Prelude music is the part of a ceremony most couples don’t think about — and it’s the first thing every guest hears. Get it right and the room settles into exactly the right mood before the couple even appears. For this wedding we played Latch by Sam Smith, live on violin and cello, as guests took their seats in the Rickety Barn at Bassmead Manor Barns.
About the song
Latch was Sam Smith’s breakthrough — originally a 2012 collaboration with Disclosure, before Smith’s own star rose. Beneath the dancefloor production sits a genuinely gorgeous melody and one of the most memorable vocal hooks of the last decade, which is exactly what makes it such rich material for a string arrangement.
Why it works so well on strings
Stripped back to violin and cello, Latch trades its club energy for something more intimate and emotional. The cello holds a steady pulse while the violin takes that soaring vocal line, and the result is a piece that fills a space without overwhelming it — ideal for the seating and prelude section of a ceremony, when you want atmosphere rather than a showstopper. It works equally well during the signing of the register.
About Bassmead Manor Barns
Bassmead Manor Barns is an exclusive-use wedding venue set in the Cambridgeshire countryside, surrounded by its own moat. Ceremonies take place in the 300-year-old Rickety Barn, a lovingly restored timber barn with solid oak beams, wooden floors and wrought iron chandeliers, softened by twinkling fairy lights. It even has a unique upper-level ‘nook’ designed to house musicians — a wonderful spot for live strings to carry out over a seated room. With its warmth and character, it’s one of the most romantic barn settings we’ve had the pleasure of playing in.
Book us for your wedding
We’re The Chapel Hill Duo, a violin and cello duo based in the UK, playing ceremonies, drinks receptions and wedding breakfasts anywhere in the country. If you’re planning your day at Bassmead Manor Barns or anywhere in Cambridgeshire and Latch sounds like your kind of ceremony music, we’d love to hear from you — get in touch at chapelhillduo.co.uk.