full sound of an ensemble.

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Saxophonists

Either performing solo or with their own ensemble, hiring a saxophonist will give any Valentine’s Day event a blues/jazz twist producing a warm romantic atmosphere to the sounds of jazz standards such as Have you Met Miss Jones and Fly Me to the Moon.

Ideally suited to providing background music whilst guests eat, saxophonists perform loud enough for couples to communicate, whilst also appreciating the music. Some saxophonists can be booked to play with backing tracks giving the client a larger sound, however the tones of a solo saxophone is likely to provide enough romance for one room.

Regardless of the budget, a successful Valentine’s Day comes from the heart and authentic gestures of love are unlikely to go awry. However booking live musicians is certainly guaranteed to increase the chances of success!

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Time scale

As will all popular celebration dates througought the year, musicians tend to get booked up early, so try to book by December the previous year if possible.

History

Valentine’s Day was originally named after 3rd century Saint Valentine, a priest in Rome who held secret illegal marriages during the time of Emperor Claudius II. Claudius had banned marriage as he believed married men to be poor soldiers and when he discovered what Valentine had been doing he sentenced him to death. Whilst in prison, Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s daughter and before his execution on February 14th he left her a letter signed “from your Valentine”.

Since the 3rd century, Valentine’s Day has become a popular day for people to show one another their affection in way of letters, flowers or chocolate, often anonymously.

Whether you are booking entertainment for a Valentine’s event at a restaurant or hotel or for your own private date, there are many ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day. But recognising love for another is best done with a romantic atmosphere, therefore the music is crucial and hiring a live musician may just secure that special someone.