Cellist

Samuel Warner

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About Sam

Highly sought after across the UK as a versatile musician, Sam provides a personalised, reliable service for every event.
Cellist
Bath
Public liability insurance of £10 million
Verified profile

Sam is a vibrant musician, performing at hundreds of events every year across the UK. Committed to making your event personal, Sam is very happy to discuss repertoire choices. If you’re not sure, you can offer a shorter list for a full set to be based on these suggestions. As a versatile musician, Sam will make sure your requests are fulfilled! As a resident of Bath, Somerset, Sam frequently performs at many picturesque venues around the South West, including the Roman Baths, where he appears as a soloist or as member of a string ensemble. Rearranging music for personal requests is another of Sam’s skills, he arranged Corelli’s ‘Christmas Concerto’ and Lauridsen’s setting of ‘O Magnum Mysterium’ for his own wedding ceremony cello quintet, as well as 90 minutes of popular tunes for his evening jazz band! Sam’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Music (with honours) from Cardiff University, including first class results in performance modules, and bursary awards for solo and ensemble performances. He has since been awarded a Licentiate Performance Diploma from the Associated Board of the Royal School’s of Music. He has also achieved Grade 8 certificates in piano and clarinet performance.

Sam
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5 out of 5
32 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

Sam's Reviews

From Encore customers:

JC
Jetta-Leiy C
22 days ago
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5 out of 5

Sam went over and above for us and we couldn’t recommend him enough. We were looking for someone to put together a cello quartet for our wedding in Gloucestershire. Sam took the lead in finding other cellists, making musical arrangements of our chosen songs, then performing beautifully together on our special day. He was communicative and professional throughout, the team he pulled together were lovely, and our guests were blown away by the final product. Couldn’t be happier. Thank you so much Sam & friends! Jetta & Tom, 14/09/24

Reply from Sam
22 days ago

Thank you so much, Jetta and Tom! It was such a pleasure to provide the soundtrack for your special day alongside my wonderful colleagues 💕💕 🎻🎻🎻🎻

CD
Cathy D
1 month ago
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5 out of 5

Sam was so easy to communicate with and was a total professional on the day. He was able to accommodate all our musical needs on both Cello and Grand Piano . This included a solo at the church as well as my processional music and working with the organist. So talented but also intuitive when it came down to setting the right tone with his repertoire,. A pleasure to share our special day with- Thank you Sam

Reply from Sam
1 month ago

Thank you so much for your kind words, Cathy! It was a pleasure to play for you and your guests 😇

DP
Duncan P
2 months ago
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5 out of 5

Absolutely amazing experience - everything we could have asked for. Made our wedding day so special all our thanks Matthew and Duncan

Reply from Sam
2 months ago

Thank you for your kind words, Matthew and Duncan! It was a pleasure to play cello and piano for you and your appreciative guests 😊

BB
Beth B
3 months ago
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5 out of 5

Sam was exceptional and dazzled all of our wedding guests with his music, we had so many compliments on the music he played and it made the day just that little bit more special. Communicating with Sam was very easy and he was more than happy to oblige to our requests, thank you so much again for being there on our special day

Reply from Sam
3 months ago

Thanks for your kind words, Beth! It was a pleasure to play for you and your wonderful guests (including the alpacas 😍 🦙)

Read all 28 reviews

From other customers:

G&
George N
2 months ago, for a Wedding in Ventnor
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5 out of 5

Absolutely phenomenal performance by Sam at our wedding! His talent on the cello is unmatched, creating an enchanting atmosphere that made our day even more special. Not only is he a brilliant musician, but his personable nature made working with him a true pleasure. He went above and beyond to accommodate our song requests and was a hit with all of our guests. Highly recommend Sam for any event!

LC
Laura C
4 months ago, for a Wedding in Honiton EX14 3PG
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5 out of 5

Sam played at our wedding in Devon and his playing was so beautiful and really added to the setting - which was no mean feat as it's already an incredible venue, but the music really did just lift it and make it that little bit more special! The song I wanted to walk down the aisle to wasn't in his repertoire, so he learnt it for us and did such a fantastic job. Also worth mentioning it was the longest aisle ever and he managed to make the song last for 5 bridesmaids and then me to all walk down the aisle too without sounding like it was just on loop! Thanks again for doing such a wonderful job Sam, we really really couldn't have been any happier."

