Walton // Facade // Presteigne Festival Opening Concert
Sarah Gabriel // narrator
George Vass // conductor
The Blue Hour // Crazy Coqs, Live at Zédel
Tickets here: brasseriezedel.com/events
Described by The Guardian as “magic of the highest order... absolute sorcery” after their September 2021 performance at Crazy Coqs, The Blue Hour returns with another delicious dive into the subversive, sexy, provocative world of Berlin cabaret.
In 1930, two young revolutionaries burst onto the Berlin music scene with their satirical opera, The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. It was a smash, capturing the febrile essence of the fragile Weimar Republic. The collaboration between Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht heralded a brief musical golden age at a time of impending darkness, when artists in underground nightclubs dissected the political maelstrom in the streets above.
The Blue Hour reimagines their legacy in bold, contemporary colours, along with decadent masterpieces of the era, including ‘Surabaya Johnny’ and Marlene Dietrich’s huge hit, ‘Falling in Love Again’, all arranged by award-winning composer Tim Sutton.
Between them, Sarah Gabriel (vocals), Tim Sutton (piano and arrangements), Gabriella Swallow (cello) and Beth Higham-Edwards (percussion) have performed at the National Theatre, RSC, Young Vic, Shakespeare’s Globe, Sadler's Wells, Southbank Centre, Théâtre du Châtelet, Wigmore Hall, Cheltenham Festival, and on tour with Rob Brydon, Hugh Jackman and Bryan Ferry.
Three Foolish Things // Crazy Coqs, Live at Zédel, London
Three Foolish Things make their London debut… Sarah Gabriel, vocals, Will Vann, piano and Steve Dummer, clarinet, perform treasures from the American Songbook by Gershwin, Arlen, Weill and others.
SAVE THE DATE… booking opens soon…
The Miser // BBC Radio 3
The Miser
Sarah Gabriel sings the music for Barunka O’Shaughnessy’s new adaptation of Molière’s The Miser. Celebrating Molière’s 400th anniversary, Toby Jones, Holli Dempsey and Mathew Baynton star in this rumbustious version of his play of secrets, lies and obsessive greed.
The Blue Hour // The Pimlott Foundation, Colchester, Essex
Following her performance at The Pimlott Foundation of Poulenc’s monologue opera, La Voix Humaine, Sarah returns with her Weimar Cabaret band, The Blue Hour.
Described by The Guardian as “magic of the highest order... absolute sorcery” after their September 2021 performance at Crazy Coqs, The Blue Hour returns with another delicious dive into the subversive, sexy, provocative world of Berlin cabaret.
In 1930, two young revolutionaries burst onto the Berlin music scene with their satirical opera, The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. It was a smash, capturing the febrile essence of the fragile Weimar Republic. The collaboration between Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht heralded a brief musical golden age at a time of impending darkness, when artists in underground nightclubs dissected the political maelstrom in the streets above.
The Blue Hour reimagines their legacy in bold, contemporary colours, along with decadent masterpieces of the era, including ‘Surabaya Johnny’ and Marlene Dietrich’s huge hit, ‘Falling in Love Again’, all arranged by award-winning composer Tim Sutton.
Between them, Sarah Gabriel (vocals), Tim Sutton (piano and arrangements), Gabriella Swallow (cello) and Beth Higham-Edwards (percussion) have performed at the National Theatre, RSC, Young Vic, Shakespeare’s Globe, Sadler’s Wells, Southbank Centre, Théâtre du Châtelet, Wigmore Hall, Cheltenham Festival, and on tour with Rob Brydon, Hugh Jackman and Bryan Ferry.
James Whitbourn Annelies // Woodbridge Choral Society
Conductor // Andrew Leach
Soprano soloist // Sarah Gabriel
Woodbridge Choral Society
Annelies, James Whitbourn’s beautiful piece for solo voice and choir, is an adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank. This performance will mark 75 years after the liberation of the concentration camps.
Stravinsky The Soldier's Tale // Royal Academy of Music // Autumn Piano Festival
New transcriptions for two pianos; four hands
Narrated by Sarah Gabriel and Richard Williams
Matthew Bourne // The Midnight Bell // new production
Sarah sings the music for Matthew Bourne’s new world premiere production, The Midnight Bell - composed and conducted by Terry Davies. Pre-recorded to meet Covid-19 requirements for the national tour, the score will accompany the dancers’ “intoxicated tales from darkest Soho”, based upon the novels of Patrick Hamilton.
