Performing as a Pianist in Oxfordshire
My name is Eugene Portman and I am a frequent visitor to Oxfordshire as a pianist. Being one of the Home Counties Oxfordshire is a popular escape for couples wanting to get married away from the hurly-burly of London life. In fact, a big chunk of my work is playing the piano for these weddings, but I do provide music for other events too. There are just so many popular venues in the county and I have played the piano in many of them at one time or another.
The Music
Quite a lot of the work I’ve done in Oxfordshire has been as a jazz pianist, but don’t let that frighten you off. I play an older style of jazz which I find is more entertaining and accessible than the more modern forms of this genre. Furthermore, the music I play consists of the great standards and jazz songs from the swing era. These were the songs made famous by artists such as Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, and Fred Astaire.
Because a lot of my work in Oxfordshire is as a wedding pianist, I have to be able to turn my hand to many styles of music. Just playing jazz is not enough. The genres I play include Latin, pop, rock, classical, and even sing-along. This diversity means that I can provide music for any part of your wedding day.
Instrumental Line-ups
Most of my work in Oxfordshire is either as a solo pianist or for the trio (piano, bass and drums). I can, however, provide a variety of line-ups right up to a five-piece jazz band. The finest musicians in the country are used in all the line-ups and I hope this is reflected in the quality of the music.
Please contact me for help with the best type of line up for your event.
Whether you book me as a solo pianist or the full jazz band, you will find that I make the music entertaining. I also try and make the music sit comfortably in any situation. I hope that the music adds colour to your event without drowning conversation.
My Work in Oxfordshire as a Sing-along Pianist
There has been a recent trend in Oxfordshire to book me as a sing-along pianist. This is usually for Cockney and Wartime events , but I have on occasions been asked to get a sing-along going at weddings. For these events I provide all the song sheets and I arrive suitably attired in bowler hat, grandad shirt, waistcoat, double Albert watch chain etc. All you have to do is provide some enthusiastic singers to get things going.
Please see sing-along page for more information about this. Alternatively, you can visit my other website at www.uksingalongpianist.co.uk.
Here are some of the many venues in Oxfordshire that have used my services as a pianist:
Rhodes House, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RG
Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, Great Milton, Oxford OX44 7PD
Upper Reaches Hotel (The), Thames St, Abingdon OX14 3JA
Weston Manor Hotel, Northampton Road Weston-on-the-Green, Bicester OX25 3QL
Wysdom Hall, 115 High Street, Burford Ox18 4RG
Great Barn (The), Upper Aynho Grounds, Aynho, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX17 3AY
Please visit my HOME PAGE HERE
Here are some of Oxfordshire’s towns where he can be hired:
- Oxford
- Banbury
- Bicester
- Abingdon
- Didcot
- Witney
- Wantage-Grove
- Kidlington
- Carterton
- Thame
- Henley-on-Thames
- Wallingford
- Faringdon
- Chipping Norton
- Benson
- Wheatley
- Chinnor
- Eynsham
- Shrivenham
- Goring
- Streatley
- Bloxham
- Cholsey
- Charlbury
- Chalgrove
- Woodcote
- Yarnton
- Bampton
- Adderbury
- Shipton-under-Wychwood
- Sutton Courtenay
- Woodstock
- Watlington
- Radley
- Hook Norton
- Stanford in the Vale