Episode 166: Sarah Small

A Cycle Touring Concert Across the UK

What a pleasure it was to interview Sarah Small and learn all about her incredible tour through the UK last year, with Viola de Gamba on board! Sarah lives car free and her bike has always been her frm of transportation. Choosing to literally cycle her concert tour was a practical response to a problem many musicians deal with. The cost of getting to concerts had started to outweigh what she was earning from playing them. As she says, it was as though she was paying to work, and it was unsustainable.

Rather than accept that as a limitation, Sarah wondered what would it be like if she cycled between her performances instead. Just like that a remarkable concert tour became reality.

Between May and July, Sarah rode across the UK with her viola da gamba strapped to her bike. She played in village halls, churches, community spaces, caves, islands, and places that rarely host live music. Her route took her along coastlines and as far north as the Hebridean Way and the Shetland Islands. Her bike became a pivotal part of the the tour and also helped Sarah raise topics on environmental sustainability with those who attended her concerts.

In our conversation, we spent time talking about what it actually takes to cycle tour a concert. Carrying a fragile instrument by bike certainly comes with it’s own challenges. Sarah quipped that her eyes were tired at the end of each day, due to her having to constantly scan for every single pothole on the road. Then there is the wind, with a big Viola de Gamba strapped to the side of the bike, it catches the wind even more.

There were days when Sarah would arrive feeling completely spent, unsure how she would get through the performance ahead. And yet, once the music started, she was able to pull out the energy to play.

Where music meets community

A huge theme during our conversation was community. Sarah made a deliberate choice to play in places that sit outside the usual concert circuit. Small villages, and remote islands were especially important to Sarah. She also sought out community-run spaces as venues. To be able to play music in places where live music does not pass through very often was extra special and Sarah found people were especially appreciative of it.

By taking music to people rather than expecting people to travel to music, the dynamic also changed and it was very much in line with the ethos of sustainable travel which sits at the very heart of Sarah’s own principles

Audiences were also very curious and Sarah found conversations happened naturally after performances. People woudl share their own stories, ask questions and it was extra special to feel a part of. The act of arriving by bike was an even bigger conversation starter.

Sustainability was very much a lived practice. After finishing the UK leg, Sarah crossed between the UK and France using the SailLink ferry, a sail-powered crossing that offers a lower-impact alternative to conventional ferries. It’s a fantastic service run by a small operator, and also makes the channel crossing unique and extra special.

After stopping the recording, Sarah also opened up about how this tour has helped her own self confidence and to find a voice where she feels she can talk to people more easily about topics she feels passionate about.

We also laughed a lot about the impracticalities of bike touring and the hilarious situations you can find yourself in. From squeezing into tiny lifts, to eating chickpeas from a can in a soggy laneway for lunch, to being served a dinner with silver service a few hours later by a welcoming host!

Be sure to check out Sarah’s instagram for future concert tours – @SmallSarah

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