Read all 6 reviews

From other musicians:

5 March 2018

I had a chance to meet and play with Sam in July 2016 and can confirm that he is a very confident, professional and reliable player. I look forward to meeting him again in the future. David Giardino GIARDINO STRINGS

Encore badges
Top 10 booked musician of 2023
25 gigs
Pro: 25 bookings through Encore
Saved the day!
Booked for an Encore gig with less than 24 hours’ notice
8th Anniversary
This act has been working with Encore for over 8 years
Member of the Encore community forum

Sam's Song list

~Classical~
Bach - Air on the G String
Bach - Arioso
Bach - Brandenburg Concerto No.3
Bach - Six Suites for Solo Cello
Bach - Minuet in G
Beethoven - Cello Suites
Beethoven - Minuet in G
Bizet - Selections from Carmen
Boccherini - Minuet
Brahms - Cello Sonata 
Britten - Cello Suites 
Bruch - Kol Nidrei
Cui - Orientale 
Debussy - Clair de Lune
Dvorak - Cello Concerto in B Minor
Dvorak - Largo from the New World Symphony
Einaudi - Earth Prelude 
Einaudi - Experience
Einaudi - I Giorni
Einaudi - Le Onde
Einaudi - Nefeli
Einaudi - Nuvole Bianche
Elgar - Cello Concerto in E Minor
Elgar - Chanson De Matin
Elgar - Enigma Variations
Elgar - Pomp & Circumstance No.1
Elgar - Salut d’Amore
Faure - Après Un Rêve
Faure - Elégie
Faure - Pavane
Garth - Cello Concertos 
Gershwin - Summertime
Grieg - Holberg Suite
Greig - Peer Gynt Suite
Handel - Largo from Xerxes
Handel - Music from the Royal Fireworks
Handel - Water Music
Haydn - Cello Concertos
Holst - The Planets
John Rutter - For The Beauty Of The Earth
Lalo - Cello Concerto
Marcello - Cello Sonatas
Massenet- Meditation from Thaïs
Mendelssohn - Song Without Words
Minsky - Ten American Cello Etudes
Monti - Czardas
Mozart - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik 
Pachelbel - Canon in D
Paradis - Sicilienne 
Piano Guys - Flicker
Piano Guys - Home
Prokofiev - Montagues and Capulets
Puccini - Nessun Dorma 
Purcell - Music for a While
Rachmaninov - Vocalise
Rimsky-Korsakov - Scheherazade
Romberg - Sonata
Saint-Saëns - Cello Concerto
Saint-Saëns - The Swan
Satie - Gymnopédies
Schubert - Ave Maria 
Schumann - Fantasiestücke
Shostakovich - Cello Concerto in Eb
Shostakovich - Cello Sonata in D minor
Shostakovich - Romance from 'The Gadfly'
Sibelius - Finlandia
Sibelius - Romance
Smetana - Vltava
Strauss - Blue Danube
Summer - Julie O
Tchaikovsky - Waltz of the Flowers
Vaughan Williams - Fantasia on Greensleeves
Vaughan Williams - Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Vivaldi - Cello Sonatas
Vivaldi - Concerto in D minor
Vivaldi - Double Cello Concerto
Vivaldi - Four Seasons
Walton - Cello Concerto
Walton - Passacaglia 
Wood - Fantasia on British Sea Songs
Yiruma  - River Flows in You
~Pop~
ABBA - Dancing Queen
AC/DC - Thunderstruck
Adele - Rollin' in the Deep
Adele - Set Fire To The Rain
A Great Big World - Say Something
American Authors - Best Day Of My Life
Angry Anderson - Suddenly
Ariana Grande - POV
Ariana Grande - Problem
Avicii - Wake Me Up
Avril Lavigne - Sk8er Boi
Beatles - Eleanor Rigby
Beatles - Here Comes The Sun
Ben E. King - Stand By Me
Ben Platt - Bad Habit
Ben Platt - In Case You Don't Live Forever
Ben Platt - Share Your Address
Beyoncé - Crazy In Love
Beyoncé - Halo
Bill Withers - Lean on Me
Bob Dylan - Knockin' on Heavens Door
Bob Dylan - Make You Feel My Love
Bob Marley - No Woman No Cry (arr. Kanneh-Mason)
Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer
Boy Meets Girl - Waiting for a Star to Fall
Bruno Mars - Just The Way You Are
Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk 
