Keyboardist

David Goodenough

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About David Goodenough

Edinburgh-based Organist/Pianist/Accompanist with 30+ years professional freelance experience.
David Goodenough's profile picture
Keyboardist
Edinburgh

I am a classically-trained (Guildhall School of Music, London) Music graduate with 30+ years experience as a professional Organist, Pianist, Continuo Player, Choral Director, Accompanist and Teacher. I have held professional posts in several UK Cathedrals and Greater Parish Churches and I am currently Organist and Director of Music at ‘Scotland’s most prominent church building’ - St John’s Episcopal Church, Princes Street, Edinburgh. I have been privileged to play for HM the Queen and the Royal Family on several occasions, and my many hundreds of wedding services also include the Royal Wedding held in Edinburgh in 2011. I was Director of Music at Fettes College, Edinburgh, for twenty-four years from 1998-2022 and I am also an Examiner for ABRSM. I have extensive, wide-ranging freelance experience as an accompanist, as both pianist and organist, for instrumentalists and singers. I have given solo recitals on four continents and my UK concerts have included solo recitals in Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, as well as many of the provincial cathedrals. I have recorded the complete Trio Sonatas and the Orgelbuchlein of J S Bach on the Octavin label. I can provide live music, and I also have a studio where I can pre-record bespoke selections of music on both piano and organ to use in venues which might not have instruments in situ.

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10 gigs
Experienced: 10 bookings through Encore
Saved the day!
Booked for an Encore gig with less than 24 hours’ notice
2nd Anniversary
This act has been working with Encore for over 2 years
Musicianship
Genres:
Traditional church music, Classical, Christmas, Contemporary Christian, Baroque, Contemporary classical, Musical theatre, Opera, Renaissance, Fanfare, Classical crossover, Early music, Medieval music, Film / TV music, Jazz, Pop, Ambient pop, Acoustic, 1990s era music, 1980s era music, 1970s era music, 1960s era music, 1920s era music, 1930s era music, 1940s era music, 1950s era music, Folk, Ceilidh, Traditional English folk, Traditional Scottish folk, Cabaret, Modern jazz, Swing, Ragtime, Blues, Jazz fusion, Easy listening, Rock, Classic rock, Ambient, Military
See all genres
Instruments:
See all instruments
Event types:
Church service, Wedding, Funeral / Memorial service, Concert, Recording session, Charity event, Hotel / Restaurant event, Private event, Wedding proposal, Cruise, Theatre / Show, Burns night, Birthday party, Corporate event
See all event types
Other skills:
Instrumental teaching, Theory teaching, Composition teaching, Examiner, Musicologist, Animateur, Accompanist, Fluent sight-reader, Fluent improviser, Perfect pitch, Repetiteur, Composer, Orchestrator, Transcription
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David Goodenough's Song list

Scroll down for Piano Wedding repertoire!
Wedding service music for Organ (not an exhaustive list - just the most popular pieces)
Bach - Air (on a G string)
Bach - Jesu, joy of Man's Desiring
Charpentier - Prelude to 'Te Deum'
Clarke - The Prince of Denmark's March
Handel - The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
Handel - Hornpipe, from Water Music Suite
Mendelssohn - Wedding March
Pachelbel - Canon in D
Purcell - Trumpet Tune
Stanley - Trumpet Voluntary
Vaughan-Williams - Rhosymedre
Verdi - Grand March from 'Aida'
Vierne - Finale from Organ Symphony No. 1
Wagner - Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin
Widor - Toccata from Organ Symphony No. 5
Widor - Marche Pontificale
Any hymn
Any choral accompaniment
I will always endeavour to provide any title for a wedding; however, please be aware that not all music is playable on the organ! Most ‘pop’ music is usually better played on a piano.
A Wedding Reception/Wedding Breakfast Piano set list could include any or all of these….and many others!
Elton John - Can you feel the love tonight
Elton John - Your Song
Elton John - Rocket Man
Erroll Garner - Misty
Bart Howard - Fly me to the moon
Diana Ross/Lionel Ritchie - Endless Love
The way you look tonight - Sinatra
john Legend - All of me
Michael Jackson - I just can’t stop loving you
Everything - Buble
Everything I do, I do it for you - Bryan Adams
Preston and Fisher - You are so beautiful
Bacharach - Say a little prayer
Robbie Williams - She’s the one
Ben E King - Stand by me
George Michael - Careless whisper
Robbie Williams - She’s the one
Alicia Keys - If I ain't got you.
George Michael - Careless whisper
Gershwin - The man I love
Aerosmith - Don’t want to miss a thing
Celine Dion - My heart will go on
Bee Gees - How deep is your love
Police - Every breath you take
Adele - Someone like you
Al Green - Let’s stay together
Paolo Nutini - Last Request
Levi’s - Can’t help falling in love with you.
Cutting crew - Just died in your arms.
Stevie Wonder - Ribbon in the sky
Elton John - Tiny Dancer
Billy Joel - Always a woman to me
Sergio Mendez - Never gonna let you go
Stevie Wonder - For once in my life
Concert repertoire for the organ (again, not exhaustive; just a very small flavour)
Bach - The complete Trio Sonatas - available on Octavin Records
Bach - The complete Preludes and Fugues
Bach - The Orgelbuchlein - available on Octavin Records
Bach - The Eighteen Leipzig Chorales - available on Octavin Records
Bossi - Scherzo in G minor
Cocker - Tuba Tune
Dupre - Prelude and Fugue in B major
Durufle - Prelude & Fugue sur le nom d'Alain
Franck - The Three Chorales
Karg-Elert - The Chorale Improvisations
Mendelssohn - Organ Sonata No. 3 in A major
Mendelssohn - Prelude and Fugue in C minor
Peeters - Suite Modale
Poulenc - Organ Concerto in G minor
Saint Saens - Organ Symphony
Vierne - Organ Symphony No. 1
Widor - Organ Symphonies Nos 5 & 6
Customer questions

