Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sarah McQuaid is preparing to hit the road.

Her new live-in-lockdown album The St Buryan Sessions has drawn critical raves and appeared on best-of-2021 lists on three continents.

Sarah's six-week tour of Ireland and the UK will include concerts in Tewkesbury and the Cotswold village of Longborough, near Moreton-in-Marsh, in late May

The tour coincides with the release of a new video filmed earlier this month at the behest of The Bert Jansch Foundation, as part of their "Around The World In 80 Plays" project.

In what would have been the legendary guitarist and singer-songwriter's 75th year, the Foundation set three Yamaha LL TransAcoustic guitars travelling around the globe from guitarist to guitarist, each playing a song or tune inspired by Bert.

Videos of all the performances feature on the Foundation's YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/bertjanschfoundation ), including contributions by such iconic guitarists as Richard Thompson, Johnny Marr, Bernard Butler, Tony McManus, Tommy Emmanuel, Alex de Grassi - and now also Sarah McQuaid.

"I was tremendously honoured to be invited to take part," says Sarah. "It was incredible just to handle an instrument that's been played by so many guitarists I've worshipped from afar for so long, and to see their signatures on it and sign my own name under theirs. It was almost surreal."

To make the video, Sarah returned to the beautiful medieval church of St Buryan, not far from her home in rural West Cornwall, where The St Buryan Sessions was also recorded and filmed.

"It's just such a gorgeous setting and a lovely acoustic space to sing and play in - so it made sense to do it there."

See https://sarahmcquaid.com/news/blog/80-plays-for-bert  to watch the video and view photographs of Sarah with the guitar.

Sarah's own custom-made Andy Manson acoustic guitar will be accompanying her on tour, along with her Korg SV-2 stage piano, vintage Premier Olympic floor tom drum, and the Ibanez Artist electric guitar originally loaned to her by another guitar legend, the late Michael Chapman.

"It's always funny when people see all the instruments onstage and say, 'Oh, we didn't realise you were bringing a band with you!'" Sarah laughs. "But precisely because I'm a solo performer, it's important for me to be able to add variety by playing material in a bunch of different styles on a bunch of different instruments."

Sarah is making her third visit to the Old Baptist Chapel in Church Street, Tewkesbury, on Friday, May 27, at 8pm. Tickets £10 advance / £12 on door. Tickets: https://www.wegottickets.com/event/541407 

The following evening, Saturday, May 28, Sarah will be playing at Longborough Village Hall at 7.30pm. This very special concert will be part of Longborough's Queen's Jubilee village celebrations, with drinks and canapes available during the interval! Tickets, at £10, will be available to purchase at the Longborough Village Shop four weeks before the concert.