With travel costs skyrocketing and the twin demons of Covid and the cost of living crisis driving audience numbers down, it’s not an ideal time to be hitting the road – but that’s exactly what Sarah McQuaid is doing.
“Yes, these are seriously tough times for all musicians, myself included,” the Cornwall-based singer/songwriter says ruefully, “but live events are what bring communities together. If we don’t keep going out and doing it, all those music venues and village halls and arts centres are just going to disappear — and that would be a real tragedy.”
A scattering of September-October appearances in the southwest serve as a warmup for a month-long 20-show tour that kicks off on the 4th of November and spans the length and breadth of England, from Cornwall to Cumbria and from the south coast to the North York Moors, finishing in early December.
Born in Spain and raised in Chicago, Sarah lived for a number of years in Ireland before moving to the UK in 2007, which was also the year she became a full-time musician.
Since then, she’s toured internationally and made a series of critically acclaimed albums – most recently The St Buryan Sessions, recorded live in lockdown in the beautiful medieval church of St Buryan, just over a mile from Sarah’s home in rural West Cornwall.
Released in October 2021 on CD and limited-edition double LP, the album made it onto “Best of 2021” lists on three continents and features stunning solo performances by Sarah on acoustic and electric guitars, piano and floor tom drum, her lush, distinctive vocals echoing through the soaring space.
The entire album was filmed as it was being recorded, and videos of all 15 tracks can be viewed on Sarah’s YouTube channel, together with a short documentary about its making.
Details of Sarah’s autumn concerts are as follows:
Fri Nov 4: Sterts Studio
Upton Cross, Liskeard, Cornwall PL14 5AZ
Tel 01579 362382
Tickets £12
7:30pm (Doors 7pm)
https://www.sterts.co.uk
Sun Nov 6: St John’s Place
Lower Road, Bemerton, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP2 9NP
Tel 07790 287062
Tickets £12
7:30pm (Doors 7pm)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sarah-mcquaid-tickets-361985407097
Wed Nov 9: The Bridge Inn
Topsham, Exeter, Devon EX3 0QQ
Tel 01392 873862
Tickets £12 advance/£14 door
7:30pm (Doors 7pm)
https://www.facebook.com/thebridgeinntopsham
Thu Nov 10: St Mary’s Church
Kirkgate, Thirsk, North Yorkshire YO7 1PR
Tel 01845 574742
Tickets £12
7:30pm (Doors 7pm)
https://www.thirskparishes.org/what-s-on
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sarah-mcquaid-tickets-264444770427
Bring your own refreshments!
Fri Nov 11: Skelton Toppin Memorial Hall
Skelton, Penrith, CA11 9TE
Tel 01768 484245
Tickets £12 (U16 £5, U5 free)
7:30pm (Doors 7pm)
https://www.skeltonvillagehall.com
This event is kindly ponsored by the Eden Valley Artistic Network (EVAN). Bring your own drinks and nibbles!
Sat Nov 12: Silsden Town Hall
Kirkgate, Silsden, BD20 0AJ
Tel 01535 959561
Tickets £15 (£10 Earlybird)
7:30pm (Doors 6:30pm)
https://silsdentownhall.org.uk
Tickets: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/friends-of-silsden-town-hall/sarah-mcquaid/e-bygezb
Sun Nov 13: Lunesdale Hall
New Road, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria LA6 2AA
Tickets £12.50
8pm (Doors 7:30pm)
https://kirkbylonsdale.info
Tickets may be purchased tickets at the Information & Gift Shop on Main Street.
