Harpist

Glenda Allaway

Full starFull starFull starFull starFull star
(5.0)Read all 69 reviews
Watch
Booking protection
Secure online payments
Free 48hr cancellations
Support available Mon-Sun
Like Glenda?
Watch & Listen
Watch
Listen
Glenda in action

About Glenda

"I have to say having Glenda at our wedding was the best decision we made."
Harpist
London
Public liability insurance of £10 million
Verified profile

Glenda Allaway is an award-winning professional harpist and was honoured to be the most booked harpist on Encore in 2022. She specialises in creating bespoke soundtracks to special events, working with clients to craft a one-of-a-kind experience. Currently harpist for the Royal Enclosure at Royal Ascot, Glenda is regularly booked to perform for VIP luxury events. She’s played at venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, the Ritz, and the Savoy, and has serenaded the late Queen Elizabeth, King Charles, countless senior Royals, and celebrities including Simon Cowell, Stephen Fry and Bill Bailey. Glenda’s gold concert harp brings the wow factor to any setting, and her complementing harp accessories bring an extra level of finesse to enhance the visual aspect of the harp. She’s is happy to coordinate her style to suit your event, be that a ball gown, jeans, or something in between! What sets Glenda apart is her passion for bringing clients’ vision to life. She’ll always say yes to trying out new things on the harp because that’s what adds that one-of-a-kind feeling to your event. Nirvana on the harp? Great! Mashup of Mozart and Ed Sheeran? No problem! Whether you’re looking for an edgy, upbeat set or a paired back classical performance, Glenda is a great choice to bring that wow factor to your special event. *NEW FOR SUMMER 2024: LIVE LOOPING HARP SET* Enquire for more details — Why not check out some reviews below?

Encore badges
Saved the day!
Booked for an Encore gig with less than 24 hours’ notice
Member of the Encore community forum
Most booked musician of 2022!
7th Anniversary
This act has been working with Encore for over 7 years
50 gigs
Veteran: 50 bookings through Encore
Musicianship
Genres:
Christmas, Contemporary Christian, Traditional church music, Classical, Classical crossover, Contemporary classical, Film / TV music, Musical theatre, Opera, 1960s era music, 1970s era music, 1980s era music, Folk, Traditional Irish folk, Traditional Scottish folk, Easy listening, Light music, Pop, Acoustic, Covers, Vintage, Scottish music
See all genres
Instruments:
See all instruments
Event types:
Private event, Wedding, Wedding proposal, Funeral / Memorial service, Church service, Hotel / Restaurant event, Bar / Club / Venue event, Corporate event, Charity event, Concert, Recording session, Theatre / Show, Cruise, Burns night, Birthday party, Christmas party, New Year's Eve
See all event types
Other skills:
Arranger, Instrumental teaching, Theory teaching, Live looping, Transcription
See all skills

