Harpist

Sophie Askew

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About Sophie

Sophie is an experienced professional harpist and harp teacher based near Edinburgh.
Harpist
Dalkeith
Public liability insurance of £10 million
Verified profile

Sophie is a highly experienced and respected professional harpist. She holds a B.A. in Music, M.Mus. in Harp Performance and a P.G.D.E. in Music. Based in Eskbank just outside Edinburgh, she performs in the most prestigious venues in Scotland including Archerfield Estate, Cameron House Hotel, Dundas Castle, Edinburgh Castle, Glamis, Glenapp Castle, Gleneagles Hotel, Hopetoun House, Stirling Castle, Glamis, Marr Hall, National Gallery of Scotland, One Devonshire, Prestonfield House, Scone Palace and Skibo Castle. Sophie has performed for live broadcasts on BBC Scotland television and radio and STV. Alongside her concert work, Sophie performs for private and corporate events from formal functions to marriage proposals, weddings, civil partnership ceremonies and birthday parties. Sophie tailors her music to suit the occasion and client from an extensive and ever expanding repertoire to create just the right atmosphere for each unique occasion and is always happy to arrange music for your event and her harp playing has been enjoyed by members of the British and Norwegian Royal families, politicians and Heads of State and celebrities. Sophie combines her passions in busy performing and teaching careers. As an orchestral player she plays with orchestras across Scotland; as a recitalist, she performs as a soloist and in various ensembles and duos including Cuerdas with cellist Lindsey Martindale, with soprano Simone Sahyouni and flautist Sue Evans. Sophie has appeared as a guest recitalist and teacher at the Edinburgh Harp Festival, performed concertos with many orchestras including the B.B.C. Scottish Symphony Orchestra and regularly premiers works most recently Steve Davismoon’s work Driven Voids (for Harp, Voice, Violin and Electronics), a space specific piece for the Glasgow School of Art Reid Building and is a member of the Glasgow Glam Rock Dialogues. I have PLI through the Musicians’ Union.

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Saved the day!
Booked for an Encore gig with less than 24 hours’ notice
7th Anniversary
This act has been working with Encore for over 7 years
10 gigs
Experienced: 10 bookings through Encore
Musicianship
Genres:
Christmas, Traditional church music, Contemporary Christian, Classical, Early music, Musical theatre, Opera, Baroque, Classical crossover, Film / TV music, Renaissance, Medieval music, Contemporary classical, 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, Traditional English folk, Traditional Scottish folk, Traditional Irish folk, Welsh folk, Jazz, Blues, Easy listening, Light music, Pop, Covers, Top 40, Indie, Glam rock, World music, Jewish music, Scottish music, Bollywood
See all genres
Instruments:
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Event types:
Wedding, Wedding proposal, Funeral / Memorial service, Church service, Hotel / Restaurant event, Bar / Club / Venue event, Private 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:
Fluent sight-reader, Instrumental teaching
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Sophie's Song list

