| Description | Price |
| Solo Violinist with Backing Tracks. 3 x 50 minute sets | £450 (GBP) |
| Jazz Trio (Violin, Guitar, Bass) | £1400 (GBP) |
| Classical String Quartet | £1500 (GBP) |
| Billy Thompson Gypsy Style. Full 5-piece band. 2 50 minute sets | £2000 (GBP) |
Billy Thompson is a classically trained improvising violinist performing in numerous different styles of music.
These styles vary from his highly popular band Billy Thompson Gypsy Style to performing with internationally acclaimed jazz artists such as saxophonist/composer Barbara Thompson MBE and pianist/composer Mike Westbrook OBE. Billy performs on five albums and a DVD with Barbara Thompson’s Paraphernalia and is an integral part of ‘Glad Day’ by Mike Westbrook (more commonly known as ‘The Westbrook Blake’ featuring on the live DVD.
During Billy’s time living in Wales, Billy has performed and recorded with many of Wales’ finest musicians and singer/songwriters including Meic Stevens (for ten years), Gai Toms (Mim Twm Llai), Heather Jones, Sian James, Delwyn Sion, Dafydd Iwan, Ed Holden (Mr Phormula), Alun Tan Lan and Gwilym Bowen Rhys as well as appearing on the Docfeistr album. During his time in South Wales, Billy was an integral part of The Amigos performing all around Wales and featuring on 3 studio albums.
Meeting singer/songwriter Rhian Williams (now Thompson) led to the creation of the Welsh band Amledd and the release of the album Cyfnod Cyntaf.
Billy can also be heard performing with the outstanding Gypsy Jazz guitarist Paul Gregory in the Dynamo Quartet and with Modjango.
Billy still enjoys playing classically performing on occasion with the North Wales based Snowdonia String Quartet.
= free travel (up to 50 miles)
Jazz:
Most tracks from my Billy Thompson Gypsy Style CDs
Hours of other popular jazz and gypsy jazz tunes performed with high quality backing tracks
Little Annie Ooh by Barbara Thompson’s Paraphernalia from the new album featuring the National Youth Jazz Orchestra – the actual recording is used as the backing track (minus the violin which will be played live of course)
Embraceable You – George Gershwin
Django/Grappelli classics
Tchavolo Swing (as played on Noson Lawen by Billy Thompson Gypsy Style)
A free improvisation is also an option!
Caneuon Cymraeg/Welsh Songs (performed with high quality backing tracks):
Calon Lan
Dacw ‘Nghariad i lawr yn y Berllan
Myfanwy (solo violin)
Cân Walter gan Meic Stevens
Merch o’r Ffatri Wlan gan Meic Stevens
Trywerin gan Meic Stevens
Ysbryd Solva gan Meic Stevens
Pwt ar y bys and over 100 other popular Welsh Folk dance tunes
a Mwy…
Classical/From Musicals (performed with high quality backing tracks unless stated):
Air on a G String (Bach)
Allegro Maestoso from Water Music (Handel)
Ave Maria (Gounod)
Ave Maria (Schubert)
Bach Partita in D Minor (solo violin)
Bach’s Prelude No. 1 (Played solo on baritone violin)
Bring Him Home (played on an Octave Violin)
Exsultate Jubilante: Alleluia (Mozart)
Gymnopedie (Satie)
Lascia ch’io Pianga (Handel)
Meditation (Massenet)
Nesun Dorma
Oblivion (Piazzola)
Pachelbel’s Canon
Panis Angelicus (César Franck)
Pavane (Fauré)
Queen of Sheba (Handel)
Spiegel im Spiegel (Arvo Pärt)
The Flower Duet from the opera Lakmé (Léo Delibes)
The Swan (Saint-Saëns) – (Played on baritone violin)
Time to Say Goodbye (Francesco Sartori and Lucio Quarantotto)
and more…
Pop/Rock (performed with high quality backing tracks):
A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
Adele (give notice which track required)
All of Me – John Legend
All Star – Smash Mouth
All You Need is Love – The Beatles
Almost There – Shirley Bassey
Always Remember Us This Way – Lady Gaga
American Idiot – Green Day
Angels – Robbie Williams
Beatles (give notice which track required)
Blinding Lights – The Weeknd
Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol
Chasing Pavements – Adele
Dakota – Stereophonics
Dance Monkey – Tones and I
Dancing on my Own – Calum Scott
Danny Boy – Eva Cassidy version
Don’t Look Back In Anger – Oasis
Ed Sheeran (give notice which track required)
Elvis (give notice which track required)
Everlong – Foo Fighters
Every Breath You Take – The Police
Feel – Robbie Williams
Fix You – Coldplay
For the Love of God – Steve Vai
From This Moment On – Shania Twain