Glenda's Song list

Note: this example list is not exhaustive. Please feel free to request songs not on the list!
Aaja We Maahiya
Adventure of a Lifetime - Coldplay
Africa - Toto
All Is Found from ‘Frozen 2’
All My Life - K-Ci & Jo Jo
All Of Me - John Legend
Amazing Grace - John Newton
Amelie Theme Music - Yann Tiersen
Angel - Katherine Jenkins / Sarah McLachlan
Angel of Mine - Monica
Angelus - Renie
Another Love - Tom Odell
Arabesque No. 1 - Debussy
Aria from Goldberg Variations - J.S. Bach
Aria from La Wally - A. Catalani
As It Was - Harry Styles
At Last - Etta James
At Last I See The Light from ‘Tangled’ - Alan Menken
Au Matin - Marcel Tournier
Auld Lang Syne - Trad.
Autumn Leaves - Joseph Kosma
Ave Maria - Bach- Gounod
Ave Maria - Schubert
Ay Pilla - Love Story
Bailando - Enrique Iglesias
Balcony Scene from ‘Romeo and Juliet’ - Craig Armstrong
Ballade - Jakez Francois
Beautiful Day - U2
Bella Notte - Einaudi
Berceuse Russe - Tournier
Berlin Song - Einaudi
Better - Khalid
Better Half of Me - Tom Walker
Better Together - Jack Johnson
Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
Bittersweet Symphony - Verve
Blue Fiver - Paul Lewis
Bluebird - Alexis Ffrench
Breezeblocks - Alt J
Bridge Over Troubled Water - Paul Simon
Bright Eyes - Art Garfunkel
Broken Strings - James Morrison
Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
Burn from Hamilton
But Not For Me from 'Girl Crazy' - Gershwin
Butterfly Waltz - Brian Crain
California Dreamin' - Mamas and Papas
Can You Feel The Love Tonight from 'The Lion King' - Elton John
Can't Help Falling In Love - Elvis Presley
Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You - Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons
Careless Whisper - George Michael
Carrickfergus - trad. Irish
Cavatina from 'The Deerhunter' - Stanley Myers
Chaconne - Clarke
The Chain - Fleetwood Mac
Chahun Main Ya Naa - Aashiqui 2
Chal Le Chal
Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
Chasing Pavements -Adele
Cheap Thrills - Sia
Cider House Rules Main Theme - Rachel Portman
City of Stars from La La Land
Clair de Lune - Debussy
Clara's Theme from 'Doctor Who' - Murrey Gold
Clocks - Coldplay
Colours of the Wind from 'Pocahontas' - Alan Menken
Come As You Are - Nirvana
Consider Me - Allen Stone
Cosmic Love - Florence & the Machine
Cry Me A River - Justin Timberlake
Dance Monkey - Tones & I
Dangerous Game from 'Thunderbirds' - Barry Gray
Danny Boy - trad. Irish
Danse D'Autrefois - Renie
Deep River - trad. African-American
Despacito - Fonsi
Dietro Casa - Einaudi
Dil Chahta Hai
Do, Do, Do from 'Oh, Kay' - Gershwin
Dog Days Are Over - Florence & the Machine
Don’t Stop Believing - Journey
Don’t Want To Miss A Thing - Aerosmith
Dos Oruguitas from Encanto
A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes from 'Cinderella' - Mack David
Dreams - Stevie Nicks
Drivers License - Oliva Rodrigo
The Earth Prelude - Einaudi
Easy On Me - Adele
Elegy for the Arctic - Einaudi
Embraceable You from 'Girl Crazy' - Gershwin
Endless Love - Lionel Richie
The Engagement Party from La La Land
Esquisse - Renie
Everybody Wants to be a Cat from Aristocats
Every Breath I Take - The Police
Everything I Do from 'Robin Hood' - Bryan Adams
Everything I Wanted - Billie Eilish
Experience - Einaudi
Fairytale - Einaudi
Falling - Harry Styles
Fantasie - Spohr
Fantasie Sur Un Theme De Eugene Onegin - Tchaikovsky / Walter-Kuhne
Fields Of Gold - Sting / Eva Cassidy
Filhaal
Firebabe - Stormzy
Fireflies - Owl City
Firestone - Kygo
Flightless Bird, American Mouth from "Twilight" - Iron & Wine
For The Love Of A Princess from 'Braveheart' - James Horner
Game of Thrones Main Title - Ramin Djawadi
Get Lucky - Daft Punk
Giorni Dispari - Einaudi
Glasgow Theme from 'Love Actually' - Craig Armstrong
Glimpse of Us - Joji
Gnossiénes - Satie
God Only Knows - The Beach Boys
The Godfather Theme - Nino Rota
Golden Hour - JVKE
Golden Moments - David Snell
The Greatest Day - Take That
The Greatest Love of All - Whitney Houston
Ground Variations in F - Purcell
Gymnopedies - Satie
Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen
Halo - Beyonce
Havana - Camilla Cabello
Heartbeats - Jose Gonzalez
Hedwig's Theme from 'Harry Potter' - John Williams
Hello - Adele
Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles
Hero - Enrique Iglesias
Hey Brother - Avicii
Hey Jude - The Beatles
Hold My Girl - George Ezra
How To Save A Life - The Fray
Hoyna Hoyna - Nani’s Gang Leader
Humnava Mere
I Dreamed A Dream from Les Miserables
If I Ain’t Got You - Alicia Keys
If We Hold On Together from The Land Before Time - James Horner
I Get To Love You - Ruelle
I Giorni - Einaudi
I Have A Dream - ABBA
I Just Called To Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder
I’ll Be There - Jackson 5
I Love My Love In The Morning - trad. Irish
Imagine - John Lennon
Impromptu - Faure
Impromptu Caprice - Pierne
Interstellar Theme - Hans Zimmer
Iridescent - Linkin Park
I Say A Little Prayer - Aretha Franklin