Playlist
(not exhaustive and always expanding)
Classical
Adagio, JS Bach
Adagio, Croft
Air from Water Music, Handel
Air, J S Bach
Allegro, Handel
Après Un Rêve, Fauré
Arioso, JS Bach
Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, Handel
Ave maria, Schubert
Bridal Chorus, Wagner
Canon, Pachelbel
Carillon, Handel
Chaconne, Clarke
Chaconne, Handel
Clair de Lune, Debussy
Concerto, Handel
Dance of the Blessed Spirits, Gluck
First Arabesque, Debussy
Flower Duet, Delibes
Gymnopédie, Satie
Hornpipe, Handel
Hornpipe, Purcell
Intermezzo, Mascagni
Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring, J S Bach
Meditation from Thais, Massenet
Oriental, Granados
Panis Angelicus, Franck
Passacaille, Handel
Pie Jesu, Fauré
Pie Jesu, Lloyd Webber
Prelude, J S Bach
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini 18th Variation, Rachmaninov
Romance, Shostakovich
Sarabande and Ground, Croft
Serenade, Schubert
Sheep May Safely Graze, J S Bach
Sleepers, Wake, J S Bach
Spanish Dance No. 2, Oriental, Granados
Sonata in D, Parry
Sonata, Krumpholtz
Sonata, Pescetti
Sonatina, Handel
Trumpet Tune, Purcell
Trumpet Voluntary, Purcell
Variation, Vivaldi
Wedding March, Mendelssohn
Winter, Vivaldi
Modern Classical
Andras, Max Richter
Dalur, ArnaldsFly, Einaudi
Fragment, Max Richter
In The Morning Light, Yanni
La Gimblette, Andrès
La Linea Scura, Einaudi
Le Onde, Einaudi
Merengue Rojo, Ortiz
Metamorphosis, Glass
Nuvole Bianche, Einaudi
Ombre, Einaudi
Opus 23, O’Halloran
Passaggio, Einaudi
Peaceful Sleep, Keichii Okabe
Pedals On vacation, Braun
Penn Ar Roc’h, Tiersen
Prelude No. 2, O’Hallloran
Primavera, Einaudi
Rêverie, Einaudi
The Family, Max Richter
The Nightingale, Henson-Conant
The Path of the Wind Hisaishi
The Snow Prelude No. 15, Einaudi
The Snow Prelude No. 2, Einaudi
The Tartu Piano, Max Richter
Trav’ling On, Chauvel
Un Vals Para Soñar, Ortiz
Waiting, Ortiz
Wind Song, Paterlini
Written On the Sky, Max Richter
Pop
A Sky Full of Stars, Coldplay
A Thousand Miles, Vanessa Carlton
A Thousand Years, Christina Perry
All I Want Is You, Carly Simon
All of Me, Joh Legend
All You Need is Love, Beatles
Angels, Robbie Williams
Ave Maria, Beyoncé
Beautiful Bird, Dan Janisch
Believer, Imagine Dragons
Better Together, Jack Johnson
Can’t Help Falling in Love, Elvis
Carry On Wayward Son, Kansas
Chasing Cars, Snow Patrol
Cheerleader, Omi
Children, Robert Miles
Crazy Love, Van Morrison
Despacito, Fonsi
Evergreen, Barbara Streisand
Every Breath You Take, Sting
Everytime, Britney Spears
Feels Like Home, Randy Newman
Fields of Gold, Sting
Fireflies, Adam Young
Flightless Bird, Sam Beau/Jesca Hoop
For the Good Times, Kris Kristofferson
From This Moment On, Shania Twain
Get Lucky, Pharell Williams
Gold Forever, The Wanted
Going Home, Annie Haslam
Halo, Beyoncé
Here Comes the Sun, Beatles
Hold Back the River, James Bay
Home, Michael Bublé
How Long Will I Love, Mike Scott/Ellie Goulding
I Want You to Know, Selena Gomez
I Will Survive, Gloria Gaynor
I Won’t Give Up, Jason Mraz
I’ll Stand By You, The Pretenders
I’m Gonna Be, The Proclaimers
I’m Yours, Jason Mraz
It Must Be Love, Madness
I Will Always Love You, Dolly Parton
Kiss From a Rose, Seal
Kissing You, Des’ree
Lay Me Down, Sam Smith
Lean On, DJ Snake
Love is All Around, The Troggs
Love Me Like You Do, Ellie Goulding
Lovely Day, Bill Withers
Marry Me, Jennifer Lpoz/Maluma
May Love Travel With You, Paul Weller
Moon River, Mancini
Moondance, Van Morrison
Northern Sky, Nick Drake
Nothing Else Matters, Metallica
On Melancholy Hill, Gorillz
On The Street Where I Live, Lerner and Loewe
Over the Rainbow, Arlen
Paradise, Cold Play
Portuguese Love Theme, Craig Armstrong
Rather Be, Clean Bandit
Screen, 21 Pilots
She’s The One, Robbie Williams
Skinny Love, Birdy
Someone Like You, Adele
Something Just Like This, Cold Play
Somewhere Only We Know, Keane
Songbird, Christine McVie
Sweet Child O’ Mine, Guns N’ Roses
Thank You, Dido
That’s Amore, Dean Martin
The Closest Thing to Crazy, Katie Melua
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Roberta Flack
The Nights, Avicii
The Parting Glass, trad, Ed Sheeran
The Wedding Song, Paul Stookey
The Wind Beneath My Wings, Bette Midler
Thinking Out Loud, Ed Sheeran
This Love, Maroon 5
Titanium, David Guetta
To Make You Feel My Love, Bob Dylan
Waiting for Love, Avicii
We’ve Only Just Begun, Carpenters
What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong
When You Say Nothing at All, Ronan Keating
Wings, Little Mix
With You I’m Born Again, Billy Preston
Wonderwall, Oasis
Writing’s on the Wall, Sam Smith
You Do Something To Me, Paul Weller
You Raise Me Up, West Life
You’re Beautiful, James Blunt
You’re My Best Friend, Queen