Tour dates here: https://new-adventures.net/the-midnight-bell#overview
Master storyteller Matthew Bourne once again joins forces with the Olivier and Tony award-winning team of Terry Davies, Lez Brotherston, Paule Constable and Paul Groothuis for this brand new production.
About the show
Matthew Bourne’s new world premiere for New Adventures explores the under-belly of 1930s London life where ordinary people emerge from cheap boarding houses nightly to pour out their passions, hopes and dreams in the pubs and bars of fog-bound Soho and Fitzrovia. Step inside The Midnight Bell, a tavern where a lonely-hearts club gather to play out their lovelorn affairs of the heart; bitter comedies of longing, frustration, betrayal and redemption.
Inspired by the great English novelist Patrick Hamilton (Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky, Hangover Square) who created some of the most authentic fiction of his era; stories borne out of years of social interactions with the working man and woman at his favourite location - the London pub.
The cast features twelve of New Adventures’ finest performers in roles that will challenge and reveal the darker reaches of the human heart.
The Blue Hour // Crazy Coqs, Live at Zédel
Booking here: https://www.brasseriezedel.com/events/the-blue-hour/
The Blue Hour returns to Crazy Coqs, Soho. Sarah Gabriel (vocals) Tim Sutton (composer and arranger) Gabriella Swallow (cello) and Beth Higham-Edwards (percussion) return following their sell-out debut at Crazy Coqs in November 2020.
About the show
In 1930, two young revolutionaries burst onto the Berlin music scene with their satirical opera, The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. It was a smash, capturing the febrile essence of the fragile Weimar Republic. The collaboration between Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht heralded a brief musical golden age at a time of impending darkness, when artists in underground nightclubs dissected the political maelstrom in the streets above.
The Blue Hour reimagines their legacy in bold, contemporary colours, along with decadent masterpieces of the era, including 'Surabaya Johnny' and Marlene's huge hit, 'Falling in Love Again', all arranged by award-winning composer Tim Sutton.
Between them, Sarah Gabriel (vocals), Tim Sutton (pianist and arranger), Gabriella Swallow (cello), and Beth Higham-Edwards (percussion) have performed at the National Theatre, RSC, Young Vic, Southbank Centre, Théâtre du Châtelet, Wigmore Hall, Cheltenham Festival, Shakespeare's Globe and on tour with Rob Brydon, Hugh Jackman and Bryan Ferry. Following their recent sell-out debut as a quartet, they make their first appearance at Crazy Coqs to celebrate this vibrant, subversive, sexy and provocative music at one of the most wonderful cabaret venues in the UK, with fantastic martinis, too.
Dartington Festival // Three Foolish Things // Sarah Gabriel, Steve Dummer, Will Vann
Booking here: https://www.dartington.org/event/three-foolish-things/
Friends and collaborators Sarah Gabriel (vocals), Steve Dummer (clarinet) and Will Vann (piano) make their trio debut at Dartington. Between them, they have chosen some of their favourite ever songs - music from composers including George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Weill and Harold Arlen, and words from legendary lyricists such as Dory Previn, Comden & Green and Ogden Nash. An hour of the most wonderful tunes from the American Songbook, with a hint of subversive cabaret from Weimar Germany too.
The Blue Hour // Crazy Coqs, Live at Zédel
At last! Following the sell-out success of The Blue Hour’s first outing at The Pheasantry, Kings Road, Sarah Gabriel, Tim Sutton, and Gabriella Swallow make their Crazy Coqs debut together on Sunday 18th October.
About the show
In 1930, two young revolutionaries burst onto the Berlin music scene with their satirical opera, The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. It was a smash, capturing the febrile essence of the fragile Weimar Republic. The collaboration between Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht heralded a brief musical golden age at a time of impending darkness, when artists in underground nightclubs dissected the political maelstrom in the streets above.
The Blue Hour reimagines their legacy in bold, contemporary colours, along with decadent masterpieces of the era, including 'Surabaya Johnny' and Marlene's huge hit, 'Falling in Love Again', all arranged by award-winning composer Tim Sutton.