I See The Light from Tangled
I Wanna Know - Joe
I Want It That Way - Backstreet Boys
I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston
I Won't Give Up - Jason Mraz
I've Got A Crush On You from 'Strike Up The Band' - Gershwin
John Anderson My Jo - trad. Scottish
Just The Way You Are - Billy Joel
Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars
Karma Police - Radiohead
Kaun Tujhe - M. S. Dhoni
Killing Me Softly - Roberta Flack
Kiss From A Rose - Seal
Kiss The Rain - Yiruma
Kissing You from 'Romeo and Juliet' - Des'ree
La Source - Hasselmans
Last Request - Paulo Nutini
La Valse d’Amélie - Yann Tiersen
Le Matin - Yann Tiersen
Le Onde - Einaudi
Let Her Go - Passenger
Let It Go from Frozen
Life On Mars - David Bowie
Light of the Seven from Game of Thrones
Llwyn Onn - trad. Welsh
Londonderry Air - trad. Irish
Lord Of The Rings - Howard Shore
Love Is Here To Stay from 'An American in Paris' - Gershwin
Lovely Day - Bill Withers
Love Me Like You Do - Ellie Goulding
Love Me Tender - Elvis Presley
Love Story - Taylor Swift
Mad World - Tears for Fears
Marry Me - Train
Marry You - Bruno Mars
Meditation from 'Thais' - Massenet
Memory from 'Cats' - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence - Ryuichi Sakamoto
A Million Dreams from ‘The Greatest Showman’
Mona Lisa - Nat King Cole
The Moon Represents My Heart - Teresa Teng
Moon River - Henry Mancini
Moonlight Sonata - Beethoven
Motion - Khalid
Mr Brightside - The Killers
My Baby You - Marc Anthony
My Heart Will Go On from 'Titanic' - James Horner
My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose - trad. Scottish
My Way - Frank Sinatra
Naive - The Kooks Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
Nefeli - Einaudi
New Leaves - Kim Robertson
The Nightingale - Deborah Henson Conant
No Hay Milpa Sin Cuitlacoche - Cesar Secundino
Nocturne - Glinka
No One Knows Me Like The Piano (Sampha)
The Noon Day Sun from "The Thunderbirds" - Barry Gray
Nothing Else Matters - Metallica
Nuvole Bianche - Einaudi
Ocean Eyes - Billie Eilish
1+1 - Beyoncé
O Mio Babbino Caro - Puccini
Oh, Lady Be Good - Gershwin
One More Light - Linkin Park
On My Own from Les Miserables
Ordinary People - John Legend
Otherside - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Over The Rainbow - Eva Cassidy
Over And Over Again - Nathan Sykes & Arianna Grande
Paradise - Coldplay
Pehla Nasha - Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar
Perfect - Ed Sheeran
Photograph - Ed Sheeran
Piano Man - Billy Joel
Pointless - Lewis Capaldi
The Portrait from "Titanic" - James Horner
The Prayer - Celine Dion & Andrea Bocelli
Prelude In C - J.S. Bach
Primavera - Einaudi
Rainbow Connection from the Muppets
River Flows In You - Yiruma
Runaway - AURORA
Runaway - Kanye
Running Up That Hill - Kate Bush
San Martino from "The Thunderbirds" - Barry Gray
Sarabande from ‘Violin Paritita No 1’ - J.S. Bach
Say You Won’t Let Go - James Arthur
Scarborough Fair - Simon and Garfunkel
Schindler’s List - John Williams
The Scientist - Coldplay
Seventeen Going Under - Sam Fender
Sheebeg and Sheemore - trad. Irish
She's Always A Woman - Billy Joel
Shallow from A Star Is Born
Shotgun - George Ezra
Signed, Sealed, Delivered - Stevie Wonder
Skyfall - Adele
A Sky Full of Stars - Coldplay
Sleep Sonn Ida Mornin' - trad. arr. Kim Robertson
Someone Like You - Adele
Someone To Watch Over Me from "Oh, Kay" - Gershwin
Somewhere Only We Know - Keane
Sonata in D - Parry
Sonata in Darkness from Batman
Sonata in G - C.P.E. Bach
Songbird - Eva Cassidy
Stand By Me - Ben E. King
Stay With Me - Sam Smith
Suraj Hua Maddham
'S Wonderful from "An American In Paris" - Gershwin
Symphony - Clean Bandit ft. Zara Larsson
Tale As Old As Time from "Beauty and the Beast" - Alan Menken
Tenerife Sea - Ed Sheeran
Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran
Tiny Dancer - Elton John
A Thousand Miles - Vanessa Carlton
A Thousand Years - Christina Perri
Thunderbirds are GO - Barry Gray
Tiny Dancer - Elton John
Titanium - David Guetta
Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai
Tum Hi Ho - Aashiqui 2
Unchained Melody - Righteous Brothers
Up Theme - Michael Giacchino
Valse d’Amelie - Yann Tiersen
Viejo Zortzico - Guridi
Vienna - Billy Joel
Wake Me Up - Avicii
Water Is Wide - trad. arr. Kim Robertson
Watermelon Sugar - Harry Styles
We Belong Together - Mariah Carey
We Don’t Talk About Bruno - Encanto
What The World Needs Now Is Love - Burt Bacharach
When September Ends - Green Day
When She Loved Me from Toy Story
When The Party’s Over - Billie Eilish
Where Do I Begin? from Love Story
Where Is My Mind? - The Pixies
A Whole New World from Aladdin
Wildest Dreams - Duomo / Taylor Swift
The Winner Takes It All - ABBA
Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Wonderwall - Oasis
You’ll Never Walk Alone - Rodgers and Hammerstein
You Raise Me Up - Josh Groban
Your Song - Elton John
You're Beautiful - James Blunt
You’re My Best Friend - Queen
Customer questions

