Hire Jess Hughes | Harpist in Manchester

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From£350

1 hour

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Jess Hughes - Harpist - Wedding Showreel 2024

Jess Hughes - Harpist - Classical Wedding Showreel

'Au Matin' - Marcel Tournier

About Jess Hughes

Versatile harpist based in Manchester, available for weddings, solo and orchestral work, corporate events and private tuition.

3 of 20 photos

Harpist

Manchester

Public liability insurance of £10 million

The unique sight and sound of the harp will instantly add a touch of class and sophistication to any event. Its gentle, dulcet tones create a heavenly and sparkling atmosphere, perfect for weddings, parties, proposals and more! Make your event stand out above the rest by including harp music as your entertainment. "With many years of performance experience, I have a wide variety of repertoire that will provide something for everyone to enjoy. Whilst I am classically trained, I can perform the music of many different genres, including pop, jazz, contemporary, folk, religious and traditional. You can find an extensive list of my repertoire further down the page. If you have any song requests – a special song for your bridal entry for example – or if there is a song you would like that isn’t in my repertoire list, I am more than happy to arrange it for harp just for you! Be sure to mention this in your enquiry." Award-winning harpist, Jess Hughes graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music with a First Class ‘Bachelor of Music with Honours’ degree in 2022, studying with Eira Lynn Jones. She also completed an intensive one-year ‘Master of Music’ degree at the RNCM in 2023, studying with Dr Anne-Marie O’Farrell. Before arriving at RNCM, Jess was awarded a scholarship to attend Wells Cathedral School, where she studied with Ruth Faber.

Jess Hughes

5 out of 5

3 verified reviews

Satisfaction

5.0

Professionalism

5.0

Communication

5.0

Punctuality

5.0

Jess Hughes' Reviews

5 out of 5

Jess is a very lovely and talented artist who is very passionate and professional in her work. Thank you so much Jess for making our christening party so special! The harp was perfect! Your music was more than we ever dreamed of! My guests are still talking about your beautiful harp music. Thank you for the most magical harp music!

5 out of 5

Jess performed background music during registration for our event, providing a welcoming atmosphere as over 350 visitors were guided through the registration process. I found her to be extremely professional and easy to work with, requiring minimal guidance to fulfil her brief, which she did perfectly. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Jess for future events and engagements.

5 out of 5

Thanks Jess. We all really enjoyed the afternoon tea and your harp music was incredible and really helped to take the event up a level. Jess is friendly, reliable and personable and really easy to deal with. Plus clearly an incredibly talented musician but happy to fit in and ensure the right flow for an event.

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Jess Hughes' Song list

REPERTOIRE FOR WEDDINGS AND EVENTS

Choose what you would like to hear at your bespoke event from the repertoire lists below. Don't see the song/piece you want? I can learn or arrange it for you, just get in touch!

Classical

Pachelbel's Canon

Prelude in C - J.S Bach

The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba - G.F Handel

Wedding March - Felix Mendelssohn

Flower Duet from 'Lakame' - Leo Delibes

Morning from 'Peer Gynt' - Edvard Grieg

Finale from 'The Organ Symphony' - Camille Saint-Saens

La Rejouissance - G.F Handel

Duet from 'The Pearlfishers' - Georges Bizet

Trumpet Tune - Henry Purcell

Menuet in G - C.P.E Bach

Fur Elise - Beethoven

Moonlight Sonata - Beethoven

Ode to Joy - Beethoven

Lullaby - Brahms

Clair de Lune - Debussy

Humoreske - Dvorak

Pavane - Faure

Dance of the Spirits - Gluck

Jupiter - Holst

Meditation - Massenet

On Wings of Song - Mendelssohn

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - Mozart

Barcarolle - Offenbach

O, My Beloved Father - Puccini

Trout Quintet Theme - Schubert

Blue Danube - Strauss

Traditional/Folk

Brian Boru's March

Danny Boy

Greensleeves

My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose

Scarborough Fair

O'er the Sea to Skye

Dros y Dwr i Draeth Llanstephan

Myfanwy

Dafydd y Garreg Wen (David of the White Rock)

Llongau Caernrfon (The Ships of Caernarfon)

Sosban Fach (Little Saucepan)