Carpenters - We've Only Just Begun
Cee-Lo Green - Forget You
Celine Dion - The Prayer
Christina Perri - A Thousand Years
Clean Bandit - Rather Be
Coldplay - Sky Full Of Stars
Coldplay - Viva La Vida
Coldplay - Yellow
Daft Punk - Get Lucky
Dolly Parton - Islands in the Stream
Don McLean - American Pie
Earth Wind and Fire - September
Ed Sheeran - Castle on the Hill
Ed Sheeran - Perfect
Ed Sheeran - Shape of You
Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud
Elbow - One Day Like This
Ellie Goulding - Love Me Like You Do
ELO - Mr Blue Sky 
Elton John - Rocket Man
Elton John - Tiny Dancer
Elton John - Your Song
Elvis Presley - Can't Help Falling In Love
Etta James - At Last
Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This
Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way
Florence and the Machine - Dog Days are Over
Glen Hansard - Falling Slowly
Goo Goo Dolls - Iris
Guns N' Roses - November Rain
Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine
Imagine Dragons - Radioactive
James Bay - Hold Back The River
James Brown - I Feel Good
Jason Mraz - I’m Yours
Jess Glynne - I'll Be There
John Legend - All Of Me 
Joni Mitchell - River 
Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict a Riot
Katy Perry - Firework
Katy Perry - Hot & Cold
Katy Perry - Roar
Katy Perry - Teenage Dream
Keane - Somewhere Only We Know
Killers - All These Things That I've Done
Killers - Mr Brightside
Kirk Franklin - I Smile
Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah
Loreen - Tattoo
Louis Armstrong - What A Wonderful World
Lukas Graham - Seven Years
Maroon Five - Payphone
Mary Mary - Shackles (Praise You)
Mungo Jerry - In The Summertime
Mumford and Sons - I Will Wait
Natalie Cole - This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)
Oasis - Half The World Away
One Republic - Counting Stars
Outkast - Hey Ya
Paul McCartney - Live and Let Die
Pharrell Williams - Happy
P!nk - What About Us
Post Malone - Sunflower
Proclaimers - 500 Miles
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
Queen - Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Queen - Don't Stop Me Now
Queen - Somebody to Love
Queen - You're My Best Friend
Queen - We Are The Champions
Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up
Red Hot Chili Peppers - By The Way
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Can't Stop
Rihanna - We Found Love in a Hopeless Place
Robbie Williams - Angels
Robbie Williams - Let Me Entertain You
Ronan Keating - When You Say Nothing At All
Sam Smith - Latch (acoustic)
Sam Smith - Stay With Me
Sam Smith - Writing's on the Wall
Shania Twain - You're Still The One
Sia - Chandelier 
Sinead Harnett - Unconditional
Simon & Garfunkel - Cecilia
Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars
Spice Girls - 2 Become 1
Stevie Wonder - Isn't She Lovely
Stevie Wonder - Signed Sealed Delivered
Supremes - You Can't Hurry Love
Swedish House Mafia - Don't You Worry Child
Taylor Swift - Shake It Off
Taylor Swift - Wildest Dreams
Toploader - Dancing In The Moonlight
Toto - Africa
Train - Soul Sister
Turtles - Happy Together
U2 - Beautiful Day
Vance Joy - Riptide
Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl
Verve - Bittersweet Symphony
Walk The Moon - Shut Up and Dance 
~Film/TV~
Amelie - Yann Tiersen
Anastasia - Stephen Flaherty
Beauty and the Beast - Alan Menkin
Braveheart - James Horner
Cavatina (The Deer Hunter) - Stanley Myers
Colors of the Wind (Pocahontas) - Alan Menkin
E.T. - John Williams
Frozen - Kristen Anderson-Lopez
Gabriel's Oboe - Ennio Morricone
Game of Thrones - Ramin Djawadi