What do your clients love most about your performances?

I go above and beyond to tailor every performance to each individual client. I've created countless bespoke arrangements for brides to walk down the aisle to and even stayed up all night to learn a last minute request for a funeral wake. From start to finish, my priority is to always keep you and your vision at the centre.

Which venues have you performed at in the past?

- Royal Albert Hall - Royal Festival Hall - Symphony Hall, Birmingham - The Gloriana (The Queen's Rowbarge) - The Ritz - The Savoy - The Lanesborough - Jumeirah Carlton Tower - Live on BBC Radio

Which artists have you been most influenced by?

I love and listen to all types of music - that's what makes me such a versatile harpist. At the moment, I love the creativity of Billie Eilish, as well as chart-toppers Stormzy and Dua Lipa. For more classical inspiration, harpist Marie-Pierre Langlamet and conductor Gustavo Dudamel are favourites!

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

There have been such a variety of performances, it's hard to choose! The first time I performed at the Royal Albert Hall was a big moment. Playing at the Mayfair Awards (with Mark-Francis Vandelli sharing my playing to his Instagram), and serenading the Sheikh of Dubai for afternoon tea on his visits to London are also high up on the list!

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

I completely understand when timings change - just pop me a message as soon as you have accurate timings and I can adjust where possible.

How much time do you need to set up?

I always aim to arrive 60 minutes before performance time to ensure that the harp is in and set up well before guests arrive. If you might need a faster set up time, don't worry - just let me know and I can work with what time you have.

Is the transport of your harp included in your quote?

