Woodwind Wedding Music suggestions.

Two Questions, first of all a relation of mine is getting married in the UK and has asked me, (a Brass Player), to recommend some music for woodwind instruments to be played while the register is being signed and also in a marquee afterwards. It is not a Church Wedding and the request is for 'gay, dancing, happy music. I tried to extol the wonders and the magic of solemn music played by four Trombones to no avail. I could spend hours searching through CDs I have of medieval music I have in my collection about which I am not an expert, I am mostly involved with Orchestral music and large ensembles.

As I have 'put my neck on the line' and have been asked to come up with the best pieces, can I ask the great store of collective knowledge represented in this NG your recommendation for a selection of pieces to play. It could also include light jazz, (maybe), but the venue is very 'up-market' and a certain formality is required, (or is it?), over to you all.

Secondly, as it is taking place in the South of England near the Chichester area, can anyone suggest a group that could/would provide the small band or group to play for them, this might also solve the programme problem at the same time.

A challenge for this NG, yes?

There's a tremendous volume of music for wind quintet, much/most of it in the 'happy' category. Mozart, Danzi, Elgar, and Reicha come to mind.

Thank you Bill, therefore I suppose I would be better going for an experienced group of musicians with an established 'repertoire' instead of choosing the music first. Despite saying that, don't give up on me folks as I have to have an answer for 'the relations' in the very near future. To make it worse, I have been invited myself and if I have got it wrong..............

That would be my approach. The wind quintet (flute, clarinet, oboe, horn, bassoon) is a 'standard' ensemble for which there is a great deal of music. In fact, pieces written for larger groupings have been transcribed for the quintet. There are smaller combos which might work nicely for the situation you describe: flute/clarinet duo, for example.

As to where to find your musicians, you might check with nearby music schools. My daughter made a little money playing in a wind quintet when she was an undergrad. Or perhaps there's a professional or semi-pro orchestra in the region?

Ultimately, a 'light jazz' combo might be the easiest to find, but this might comprise piano, bass, and sax, for example, not the woodwinds you specified at the outset.