Godfather - Nino Rota 
Greatest Showman - Pasek & Paul
Harry Potter - John Williams
Home Alone - John Williams
How Far I'll Go (Moana) - Lin Manuel Miranda
I See The Light (Tangled) - Alan Menken
James Bond - John Barry
Jurassic Park - John Williams
Ladies in Lavender - Nigel Hess
La La Land - Pasek & Paul
Lion King - Elton John/Hans Zimmer
Lord of the Rings - Howard Shore 
Love Actually - Craig Armstrong
Moon River (Breakfast at Tiffany’s) - Henry Mancini
New York, New York - John Kander 
Over The Rainbow (Wizard of Oz) - Arlen & Harburg
Pink Panther - Henry Mancini
Pirates of the Caribbean - Klaus Badelt 
Reflection (Mulan) - Matthew Wilder
Schindler's List - John Williams
Star Wars - John Williams
Titanic - James Horner
The Hobbit - Howard Shore
The Piano - Michael Nyman
Up - Michael Giacchino 
Whole New World (Aladdin) - Alan Menken
You've Got a Friend in Me - Randy Newman
~Musical Theatre~ 
Songs from...
A Little Night Music
Addams Family
Annie
Beauty and the Beast
Bonnie and Clyde
Bring It On
Carousel
Chess
Cinderella
City of Angels 
Come From Away
Dear Evan Hansen
Edges
Fame
Footloose
Ghost
Grease 
Hairspray
Hamilton
Heathers
High School Musical
Hunchback of Notre Dame
Into The Woods
Jekyll & Hyde
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
Last Five Years
Les Misérables
Little Mermaid
Love Never Dies
Merrily We Roll Along
Miss Saigon
My Fair Lady
Notebook
Oliver!
Peter Pan (Styles & Drew)
Phantom of the Opera
Pippin
RENT
Seussical 
SIX
Songs for a New World
Sound of Music
South Pacific
Spring Awakening
Sweeney Todd
Tick, Tick... BOOM!
Waitress
West Side Story
We Will Rock You
Wicked
Wizard of Oz
~Folk/Traditional~
All Through The Night
Ashokan Farewell
Auld Lang Syne
Britches Full Of Stitches
Calon Lan 
Carolan's Air
De’il Among The Taylor’s 
Dirty Old Town
Down By The Salley Gardens
Drowsy Maggie
Girl I Left Behind Me
Glwysen
House of the Rising Sun
Irish Washerwoman
John Ryan’s Polka
Kerry Polka
La Cumparsita
Last Rose Of Summer
Loch Lomond
Londonderry Air
Mrs Jamieson’s Favourite
Paragon Rag
Piper of Dundee
Rhosymedre
Sky Boat Song
Star of the County Down
Staten Island
Tell Me Ma 
Whiskey In The Jar
Wild Rover
You Are My Sunshine
~Jazz~
Afternoon In Paris
Ain't Misbehaving
All Of Me
Autumn Leaves
Barrelhouse Blues
Birks Works
Blue Monk
Blue Moon
Bluesette
Body and Soul
Caravan
Embraceable You
Fly Me To The Moon
Georgia On My Mind
Heart and Soul
How High The Moon
I Got Rhythm
In A Sentimental Mood
It Ain't Necessarily So
It Don't Mean A Thing
I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free
L.O.V.E.
Lullaby of Birdland
Mack The Knife
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy 
Mood Indigo
Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
Now's The Time
Oh, Lady Be Good
Por Una Cabeza
Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise
Sophisticated Lady
St Thomas
Summertime
S'Wonderful
Take Five
Take The A Train
They Can't Take That Away From Me
Yardbird Suite
You Make Me Feel So Young
~Hymns~
I Vow to Thee My Country
Jerusalem
Make Me A Channel of your Peace
~Seasonal~
All I Want For Christmas Is You
Auld Lang Syne
Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire
Christmas Lullaby
Coventry Carol
Deck The Hall
Ding Dong Merrily on High
Fairytale of New York
First Noel 
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
In The Bleak Midwinter
I Saw Three Ships
Jingle Bell Rock
Joy To The World
Little Town Of Bethlehem
Oh Holy Night
O Magnum Mysterium
Sleigh Ride
Stop The Cavalry
Underneath The Tree
We Three Kings
Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day