Tue Nov 15: Dartford Folk Club
Dartford Working Men’s Club, 40 Essex Road, Dartford, Kent DA1 2AU
Tickets £10 (Members £7)
8:30pm (Doors 7:45pm)
http://www.dartfordfolk.org.uk
Thu Nov 17: The Astor Community Theatre
Stanhope Road, Deal, Kent CT14 6AB
Tel 01304 370220
Tickets £18
7:30pm (Doors 7pm)
https://theastor.co.uk/shows/music/sarah-mcquaid
Fri Nov 18: The HopBarn
Hopyard Farm, Hockerwood Lane, Upton Road, Southwell, Notts NG25 0PZ
Tel 01636 813621
Tickets £14 advance / £16 door
7:30pm (Doors 7pm)
https://www.thehopbarn.org.uk
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sarah-mcquaid-tickets-364045498887
Sat Nov 19: The Green Man Gallery
Hardwick Hall, Hardwick Square South, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 6PY
Tel 01298 937375
Tickets £10 advance, £12 door
7:30pm (Doors 7pm)
https://www.thegreenmangallery.com
Tickets: https://www.wegottickets.com/event/555556
Sun Nov 20: Folk On The Moor
The Exchange Pub, 1 Fore Street, Ivybridge, Devon PL21 9AB
Tickets £10 (Members £8)
7:45pm (Doors 7:15pm)
http://www.moorfolk.co.uk
This will be Sarah’s fourth visit to this friendly club! Membership scheme available: discounts on all nights and posh membership cards.
Thu Nov 24: Ropery Hall
The Ropewalk, Maltkiln Road, Barton upon Humber, North Lincolnshire DN18 5JT
Tel 01652 660380
Tickets £14
8pm (Doors 7pm)
https://roperyhall.co.uk
Tickets: http://roperyhall.co.uk/2022/06/17/sarah-mcquaid/
Fri Nov 25: St Peter’s by the Waterfront
St Peter’s Church, College Street, Ipswich, Suffolk IP4 1BF
Tel 01473 225269
Tickets £12 in advance, £15 on door
7:30pm (Doors 7pm)
https://stpetersbythewaterfront.com
Tickets: https://stpetersbythewaterfront.com/whats-on/sarah-mcquaid-2022
Sat Nov 26: Clyffe Pypard and Bushton Village Hall
Bushton, Swindon, Wiltshire SN4 7PX
Tel 07962 236678
Tickets £12
7:30pm (Doors 7pm)
https://www.facebook.com/Clyffe-Pypard-Bushton-Village-Hall-110031045093589
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sarah-mcquaid-tickets-408672539567
Tea & coffee will be available during the interval, included in the cost of the ticket. There will also be a bar to purchase additional drinks (card payments accepted).
Sun Nov 27: Sheepstor Village Hall
Sheepstor, Yelverton, Devon PL20 6PF
Tel 01822 853186
Tickets £12
7:30pm (Doors 6:45pm)
This will be Sarah’s second visit to this lovely village hall on the western side of Dartmoor! To book tickets, email drdartmoor@doctors.org.uk or ring 01822 853186.
Wed Nov 30: Ashcroft Arts Centre
Osborn Road, Fareham, Hampshire PO16 7DX
Tel 01329 223100
Tickets £13 advance, £15 on door
7:30pm (Doors 7pm)
https://www.ashcroft.org.uk
Tickets: https://www.ashcroft.org.uk/booking?id=188401
Thu Dec 1: The Village Pump @ The Lamb Inn
127 Mortimer Street, Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 0NH
Tel 01225 755947
Tickets £12 in advance/£15 on door
8pm (Doors 7:30pm)
https://thepumptrowbridge.co.uk
Tickets: https://www.wegottickets.com/event/555980
Sat Dec 3: Canopy Theatre
Hungate Church, Hungate, Beccles, Suffolk NR34 9TL
Tickets £10
7:30pm (Doors 7pm)
https://www.facebook.com/MartelloPro
Tickets: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/martello-promotions
Sun Dec 4: Escleyside Hall
Michaelchurch Escley, Hereford, Herefordshire HR2 0PT
Tel 01981 510116
Tickets £12 (Child £6, Family £30) — 7:30pm (Doors 7pm)
https://artsalive.co.uk/live-performances/show/?id=11269
Thanks so much to the Arts Alive rural touring scheme for making this event possible!
See https://sarahmcquaid.com/tour for more tour dates.
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