Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about booking Kitty, from repertoire and pricing to what happens on the day. If there is something not covered here, please get in touch and Kitty will be happy to help.

The Music

  • Jazz standards and the Great American Songbook — the songs of Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern and their contemporaries, in the style made famous by Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday and the great vocal artists of the 1920s to the 1960s. These are songs with melodies your guests will recognise and lyrics they may well know by heart. Think supper club rather than jazz club — elegant and immediately accessible.

  • The word jazz can put people off, and understandably so — it conjures ideas of experimental improvisation and complex harmonics with no obvious melody. Don’t worry; jazz standards means something quite different. The repertoire is sometimes called jazz, sometimes swing, sometimes the Great American Songbook. To reassure you, it’s the songs everyone knows from the films and recordings of Hollywood’s golden age. There is no avant-garde improvisation, no challenging-to-listen-to chord sequences. If your guests have ever enjoyed a Frank Sinatra album, a Doris Day film or a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musical, and especially the work of Michael Bublé, they will love Kitty.

  • The repertoire spans the 1920s through to the mid-1960s — before rock and roll changed popular music entirely. The 1920s and 30s bring the elegance of the Hollywood musical era and the early swing sound. The 1940s bring the wartime classics and the big band era. The 1950s and early 60s are the era of Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Doris Day and Dean Martin at their peak. Please note Kitty performs the 1960s repertoire that encompasses jazz standards, rather than the emerging pop sounds of bands like The Beatles and The Supremes.

  • Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Doris Day, Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee, Dean Martin, Rosemary Clooney, Judy Garland, Fred Astaire and the composers Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern and Harold Arlen. For 1940s and wartime events, the repertoire also covers Vera Lynn, the Andrews Sisters, Glenn Miller, Gracie Fields and George Formby.

  • Yes. Kitty offers dedicated sets for 1920s themed events (Charleston era, The Great Gatsby, early jazz and Hollywood), 1930s (the golden age of the Hollywood musical and swing), 1940s wartime (Vera Lynn, Andrews Sisters, Glenn Miller, boogie-woogie and the full wartime repertoire in period dress), and 1950s and early 60s (Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Doris Day, Dean Martin at their peak). Each set is tailored to the decade with appropriate repertoire and period-appropriate hair and outfit.

  • Yes, very easily from the existing repertoire — the full song list is available on this website and can be emailed once a booking is confirmed. You are welcome to choose your favourites or indicate preferences. For jazz standards not currently in the repertoire, Kitty can learn a small number at no extra cost, as she would add them permanently. For one song outside her usual genre — for example a specific first dance song — she is happy to learn it, and an additional fee applies for songs requiring significant work outside the repertoire. All song requests and any additional fees are agreed in advance.

  • Yes, from the existing repertoire. If a guest requests something Kitty knows, she will do her best to include it.

  • Yes. If you don’t have a DJ or separate playlist, Kitty can play MP3 compilations through her sound system before she starts and between live sets. These can be your own playlist or she can choose something appropriate. You will need to provide a device with a 3.5mm headphone jack or Bluetooth capability, and make sure it is charged and unlocked on the day.

What to Expect

  • Kitty performs as an accompaniment to an occasion rather than as a concert act. The music fills the room and gives it atmosphere without demanding that guests stop talking and listen intently. People will notice, enjoy and comment on the music — it often becomes a focal point and a conversation starter for guests who don’t know each other — but it sits alongside the event rather than taking it over. Think of it as the difference between a soundtrack and a show: Kitty primarily provides the former, with the skill and presence to provide the latter when the occasion calls for it.

  • Drinks receptions, wedding breakfasts, hotel afternoon teas, cocktail bar sets, corporate dinners, garden parties, anniversary celebrations and any occasion where you want the room to feel special from the moment guests arrive. It works particularly well for events where guests are meeting and mingling — the music provides a natural talking point and a sense of occasion without overwhelming conversation. Kitty can also perform featured numbers for specific moments: a song during the signing of the register at a wedding ceremony, a dedicated song at a retirement party, or a first dance.

  • Not exactly — though it is music designed to accompany an occasion rather than demand attention. A better description is atmosphere: the difference between a room with a playlist and a room with a live performer is immediately apparent to guests, even if they cannot quite put their finger on why. Kitty has real presence and performs with genuine engagement, but she reads the room and calibrates accordingly. She wouldn’t replace the disco at the end of the night; she is the subtle but stunning focal point of a drinks reception.

  • Events where guests want to dance to contemporary pop, rock or disco music — Kitty is not a DJ or a covers band. Very noisy outdoor events where amplification would struggle to carry. Events where the primary entertainment is comedy, speeches or a structured programme that would clash with live music. If you are unsure whether Kitty is right for your event, please get in touch and she will give you an honest answer based on her years of experience.

  • Kitty has been performing professionally since 2013 across a wide range of venues and event types — weddings at country house hotels and private estates, corporate dinners and awards ceremonies for clients including Oracle and Terumo, hotel afternoon teas at Bowood Hotel and The Roseate Reading, 1940s heritage festivals including the Holt & Sheringham 1940s Weekend and the RAF Museum London D-Day events, military balls at Larkhill Garrison and RAF High Wycombe, and in 2025 she performed aboard Dunkirk Little Ships during the 85th anniversary commemorative crossing. She has performed at private celebrations, charity galas, on festival stages and for Remembrance Sunday services across England and in France.