O'Carolan's Concerto

Harp of Gold

Lands End - Michael Rooney

The Swan LK243 - Catriona McKay

Bugeilio'r Gwenith Gwyn (Watching the Wheat) - arr. John Thomas

Calon Lan

Lisa Lan

O'Carolan's No. 180

Merch Megan

Popular

Make you feel my love – Adele

All you need is love – Beatles

Here comes the sun – Beatles

Hey Jude – Beatles

Let It Be – Beatles

Yesterday – Beatles

Stand By Me – Ben E King

Billy Joel – Always a Woman

A Thousand Years – Christina Perri

Des’ree – I’m Kissing You

Perfect – Ed Sheeran

Photograph – Ed Sheeran

Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran

How Long Will I Love You – Ellie Goulding

I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You – Elvis Presley

Songbird – Eva Cassidy

Better Together – Jack Johnson

I’m Yours – Jason Mraz

All Of Me – John Legend

Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen

What a wonderful world – Louis Armstrong

L-O-V-E – Nat King Cole

When I Fall In Love – Nat King Cole

This Will Be (an everlasting love) – Natalie Cole

Fireflies – Owl City

Happy – Pharrell Williams

Angels – Robbie Williams

Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol

Africa – Toto

Misty - Erroll Garner

Moon River - Henry Mancini

My Favourite Things - Richard Rogers

All The Things You Are - Jerome Kern

Over The Rainbow - Harold Arlen

I Giorni - Ludovico Einaudi

Divenire - Ludovico Einaudi

Le Onde - Ludovico Einaudi

Songbird - Eva Cassidy (song by Christine McVie)

From This Moment On - Shania Twain

Tammy - Jay Livingston and Ray Evans

The Wedding Song (There Is Love)

The Prayer - Carole Bayer-Sager and David Foster

The Rose - Amanda McBroom

The Wind Beneath My Wings - Larry Henry and Jeff Silbar

My Own True Love (Tara Theme) - Mack David and Max Steiner

Lady - Lionel Richie

Rainbrops Keep Falling On My Head - Hal David and Burt Bacharach

And I Love You So - Don McLean

Send In The Clowns - Stephen Sondheim

Moondance - Van Morrison

Evergreen - Paul Williams and Barbara Streisand

Sunrise, Sunset - Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock

SOLO AND ORCHESTRAL REPERTOIRE

With over 10 years of performing experience, I am happy to perform at any concert or recital, be it solo or orchestral! The lists below show just a selection of the wide range of repertoire I have previously performed.

Solo

Prière - Marc Delmas

Berceuse Russe - Marcel Tournier

Au Bord du Ruisseau - Henriette Renie

Sonata in C Minor - Dussek

Nataliana - Deborah Henson-Conant

Fire Dance - David Watkins

Prière - Alphonse Hasselmans

Chanson de Mai - Alphonse Hasselmans

Arabesque No.1 - Claude Debussy

Harp Concerto in B-flat major - Handel

Viejo Zortzico - Jesus Guridi

Toccata - Nino Rota

Automne - Marcel Grandjany

Sarabande from Violin Partita No.1 - Bach/Grandjny

Sonata for Harp - Sergiu Natra

Nocturne - Mikhail Glinka

Sonata No.3 in C Major - Naderman

Improvisations for Harp - William Mathias

Epices (collection) - Bernard Andrès

La Source - Alphonse Hasselmans

Au Matin - Marcel Tournier

Giga from Violin Partita No.2 - Bach/Grandjany

Chanson dans la Nuit - Carlos Salzedo

Prayer - Sergiu Natra

Harp Concerto in A Major - Dittersdorf

Sonata for Harp - Paul Hindemith

Impromptu Caprice - Gabriel Pierné

Anamorphoses - Bernard Andrès

Elegie pour la mort d'un berger - Bernard Andrès

Orchestral

La Strada - Nino Rota

La Valse (Harp 1) - Maurice Ravel

Carmen Suite No. 1 - Georges Bizet

The Planets (Harps 1 and 2) - Gustav Holst

Scheherazade - Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Prelude to a Drama (Harp 1)- Franz Schreker

Violin Concerto No. 1 - Dimitri Shostakovich

Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture - Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Le Tombeau de Couperin - Maurice Ravel

Rapsodie pour Saxophone - Claude Debussy

On the Cliffs of Cornwall - Ethel Smyth

Bolero - Maurice Ravel

Crown Imperial - William Walton

Sospiri - Edward Elgar

Russian Easter Festival Overture - Nikolai Rimksy-Korsakov

Pavane pour une enfante défunte - Maurice Ravel

Concerto for Saxophone - Ronald Binge

German Requiem - Johannes Brahms

Dialogues des Carmélites (Harp 2) - Francis Poulenc

Polovetsian Dances - Aleksandr Borodin

Murder on the Orient Express - Richard Rodney Bennett

Piano Concerto in G Major - Maurice Ravel

I have also performed orchestral music from the James Bond movie franchise, songs from many Broadway musicals including 'Sweeney Todd', 'West Side Story' and 'Carousel', and jazz orchestrations from 'The Ratpack'!