You’re the Best Thing, Style Council
You Are The Best Thing, Ray LaMontagne
You’ve Got The Love, Florene + The Machine
Your Song, Elton John
Film/Musical/Disney/Gaming
A Million Dreams, Benj Pasek/Justin Paul
A Whole New World, Mena Massaud/Maomi Scott
All I Ask of You, Lloyd Webber
Beautiful Briney Sea, Sherman Brothers
Can You Feel The Love Tonight, Elton John
Colours of the Wind, Judy Kuhn
Doddle Doo Doo, Eddie Cantor
Feather Theme from Forest Gump, Alan Silvestri
For The Love of a Princess from Braveheart, James Horner
Gabriel’s Oboe, Ennio Morricone
Glasgow Love Theme, Craig Armstrong
Home, Susan Egan
Hoppípolla, Sigur Rós
I Had a Farm in Africa from Out of Africa, John Barry
Immortals, Fenyx Rising
I See the Light from Tangles, Moore/Levi
Jurassic Park, John Williams
Light Of The Seven from Game of Thrones, Hans Zimmer
Mikey from Rocky, Bill Conti
Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Henry Mancini
Out of Africa, Main Theme, John Williams
Portuguese Love Song, Craig Armstrong
Peaceful Sleep, Keichii Okabe
River Flows in You from Twilight, Yiruma
Se from The Untouchables, Ennio Morricone
Smile, Charlie Chaplin
Some Enchanted Evening from South Pacific, Rodgers and Hammerstein
Somewhere from West Side Story, Bernstein
Somewhere In Time Theme, John Barry
Speak Softly, Love from The Godfather, Nino Rota
Sunrise, Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof, Sheldon Harnick
The Mission, Ennio Morricone
The Music of the Night, Lloyd Webber
The Rose, Bette Midler
The Secret Wedding from Braveheart, James Horner
The Way You Look Tonight, Sinatra
Under The Sea from The Little Mermaid, Menken and Ashman
When I Look At You from The Last Song, Miley Cyrus
Where Do I Begin from Love Story, Henry Mancini
You Are The Best Thing, Ray LaMontange
You’ll Never Walk Alone from Carousel, Rodgers and Hammerstein
Jazz
A Little Lower Than the Angels, Stewart Green
A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square, Vera Lynn
A Walk In The Park, Amanda Whiting and Tony Robinson
Ain’t Misbehavin’, Fats Waller and Harry Brooks
As Time Goes By, Herman Hupfeld
Autumn Leaves, Joseph Kosma
Bidin’ My Time, George and Ira Gershwin
Body and Soul, John green
But Not for Me, George and Ira Gershwin
Chances Are, Robert Allen
Dahil Sa Iyo, Mike Velarde Jnr
Days of Wine and Roses, Henry Mancini
Don’t Get Around Much Anymore, Duke Ellington
Dream, Johnny Mercer
Embraceable You, George and Ira Gershwin
Everybody Loves Somebody, Ken Lane
Fascinating Rhythm, George and Ira Gershwin
Fly Me to The Moon, Bart Howard
Fools Rush In, Rube Bloom
I Get a Kick Out of You, Cole Porter
Intermezzo, Robert Farnon
It’s Been a Long Tiem, Jule Styne
La Mer, Charles Trenet
La Vie En Rose, Louiguy
Lullaby of Birdland, Weiss and Shearing
Misty, Erroll Garner
Moonglow, Hudson, DeLange, Mills
Night and Dday, Cole Porter
Over The Rainbow, Arlen
Peaceful Sleep, Keichii Okabe
Petite Fleur, Sidney Bechet
Rhythm Of the Rain, John Gummoe
Secret Love, Sammy Fain
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, Jerome Kern
Softly, As In a Morning Sunrise, Sigmund Romberg
Somebody Loves Me, , George Gershwin
Tea at The Ritz, Amanda Whiting and Tony Robinson
Tea for Two, Vincent Youmans
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Ewan MacColl
The Man I Love, George Gershwin
Time After Time, Jule Styne
To Make You Feel My Love, Bob Dylan/Amanda Whiting
You’re Gonna Hear from Me, Dory and André Previn
Traditional
A Mhòrthir Bhòidheach
Ae Fond Kiss
An Cluinn Thu Mi
Archiblad McDonald of Keppoch
Arrane Ny Niee
Auld Lang Syne
Balconie House
Ben Dorain
Bonawe Highlanders
Bonny At Morn
Bothan an Easan
Brochan Lom
Bunnahabhain
Captain O’Kean
Dark Woman of the Mountain
Dòmhnall Beag an t-Siùcair
Eriskay Love Lilt
Fairly Shot of Her
Fairy Dance
Fear a’ Bhata
Ghosts of Gight
Glenlivet
Gruaimean an t-Seann Duin’
Highland Cathedral
Highland Solo
Huntingtone Castle
If I Were a Blackbird
Kinloch of Kinloch
Lament for a Blind Harper
Latha a’ Siubhal Slèibhe Dhomh
Loch LomandSleep Soond
Loch Tay Boat Song
Lochaber No More
Logan Water
Love Lie Near Me
Mazurka du Morvan
Miss Gordon of Gight
Miss Graham of Inchbrkie
Mist Covered Mountains
Mrs Jamieson’s Favourite
My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose
Neil Gow’s Farewell to Whisky
Newcastle Bridge
O’Chiadainn an Là
Paddy Be Easy
Petronella’S ann an Ile
Puinneagan Càil
Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee
Rachel Rae
Stirling Castle
Stu mo Run
Temple House
The Christ Child’s Lullaby
The Cockle Gatherer
The Greencastle Hornpipe
The Meeting of the Waters
The Spell
Wexford Hornpipe
Willie’s Auld Trews
Burns
Customer questions

