Sarah seeks singers with gratitude
Entitled In Gratitude I Sing, the canon features on Penzance-based Sarah's third album, which is currently in the mixing stage and should be out in late 2010 or early 2011.
In the meantime, her first two albums When Two Lovers Meet and I Won't Go Home 'Til Morning are being re-released in North America as a double CD, just in time for Sarah's first US tour – a real humdinger that takes in 20 shows in 23 days, including such legendary venues as Boston's Club Passim, upstate New York's Old Songs and Nashville's Bluebird Cafe.
Before she heads Stateside, Sarah will also be performing a Valentine's Day concert at the Palacio de Congresos y de la Música Euskalduna in Bilbao, Spain.
On her return from the US, she'll once again be sharing the bill with fellow Cornwall-based band Dalla at Grampound Village Hall, where Sarah debuted her canon a year ago. On that occasion, four members of Dalla had bravely agreed to essay the song with just five minutes of rehearsal time before the show.
"Up to that point I'd only heard the different parts together inside my own head, having just written it that morning," Sarah explains, "so I was terrified that they'd turn out to clash! I also wasn't 100% sure that the key would be okay for both male and female voices.
"But actually they sounded even better together than I could have imagined, even with only five of the six parts – one man and four women including myself – and the range was fine for everybody, thank goodness."
Eager to share the song with more audiences, Sarah is calling on any singers who plan to attend her concerts to join her on stage. The sheet music is available for download from Sarah's homepage, www.sarahmcquaid.com, as is a MIDI recording of the melody.
Born in Madrid and raised in Chicago, Sarah McQuaid lived in Ireland for 14 years before moving to Cornwall in 2007.
The gig takes place at Grampound Community Hall on Saturday, March 27, at 8pm (doors 7.30pm). Contact 01726 883874 for tickets priced £7/£4 conc.
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