Which venues have you performed at in the past?

LOTS of churches and cathedrals as an organist. I’m currently resident organist at St John’s, Princes Street in the heart of Edinburgh. As a pianist and accompanist, LOTS of concert halls and private hotels.

What is the most high profile gig you've performed?

I was the organist for Edinburgh’s ‘Royal Wedding’ at Canongate Kirk on The Royal Mile, when Zara Phillips married Mike Tindall. The entire Royal Family was present, including HM The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, as well as a whole host of mega-stars from the world of sport.

What if my timings change after I've booked you?

I will always try my best to be flexible for you, and I'll never book services or performances back to back. At the height of the wedding season though, I may have one ceremony in a morning and one in an afternoon, so wholesale changes of time might be trickier for me then.

How much time do you need to set up?

For a fixed installation (for example an in-situ pipe or digital organ, or a piano), none at all. If I need to bring my own stage piano and amplification, allow around 30-45 minutes.

Can I pick the pieces you play from the set list?

Yes, of course! I’ll always work with you beforehand to make sure that you’re getting exactly what you’d like.

Do you bring all the equipment you need to perform?

Yes! I'll bring everything that I need with me.

Can you learn specific pieces before the event?

I already have a very large repertoire, but if you want anything specific, I'll gladly learn it for you. If I can’t readily access the music, I may need to ask you to provide it for me.

David Goodenough's Prices

Note: prices may vary based on travel distance. For an exact quote, click “Check availability”.

Standard Prices
Performance durationPrice
Short performance (up to 15 min)£220
Up to 1 hour£220
Up to 2 hours£300
Up to 3 hours£380
Packages
Wedding ceremony
Includes consultations at the planning stage to help you choose the music you'd like, and all the service music on the day itself. Music before the service, during the service and at the recessional. If your service is either video recorded or audio recorded, I do not double my fees. This is the all-in fee.
£275
David Goodenough
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5 out of 5
13 verified reviews
Satisfaction
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5.0
Professionalism
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5.0
Communication
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5.0
Punctuality
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5.0

David Goodenough's Reviews

From Encore customers:

SG
Sarah G
5 months ago
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5 out of 5

David was absolutely fantastic. He was great at communicating with us in the weeks leading up to our wedding, and even learnt the song we wanted to walk down the aisle to. His playing was flawless, and I wouldn't hesitate to book him again. Thank you, David!

AD
Amanda D
5 months ago
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5 out of 5

Fantastic

RC
Ruby C
8 months ago
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5 out of 5

We were delighted to have David playing at our wedding. David is so talented and it was lovely to have him play through the whole wedding breakfast - the songs were all great choices too, and so many people commented to us on how brilliant he was. Would highly recommend! Thanks David.

AM
Alison M
1 year ago
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5 out of 5

David was excellent at communicating with us, and provided us with valuable advice on options which would work well for our wedding day. He was extremely professional and made the whole experience so easy - thank you so much David!

Read all 7 reviews

From other customers:

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Alex C
2 years ago, for a Wedding in Priestfield Rd N
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5 out of 5

David played for our wedding last weekend. Nothing was too much trouble on the run up to the event and he was happy to talk to us as often as we wanted. He’s a great player and played a really wide selection of songs in his two sets for us. He was flexible in making sure that we got the music that we wanted and his part in our day helped to make it really memorable for us. Alex

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Neil G
2 years ago, for a Church service in Canongate
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5 out of 5

David has played for many weddings at Canongate Kirk over the years, including that of The Queen’s grand-daughter Zara Phillips. Whatever the scale of the wedding, he has always been willing to meet with the bride and groom to go over music options in advance, and happy to accommodate the occasional unusual request. Versatile and entirely reliable, he has always delivered to the very highest standard of musicianship, responding not just professionally but thoughtfully and cheerfully to everything that has been asked of him.

Read all 6 reviews