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

Usually absolutely fine but always to give me as much notice as possible.

How much time do you need to set up?

I like to arrive 45 minutes to an hour before so I can unload and set up.

Do you need any equipment provided to play outdoors?

Just a flat surface.

Can you learn specific pieces before the event?

Absolutely, yes. I love arranging and discovering new music. There is a fee of £30 for this service to take not account arranging and rehearsal time.

Sophie'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)£250
Up to 1 hour£440
Up to 2 hours£620
Up to 3 hours£695
Sophie
Full starFull starFull starFull starFull star
5 out of 5
6 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

Sophie's Reviews

From Encore customers:

SM
Shirley M
10 months ago
Full starFull starFull starFull starFull star
5 out of 5

Sophie was absolutely fantastic she played her heart out for our wedding guests and was really lovely to talk to would recommend to anyone

Reply from Sophie
10 months ago

Thank you Shirley! You were a joy to work with and it was an absolute pleasure to play for you and your guests!

WO
Will O
1 year ago
Full starFull starFull starFull starFull star
5 out of 5

Sophie played at my wedding in October time and was absolutely brilliant. Everyone was so impressed by her playing which was perfect for the occasion. As well as being an incredible harpist she is also extremely warm and friendly. I can't recommend her highly enough. Thank you so much Sophie!

Reply from Sophie
1 year ago

It was an absolute pleasure to play for you all!

CP
Claire P
2 years ago
Full starFull starFull starFull starFull star
5 out of 5

Sophie played beautifully. She endeavoured to include our music requests and also had great suggestions of her own. Highly recommend her for an event. We have special memories of our small wedding event, made most special by the harp music during the ceremony and at the reception afterwards.

Reply from Sophie
1 year ago

It was a beautiful and very special occasion. A pleasure to be a part of.

AL
Areti L
4 years ago
Full starFull starFull starFull starFull star
5 out of 5

Sophie was a pleasure to work with, with a very high level of artistry. I would recommend without reservation.

Read all 6 reviews

From other customers:

SK
Steve S
6 years ago

You were super as always- thank you so much

TA
Trish G
7 years ago

I just wanted to thank you so very much for playing the harp at our wedding in St Giles. It was absolutely beautiful and I also had so much lovely feedback from guests of how beautiful they thought it was too. Thank you so much, I really appreciate you taking the time to make our day even more special.

Read all 4 reviews