Sam's Prices

Last updated: 2024

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)£200
Up to 1 hour£350
Up to 2 hours£500
Up to 3 hours£600
Packages
Wedding Proposal
The perfect setting for the two of you. Up to 30 minutes of romantic music as the soundtrack for your special moment.
£250
Wedding Ceremony
Including music for seating of guests, procession, two pieces for signing the register and music for recession.
£350
Drinks Reception
Two 45 minute sets during your drinks reception.
£400
Ceremony & Drinks Reception Combo Deal
- Music for guest arrival up to 30 minutes. - Music for ceremony. - 2 x 45 minute sets for drinks reception.
£450
Ceremony, Drinks Reception & Wedding Breakfast Combo Deal
- Music for seating of guests. - Music for ceremony. - 2 x 45 minute sets for drinks reception. - Up to 3 x 45 minute sets during wedding breakfast.
£700

Add-ons

Arrangements
+£25
Customer questions

What do your clients love most about your performances?

My clients love the variety they get from my extensive library, the fact that everything is stored on an iPad and how easily I get on with other booked musicians who I may have never met until the day!

Which venues have you performed at in the past?

As I’m based in the South West of England, I have played in countless stunning venues such as The Roman Baths. Further afield I have performed at the Barbican Centre, Lyric Theatre Belfast, Royal Festival Hall and Royal Albert Hall.

Which artists have you been most influenced by?

As a cellist, probably Mstislav Rostropovich, Stephen Isserlis and Oliver Coates. Musical theatre-wise it would have to be the inspirational scoring of Jason Robert Brown and of course the amazing music teachers from my days of studying in Hampshire and Cardiff.

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

That has to be performing Elgar’s Cello Concerto as a soloist accompanied by an orchestra as a finals student at university!

Do you have different line-up options?

Yes! I have contact details for a huge number of musicians, including pianists, harpists, singers, and other string players. Please note that my prices reflect booking one musician, I can adapt the quote accordingly. I am incredibly easy to work with, and therefore have no problem with performing alongside any other musicians you book externally.

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

That’s absolutely fine! Please let me know with as much notice as possible, (ideally a week before) as I may need to notify other clients if it affects them. If you require extra time from me, I can adapt the quote accordingly. If the timings change within a week, I will do my best to accommodate you.

How much time do you need to set up?

It takes me around 5-10 mins to set up, however I will arrive approximately 30-45 mins before booking time to find any event coordinators/clients where appropriate.

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

Please do! I have an extensive library of repertoire stored on my iPad, which I read from for performing, this means nothing is further than two or three taps away! If I don’t already have a particular piece you’d like to hear, I’m always keen to expand my library.

Do you bring all the equipment you need to perform?

The only thing I need provided for me on the day is an armless chair and a power socket (to plug in my speaker which plays my tasteful backing tracks). I bring my own instrument, music stand, music scores and can provide PA equipment/own microphones if required. I’m happy to use any amplification provided, as necessary.

Can you learn specific pieces before the event?

Definitely! If I don’t already have the piece in my vast collection of music, I’m always happy to expand my library. Just let me know a week or two in advance to allow time to source the music and learn the piece!
Musicianship
Genres:
Classical, Contemporary classical, Christmas, Baroque, Classical crossover, Film / TV music, Musical theatre, Opera, Folk, Traditional Irish folk, Jazz, Avant garde, Experimental, Noise music, Acoustic, Covers, Funk, Rock, Alternative rock, Classic rock, Hard rock, Heavy metal, Pop rock, Power rock, Welsh folk, 1990s era music, 1980s era music, 1970s era music, Ambient, German music, French music, Italian music, Klezmer, Jewish music, Latin, Polka, Russian music, Scottish music, Tango, Spanish music, Early music, Ceilidh, Country, Traditional English folk, Traditional Scottish folk, Modern jazz, Swing, Easy listening, Light music, Pop, Rock 'n' Roll
See all genres
Instruments:
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Event types:
Wedding, Theatre / Show, Wedding proposal, Funeral / Memorial service, Church service, Hotel / Restaurant event, Private event, Corporate event, Concert, Recording session, Birthday party, Christmas party, New Year's Eve
See all event types
Other skills:
Arranger, Orchestrator, Transcription, Fluent sight-reader, Repetiteur, Instrumental teaching, Theory teaching, Examiner, Musical comedy, Accompanist
See all skills