Yes - transport is included in my quote so no need to worry about any hidden extras.

Do you need any equipment provided to play outdoors?

The harp can be taken outdoors but there are some things that are helpful to have. 1. Flat surface - this can either be the ground itself or a board to make sure the harp is steady. 2. Shelter from the elements - gazebo, bandstand, etc.

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

Yes of course! I recommend that most of my clients pick their top 10-15 songs from my repertoire list and that will help guide me to craft a playlist that suits you best. If you prefer to pick every song, you can, but it's a long task and you probably have 100 more important things to be doing in the lead up to your event!

Can you learn specific pieces before the event?

At nearly every event, I create bespoke arrangements for my clients. It means that the music suits you perfectly and it adds that little special something knowing that music was made just for you. Give me as much notice as possible, but even if it's last minute, I'll do my best to get it in!

Glenda's Prices

Last updated: 2024

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

Packages
Wedding ceremony (2024)
This includes music before the service begins, music during the signing of the register, and music as guests leave.
£500
Drinks reception (2024)
Two performances of up to 45 mins each during your drinks reception
£550
Wedding breakfast (2024)
3 performances of up to 40 minutes each during your wedding breakfast
£725

Add-ons

Guest Requests - Jukebox Style!
+£75
Glenda
Full starFull starFull starFull starFull star
5 out of 5
64 verified reviews
Satisfaction
Full starFull starFull starFull starFull star
5.0
Professionalism
Full starFull starFull starFull starFull star
5.0
Communication
Full starFull starFull starFull starFull star
5.0
Punctuality
Full starFull starFull starFull starFull star
5.0

Glenda's Reviews

From Encore customers:

KT
Kerry T
2 months ago
Full starFull starFull starFull starFull star
5 out of 5

Absolutely incredible experience, only disappointed we have no future events to book her for! All our guests had nothing but praise for her music and it was such a magical touch to our wedding day. She blended in perfectly and the harp was stunning! A huge thank you to Glenda for everything!

Reply from Glenda
2 months ago

Thank you for such a lovely review, Kerry! It was such an honour to be a part of your special day. Best wishes to you and Kieran for the New Year ✨

SC
Sinclair C
3 months ago
Full starFull starFull starFull starFull star
5 out of 5

The best decision we made was hiring this extraordinary musician!

CY
Cindy Y
4 months ago
Full starFull starFull starFull starFull star
5 out of 5

It was such a pleasure to have Glenda playing at our wedding! Great communication and couldn't fault anything! Would highly recommend her! Thank you so much for being part of our wedding! <3

AS
Anneliese S
4 months ago
Full starFull starFull starFull starFull star
5 out of 5

Can't recommend Glenda highly enough. She was friendly, professional and easy to work with, not to mention incredibly talented. Her beautiful playing was the perfect addition to our luxury, corporate event in October, and having her join us was worth every penny. Thank you again!

Read all 44 reviews

From other customers:

CS
Charmaine S
6 months ago, for a Wedding in 97-113 Marylebone Rd
Full starFull starFull starFull starFull star
5 out of 5

It was such a pleasure booking Glenda for our Wedding. Her performance at our Wedding was absolutely incredible! She delighted our guests with a variety of songs and they were so thrilled and complimented her performance thoroughly. Unfortunately, our ceremony was slightly delayed but Glenda was the utmost professional and ensured our guests were still entertained by playing additional music to fill in the time. Her professionalism, knowledge and patience made the booking process so easy and I highly recommend Glenda for all bookings. You will not be disappointed!

CS
Cj S
6 months ago, for a Wedding in Hayhouse Farm
Full starFull starFull starFull starFull star
5 out of 5

Wow wow wow. I can’t even put into words how amazing Glenda is. From our first enquiry to choosing our playlist, to checking in and to performing at our forest wedding, Glenda was everything we had hoped for and more. Her playing was faultless and she even learnt one of our favourite songs. We have had so many amazing compliments about Glenda’s harp playing and we will be forever grateful for making our special day so magical. Thank you Glenda.

Read all 25 reviews