Between them, Sarah Gabriel (vocals), Tim Sutton (pianist and arranger), Gabriella Swallow (cello), and Beth Higham-Edwards (percussion) have performed at the National Theatre, RSC, Young Vic, Southbank Centre, Théâtre du Châtelet, Wigmore Hall, Cheltenham Festival, Shakespeare's Globe and on tour with Rob Brydon, Hugh Jackman and Bryan Ferry. Following their recent sell-out debut as a quartet, they make their first appearance at Crazy Coqs to celebrate this vibrant, subversive, sexy and provocative music.
Tickets will be available soon on the Zédel website.
* Please note that this date has been moved back from the brochure listing of Sunday 6th September. Sadly, due to Covid-19 restrictions, only three musicians are allowed on the stage for this date, but Beth will join Sarah, Tim and Gabi at other venues later this season.
Great American Songbook // arranged by Iain Farrington // Sarah Gabriel & Iain Farrington
Sarah Gabriel (soprano) and Iain Farrington (composer, arranger, piano) perform their favourite songs from the show Dorothy Parker Takes a Trip - to include works by Gershwin, Kern, Rodgers, Weill, and others at the much-loved St. Mary’s Perivale. To be live-streamed.
Songs to include:
George & Ira Gershwin: Who cares?
Harold Arlen & Dory Previn: The Morning After
Hoagy Carmichael & Mitchell Parish: Stardust
Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart: Bewitched, bothered and bewildered
Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields: The way you look tonight
Kurt Weill & Ogden Nash: That's him
Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart: I wish I were in love again
Harold Arlen & Ira Gershwin: The man that got away
George & Ira Gershwin: Love is here to stay
Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson: September Song
Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg & Billy Rose: It's only a paper moon
BBC Proms 2020 // Beethoveniana // lyrics for opening night commission by Iain Farrington
The BBC Proms 2020 season will open on Friday 17 July on BBC Radio 3 and Sunday 19 July on BBC Four
Beethoveniana
Composed by Iain Farrington
Lyrics by Sarah Gabriel
Sarah has written a new version of the lyrics to ‘Ode to Joy’ for a unique First Night commission composed by Iain Farrington for a Grand Virtual Orchestra, marking the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth.
The opening night mash-up of Beethoven’s nine symphonies by composer, arranger and pianist Iain Farrington includes all five BBC orchestras – the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra Of Wales and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra – as well as BBC singers, who will sing Sarah’s words for ‘Ode to Joy’.
The programme will be available to listen here shortly after broadcast.
Postponed // Muses // Aldeburgh Pump House
Sarah Gabriel and novelist and classicist Natalie Haynes present their new show as part of the Aldeburgh Festival, exploring ancient and present muses.
Commissioned by the Britten-Pears Foundation.
Booking opens soon.
Eurydice // for Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics' on BBC Radio 4
Music by Sarah Angliss, performed by Sarah Gabriel and Sarah Angliss.
In this episode of Natalie Haynes Stands up for the Classics, Natalie tells stories of Eurydice, whose rescue from the Underworld was bungled by her lover Orpheus. How has her story been uncovered from sources that no longer exist? Eurydice is chased by a sex-pest at her wedding, trips on a snake and is killed by its venom. Orpheus charms Persephone with his music into allowing him to attempt a rescue from Hades, but on the journey back he must promise not to look behind him, to check Eurydice is following. Just as they are about to step into the light, he looks back, and his gaze is what kills Eurydice the second time. With Professor Llewelyn Morgan, Sarah Angliss and Sarah Gabriel.
Postponed // Vivaldi Gloria // Bach Cantata BWV 48 // Radlett Choir
Sarah Gabriel // soprano
Alex Flood // conductor
Radlett Choir
Postponed // Handel at Eastertide // Handel & Hendrix in London
Sarah Gabriel // soprano
Clara Kanter // mezzo-soprano
Satoko Doi-Luck // harpsichord
This Easter recital in Handel’s music room includes music from his early oratorio La Resurrezione (1708), and his later Brockes Passion (1719), as well as marking the Jewish Passover with excerpts from Israel in Egypt (1739).
Link to further information and booking
Link to an interview with Sarah at Handel-Hendrix from 2012…
A Thousand Ships // The British Museum
Sarah joins author Natalie Haynes and visiting actors from Crete to perform a complete reading of Natalie’s extraordinary book, A Thousand Ships, which tells the story of the women of Troy.