Greatest Day – Take That
Hallelujah – Allison Crowe version
Havana – Camila Cabello
Heaven is A Place On Earth – Belinda Carlisle
Hey Jude – The Beatles
Imagine – John Lennon
Mamma Mia – Abba
Marry You – Bruno Mars
Moving – Supergrass
Nobody Gets Me – Sza
No One Knows – Queens of the Stone Age
Rule The World – Take That
Run – Snow Patrol (Leona Lewis version)
Shallow – Lady Gaga
Someone Like You – Adele
Somewhere Over The Rainbow – Eva Cassidy version
Strange – Celeste
The Pretender – Foo Fighters
True Love Ways – Buddy Holly
Viva la Vida – Coldplay
We Have All the Time in the World – Louis Armstrong
When I Was Your Man – Bruno Mars
What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
While My Guitar Gently Weeps – The Beatles
Wildest Dreams – Taylor Swift
Wrecking Ball – Miley Cyrus
Wonderwall – Oasis
Yellow – Coldplay
Yesterday – The Beatles
You Belong With Me – Taylor Swift
You’ll Never Walk Alone – from Carousel
You’re Still the One – Shania Twain
and More…
Italian Songs played on violin or mandolin (performed with high quality backing tracks):
Come Back to Sorrento (Torna a Surriento)
Dream on my Eyes
La Spagnola
O Mio Babbino Caro
O Sole Mio
Quando Quando Quando
Volare
Welsh/Irish/Scottish Folk (performed on solo violin):
Paddy’s Rambles Through The Park (slow Irish Waltz)
Whiskey Before Breakfast
King of the Fairies
Morrisons Jig
Pwt ar y bys and other Traditional Welsh Folk tunes
The Water is Wide
Oh Danny Boy
Religeous (performed with high quality backing tracks):
Make Me A Channel For Your Peace
Christmas (performed with high quality backing tracks):
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Somewhere Only We Know – Lily Allen version
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…)
Lots of other popular favourites…
Parking. Power. Performance space suitable for what I am bringing.
The ‘What Three Words’ (app) address would be good. And/or conventional address.Contact phone number.
Sound equipment provided and some basic lighting if required.
Yes
Too many to choose from. Two residencies at Ronnie Scott’s London with Barbara Thompson’s Paraphernalia a highlight.
I do like to tell the story of the time when a gypsy band I was with were the main support act for Tom Jones‘s homecoming concert at Pontypridd in front of 25,000 people. Before we went on, we had also been booked to play in the hospitality tent backstage to the VIPs. After our performance supporting Tom we then went to Cardiff to play at a wedding reception at the McDonald’s hotel. A good day - and the sort of thing I/we can do anytime.
All sorts of events. Hotel residencies are excellent. Weddings are special of course. I like to feel I am there for the couple to help them and their guests relax and enjoy the day. If the band is booked then anything can happen!
Professional for 27 years in many fields of music... Mostly with my violins.
Biggest influences, probably Django Reinhardt and Steffan Grappelli. My classical upbringing has helped throughout my career.
I like to set up at least an hour to 2 hours in advance.
I generally expect to do 2 sets of around 50 minutes.
If I’m booked to play at a wedding solo, I generally play as guest arrive and then as the Bride comes in. I also play during the signing of the register and then as the bride and groom leave. Sometimes then at the drinks reception and also sometimes at the wedding breakfast.
Performing outside is fine as long as there is cover if necessary. I have a battery operated solution if required.
Yes, I have a huge repertoire of music when playing solo. I enjoy expanding my repertoire further by asking clients to suggest what tunes they might like to hear.
I have many reviews on other sites. All my reviews are five star (out to 5 !) with the clients being incredibly happy that they chose to book me.
Private clients.
The Royal Abjar Hotel, Dubai
St David’s Hotel, Cardiff
The Winchester, London
Celtic Manor Resort (residency), Newport
Ronnie Scott’s London
Pizza Express Jazz club Soho
Pizza Express The Pheasantry, Chelsea, London
Pizza Express Knightsbridge, London
Residency at the Sweet Basil, Tokyo, Japan
Major concert Venues, all-round Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, and the UK.
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