In traditional folk music tunes have been written for centuries to honour important people or to mark significant events. Now you too can commission a tune for a special person or to commemorate a particular happening. Each composition is unique and original and is written especially for you. You will choose the title and add a dedication if required, and our talented and experienced composers will write a special tune and produce a recording and manuscript of the commissioned piece for you. This is a very personal, unusual and bespoke gift which can be treasured for ever.

You can commission tunes for special occasions such as weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, retirements, or to immortalise the memory of a loved one. You might want a specific type of tune (waltz, jig etc...) or just want something fast or slow. You may want to commission a tune which you can ask local musicians to play at your celebration or event, or you may wish to have a beautiful arrangement of your tune recorded on several instruments by professional musicians and put onto a CD with a personal message, dedication or photograph on the front cover.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Have a look at our list of composers and choose the one you would like to write your tune. If you are ready to proceed straight away fill in the form HERE giving us your details and any information your composer may need to help them write the right kind of tune for you. Once you have the paid the deposit you will receive a confirmation email and your composer should have your tune ready within 6 weeks. 

If you feel that you would like more information or help please fill in our online enquiry form HERE. We will contact you and guide you through the process. Don’t worry, you are under no obligation to proceed – commissioning a tune is a very special and personal process and we want you to feel absolutely happy and confident about it.

Don’t worry if you’re not sure or feel you don’t have enough musical knowledge to ask for what you want – we don’t need any technical info! Basically we just want you to tell us a bit about why you are commissioning the tune – if it’s for a loved one you can tell us a bit about them – their character, whether they might prefer something slow and evocative, a happy dance tune or something really fast and intense. If you are commissioning a tune for a special event, again the more information we have, the better equipped our composers will be to create something just exactly right for the occasion. For example you may want a tune to be played whilst walking up the aisle, in which case we’d need to write something of a suitable duration and speed (we wouldn’t want you to be sprinting up the aisle, trying to keep up with the music!) In most cases we would recommend that you choose more than one instrument, so that we can bring your tune to life with a beautiful accompaniment.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Prices range from £220- £570 (Please see individual composers)

The BASIC PACKAGE includes an MP3 file recording of your new composition played on a solo instrument by the composer. In addition, you will also receive a PDF file of the titled manuscript, with your chosen title (and dedication if required). The recording and the PDF will be emailed to you.
£50 deposit required before commencement of commission
Upgrade to the STANDARD PACKAGE  for an extra £20 (incl. P&P in the UK only. Contact us for overseas postal costs.)
In addition to the basic package you will also have your tune put onto a CD and get an A4 sized printed copy of your manuscript. 

OR upgrade to the DELUXE PACKAGE for an extra £50 (incl. P&P in the UK only. Contact us for overseas postal costs.)
Everything from the basic and standard packages PLUS: 
Hand written Manuscript of your tune SIGNED BY THE COMPOSER  
Your CD will come with a printed cover – you can specify a personal message, dedication or photograph if you wish - for that extra special touch.

Additional printed CDs – £5 each

EXTRAS

Additional Instruments £25 per instrument
Your tune will be written for, and played on, a solo instrument (fiddle, accordion, Northumbrian pipes, guitar, flute, mandolin or melodeon depending on your composer) but we recommend that you add at least one additional instrument to enhance your recording: please look at our composer profiles to see which instruments they can offer. Each additional instrument will incur an added cost of £25. If you want to add an instrument not specified on the composer’s list this can usually be arranged but would be dependent on the availability of the additional musicians at the time of your commission. Further details and costings can be provided after you fill in the no-obligation online enquiry form HERE. We would generally recommend that you add at least one other instrument for the best possible effect on your recording, but feel free to contact us to discuss.