Ariel Consort

The Ariel Consort is a Portland-based chamber ensemble offering an enchanting blend of musical voices. Led by flautist/vocalist Jen Bernard, the Ariel Consort weaves its unique voices into an evocative tapestry of hauntingly beautiful music.

A consort is, by definition, a highly versatile rotating troupe of musicians. The Ariel Consort can expand its personnel to suit any musical vision, event size, stylistic preference or budget. You can create any soloist, duo, trio or quartet from among these instruments: flute, cello, violin, harp, voice, piano, viola, guitar.

The flute/violin/cello trio is our most popular ensemble, which combines the lush resonance of the strings with the angelic timbre of the flute. When your ensemble includes the flute, flautist Jen Bernard can double on voice and accompany herself on either guitar or piano at no additional charge. If you enjoy atmospheric sounds and textures, the plucked strings of a harp or Classical guitar can blend beautifully with melody instruments, such as within a trio of flute/cello/harp or flute/cello/guitar.

With the combined experience of over 1500 weddings and special event engagements, the Ariel Consort's musicians bring the highest level of experience, professionalism, customer service and sensitivity to assist you in creating your individual soundtrack. Consultation and planning are included in our rates. We are the "house ensemble" for several prestigious local venues, having established ourselves as the premier wedding music group in the Portland/Vancouver area.

We pride ourselves on our stylistic adaptability, and can accommodate most any request. In addition to performing exquisite renderings of traditional wedding classics, such as Canon in D, Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring or Ave Maria, we have a vast repertoire of Baroque and Classical pieces. We are also well-versed in traditional folk music of Celtic, French and Spanish origin, as well as the darker, haunting realms of Medieval/Renaissance music. We can perform graceful slow airs, slinky tangos, rollicking jigs, weaving canons and hip cafe music, giving you a virtual tour of European musical traditions. For receptions, we even play jazz, swing and bossa nova music, which is marvelous for creating a relaxed and festive atmosphere. Ultimately, our repertoire is highly adaptable to your taste, and we consult with you to create the feeling you want.

Here are some testimonials from satisfied clients:

"We wanted to thank you for making our wedding so special. The performance was beautiful and your voice so touching. I only wish we could've sat in silence to listen throughout the whole reception!"
- Michael and Gloria Marlowe, wedding clients

"Thank you for doing such an excellent job at our wedding. The music was beautiful and helped make the perfect storybook wedding of our dreams. We received many compliments on your performance. I also wanted to express our gratitude and appreciation for your flexibility in arranging your time to our rather unorthodox ceremony, as well as your professional, friendly attitude when planning our event. Your beautiful music helped make our ceremony incredible, and it will live in our memories for years to come. Thank you again for everything."
- Sara and Alex Millkey, wedding clients

"Thank you so much for playing exquisite music for our wedding. People commented over and over again on how much they enjoyed it. The suggestion to walk down the aisle to "Danny Boy" was great; it made my mom and aunties cry! The jig at the end was absolutely perfect. The music was just what we needed to tie the whole ceremony together. I will highly recommend you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making our wedding day so memorable."
- Julie Stewart, wedding client

"We wanted to drop you a line to let you know how much we appreciated your services at our wedding last year. The music was everything I had hoped it would be, and made our wedding very special. If you ever need a reference, we would be happy to provide you with an outstanding one. Please let people know to contact us if they want to hear from a satisfied customer!"
- Mike and Leilani VanHoomissen, wedding clients

"We just wanted to extend our thanks to you for a brilliant job-well-done at our wedding. Everything was just lovely, especially "Ave Maria." All of our guests commented on the beauty of your voice."
- Marcia and Thomas Hoover, wedding clients