  • For general bookings, Kitty performs in elegant period-appropriate dress — she owns a number of genuine vintage pieces and a range of suitable dressy outfits that reflect the era of the repertoire. For 1940s and wartime events specifically, she performs in 1940s period dress with authentic hair and make-up to suit the era. She does not currently own a military uniform but performs in civilian period dress appropriate to the 1940s. If your event has a specific costume requirement, please discuss this when enquiring.

Booking & Pricing

  • Each booking is quoted individually based on the event, format, set times and travel. There is a minimum booking fee — the cost is the same whether you want one song or one hour. Get in touch via the enquiry form with your date, venue and format and Kitty will come back to you with a quote. Please note that fees are kept confidential between Kitty and the client.

  • Once a quote has been agreed, a booking is confirmed when a 30% non-refundable deposit has been paid and the contract has been signed by both parties. The balance is due any time between four weeks before the event and the date of the performance itself.

  • Some clients have booked three years in advance to secure a wedding date. Others have booked a week before the event. If Kitty is available, she is happy to take bookings at short notice — but dates fill up, particularly weekends, New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, the pre-Christmas period and commemorative dates such as VE Day, D-Day and Remembrance Sunday. If you know you want to book, the advice is to enquire as soon as possible.

  • Deposits are non-refundable. Cancellations must be agreed in writing by both parties. Cancellations close to the event date may result in a claim for all or part of the total fee — Kitty follows the guidance of the Musicians’ Union on this and would involve them in any dispute. If Kitty is unable to perform due to illness, she will always endeavour to find suitable cover of a similar style and transfer the fee to that artist. If cover cannot be found, the full fee will be returned immediately. Kitty strongly recommends that clients take out event insurance.

  • Yes. Kitty is based in Hungerford, Berkshire and performs regularly across the South of England. Travel beyond a 50-mile radius from Hungerford is charged at HMRC mileage rates and agreed as part of the booking. For the right occasion she is happy to travel further — in 2025 she sailed to Dunkirk as part of the Little Ships commemorative crossing.

  • Payment is by bank transfer to Feather-Headed Operations (Kitty’s trading name). Bank details are provided on the invoice. Cash or cheques (payable to Feather-Headed Operations) are accepted if bank transfer is not possible.

Practical & Technical

  • A minimum playing area of approximately 2.5 metres by 2.5 metres (8 feet by 8 feet). A stage is not required, though Kitty can use one if it exists. In a marquee, the playing area is best if it is level, firm and dry.

  • A standard UK 240-volt mains supply of at least 13 amps, within approximately 8 metres of the playing area. Kitty provides her own PAT-tested extension cable and all equipment. One mains socket is sufficient. A battery-powered amp is available for situations where mains power is not accessible, though this is less powerful and better suited to smaller or quieter settings.

  • Yes, with appropriate cover. Equipment must be kept out of direct sunlight (heat can cause malfunction) and must not get wet. A small marquee, a gazebo or a shaded area is ideal. Alternatively, speakers can be positioned inside a building pointing outward through open doors or windows, with Kitty performing just outside using a wireless microphone or a cable fixed safely to the floor. Please discuss outdoor arrangements in advance so the right solution can be agreed.

  • Kitty uses an XLR microphone connection. Backing tracks are played from an iPad via a 3.5mm headphone jack adaptor or Bluetooth. If connecting to a venue or hire PA, please ensure an XLR input is available. Reverb is always appreciated and will make Kitty’s performance more enjoyable.

  • Kitty’s microphone is for her personal use only — if a second microphone is needed for speeches or announcements, this can be arranged separately in advance. If you require Kitty’s PA for speeches outside of performance times, this may incur additional charges.

  • Allow a minimum of 45 to 60 minutes before the performance start time: approximately 30 minutes to set up equipment and balance sound, and a further 15 to 30 minutes to change and prepare. Kitty generally warms up vocally before arrival, where possible. If an early arrival or formal soundcheck is required — for example if the space will be in use when Kitty would otherwise be setting up — please discuss this when booking, as it may affect the fee. If proceedings run late and delay Kitty’s start time, please be aware the setup time required may remain the same.

  • A changing room is always appreciated, though not necessarily essential — Kitty can change in a toilet if that is the only available space, although a dedicated private room is preferred. If she is arriving significantly early for a soundcheck or early setup, a room to leave clothes and bags in is helpful. Vocal warm-ups can sound unusual – and do carry! - so a room a little away from the performance space works better than one immediately adjacent during a quiet moment of the event.

  • Yes. Breaks are a minimum of 15 minutes for every two hours of performing. The format of sets and breaks is flexible and agreed in advance — for example, two sets with one break, or three shorter sets with two breaks. If you require a split set, with Kitty performing sets with breaks of longer than 20-30 minutes, this will be reflected in the fee.

Still Have a Question?

If there is something not covered here, please get in touch via the enquiry form or call or text directly. Kitty is happy to talk through any aspect of a booking before you commit to anything.

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