The Blue Hour // The Pheasantry, Kings Road, London // 15th & 16th January
In 1930, two young revolutionaries burst onto the German art scene with their satirical opera The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. It was a smash, capturing the febrile essence of Weimar Berlin. The collaboration between Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht heralded a brief musical golden age at a time of impending darkness, when artists in underground nightclubs dissected the political maelstrom in the streets above.
The Blue Hour re-imagines their legacy in bold, contemporary colours, along with decadent masterpieces of the era by Hollaender and Spoliansky, including 'Surabaya Johnny' and Marlene's huge hit, 'Falling in Love Again'. Sarah Gabriel and Tim Sutton are joined for this project by cellist Gabriella Swallow and Beth Higham-Edwards on percussion.
Hoinar Festival, Bucharest // These Foolish Things // 20th century songs
Sarah Gabriel (soprano) and Florian Mitrea (piano) give their first recital together
World Premiere // Howard Goodall // [New Work]
Sarah Gabriel appears as soprano soloist in a world premiere by Howard Goodall.
Further details to follow.
Weimar Cabaret // Sarah Gabriel & Iain Farrington
Sarah Gabriel (soprano) and Iain Farrington (piano) perform Cabaret and Lieder from the era of the Weimar Republic (1919-1933).
More details to follow
Palindrome // Transcriptions for voice and piano // Sarah Gabriel & Viv McLean
Sarah Gabriel (soprano) and Viv McLean (piano) give the first performance of their Palindrome programme of transcriptions.
More information to follow
Play // Dorothy Parker Takes a Trip // Presteigne Festival
Following their sell-out performance at the Oxford Playhouse, a further revival at Presteigne Festival of Dorothy Parker Takes a Trip, the one-act solo play commissioned by and premiered at Dartington International Festival.
Devised and co-created by singer and actor Sarah Gabriel and director Richard Williams, with Iain Farrington as music director, this is a story about legendary writer and wit Dorothy Parker’s immense talent and complicated life, with songs by Harold Arlen, George Gershwin, Rodgers & Hart, Kurt Weill, Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael and others. Also featuring Dorothy Parker’s lawyer’s assistant and a filing cabinet.
The Passion of Joan of Arc // Film with live music
Sarah Gabriel // voice
Mark Lockheart // saxophones and electronics
Joanna MacGregor // piano and organ
Jon Scott // percussion
Matthew Fairclough // sound projection
Concert // Happy Birthday, Harry // Celebrating Harrison Birtwistle
Celebrating the composer Harrison Birtwistle at Dartington Festival.
Sarah Gabriel, Gillian Keith sopranos, Tom Randle tenor, Jernej Albreht clarinets, Lydia Hillerudh cello, Paul Archibald, Lucy Humphris trumpets, Brett Baker trombone, Joseph Havlat, Stephen de Pledge piano, Gildas Quartet, Dartington Brass Ensemble. Presented by Joanna MacGregor.
Concert // These foolish things // Songs of the jazz age
Sarah Gabriel (vocalist), Steve Dummer (clarinet) and Stephen de Pledge (piano) continue their exploration of popular songs at Dartington Festival. Music by George Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Hoagy Carmichael and lyricist Dorothy Field sits alongside European counterparts: Noel Coward, Kurt Weill, and the doyennes of Parisian cabaret, Marguerite Monnot and Edith Piaf.
Tickets are available here.
Play // A House on Middagh Street
Following its premiere at the Aldeburgh Festival 2018, the revival at Dartington International Festival 2019 of Sarah Gabriel’s play about the Brooklyn House where Benjamin Britten, WH Auden, Peter Pears, Gypsy Rose Lee lived during the Second World War.
Recital // A Musical Land // Sarah Gabriel & Charlotte Forrest // Britten-Pears Foundation
Sarah Gabriel (soprano) and Charlotte Forrest (piano) join the three-part series, A Musical Land, at The Red House, Aldeburgh, with songs written by British composers who travelled to Europe to broaden their musical horizons, as well as by European composers who influenced them and with whom they developed friendships. To include music by Poulenc, Michael Berkeley, Britten, Ethel Smyth, Ravel and others.
Air Loom // Supersonic Festival, Birmingham
Air Loom - Sarah Angliss, Sarah Gabriel and Stephen Hiscock - join Supersonic Festival in Birmingham on Sunday 21st July.
Booking details to come.