Jess Hughes' Prices

Last updated: 2024

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

Performance duration	Price
Short performance (up to 15 min)	£100
Up to 1 hour	£350
Up to 2 hours	£450
Up to 3 hours	£500

Drinks reception

Includes 2 x 45 minute sets during your drinks reception.

£400

Wedding Breakfast

Includes 2 x 45 minute sets during the wedding breakfast.

£400

Wedding ceremony

This includes music before the service begins, music during the bridal entry, music during the signing of the register, and music as guests leave.

£450

Wedding ceremony + Drinks reception

- Music before the service begins, music during the bridal entry, music during the signing of the register, and music as guests leave. - 2 x 45 min performances at the drinks reception. - 2 x 45 min performances as dinner is being served.

£650

Wedding ceremony + Drinks reception + Wedding Breakfast

- Music before the service begins, music during the signing of the register, and music as guests leave. - 2 x 45 min performances at the drinks reception. - 2 x 45 min performances as dinner is being served.

£750

Customer questions

What do your clients love most about your performances?

My friendly personality, my exceptional work ethic and values, and my punctuality and organisational skills.

Which venues have you performed at in the past?

Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester St James and Emmanuel Church, Didsbury St Chrysostom's Church, Manchester Wells Cathedral, Wells The Bishop's Palace, Wells St Cuthbert's Church, Wells The Pump Rooms, Bath Charlton House, Shepton Mallet, Somerset

Which artists have you been most influenced by?

Hiatus Kaiyote Stevie Wonder Jacob Collier CHIC! Billie Marten Catrin Finch (harpist) Caroline Lizotte (harpist) Isabelle Perrin (harpist) Alexander Boldachev (harpist)

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

I performed at the 2022 World Harp Congress in Cardiff, in a masterclass with French harpist and pedagogue Isabelle Perrin. I also performed in The Pump Rooms in Bath as a featured artist, in Nigel Perrin's 'Bath Bach Choir' Christmas Concert series.

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

I always try my best to be flexible to help ensure your event runs as smoothly as possible. If timings change slightly in the run up to the event, please just let me know!

How much time do you need to set up?

I always aim to arrive at least an hour before I am needed. The setting up of the harp takes about half an hour, including tuning, packing the covers away and warming up.

Is the transport of your harp included in your quote?

Absolutely - I've included all travel costs, including the transport of my harp, in the quotes.

Do you need any equipment provided to play outdoors?

None at all - my instrument is played acoustically so I don't need any equipment. If it is raining then I will need full cover as my instrument is valuable and could be damaged. I would also appreciate a flat surface, and to avoid putting the harp on grass.

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

Of course! I encourage you to look through my songlists and choose the pieces you would like for your event. I am more than happy to chat with you about when you would like each piece to be played during your event.

Can you learn specific pieces before the event?

If a song isn't included in my song list there may still be a chance I already know it. If there is a special song you'd like me to learn I are happy to do this for you. There is a fee of £35 for this service to take into account rehearsal times etc.

Musicianship

Genres:

Classical, Christmas, Contemporary Christian, Traditional church music, Baroque, Classical crossover, Contemporary classical, Early music, Film / TV music, Medieval music, 1920s era music, 1930s era music, 1940s era music, 1950s era music, 1960s era music, 1970s era music, 1980s era music, 1990s era music, Folk, Ceilidh, Country, Traditional English folk, Traditional Irish folk, Traditional Scottish folk, Welsh folk, Jazz, Easy listening, Light music, Pop, Acoustic, Covers, World music

See all genres

Instruments:

Harp

See all instruments

Event types:

Wedding, Wedding proposal, Funeral / Memorial service, Church service, Hotel / Restaurant event, Private event, Corporate event, Charity event, Concert, Recording session, Christmas party, Birthday party

See all event types

Other skills:

Arranger, Perfect pitch, Instrumental teaching

See all skills