Ammanford Miners' Theatre is set to welcome award-winning singer-songwriter Sarah McQuaid, who is about to embark on a six-week UK tour.

The gig will be at the Wind Street theatre on Tuesday, November 2.

Sarah is due to release her sixth solo album, The St Buryan Sessions, born out of the pandemic and looks set to be her most powerful and emotive offering yet.

The six-week, 21-date UK tour marks the album's launch and Sarah's 2022 tour plans include the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland and USA.

“I can’t wait to get back out on the road again,” said Sarah. “Obviously I’m nervous about Covid, but I desperately miss performing to live audiences. The few gigs that I’ve managed to do this summer have been so, so lovely – every time I do a gig, it just brings home how much I’ve missed it.”

The St Buryan Sessions had its genesis in the spring of 2020, when Sarah’s gigs and tours were cancelled due to Covid-19. Thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign, she was able to finance a live solo recording (sans audience) in the medieval church of St Buryan, not far from her home in rural West Cornwall.

Conceived as a concert set and including fan favourites 'In Derby Cathedral', 'The Sun Goes On Rising' and 'Yellowstone', the album is a journey not only through a wide range of instrumentation and styles, but also through the spectrum of emotions that Sarah evokes in her performance and invokes in the listener.

Two previously unrecorded covers feature on the album: the classic jazz standard 'Autumn Leaves', on which she demonstrates the full dynamic range of her lush, distinctive voice, and a cover of 'Rabbit Hills', written by her friend (and past producer), the late Michael Chapman.

This second piece was commissioned by Michael’s wife Andru as a gift for his 80th birthday and sees Sarah at the beautiful grand piano that resides in the church, her compelling, heartfelt delivery revealing the depth of her immersion in the rich imagery of Chapman’s evocative lyrics.

“I was absolutely devastated by the news that Michael has left this world,” says Sarah. “He was a real musical mentor to me. I wouldn’t have ever started playing electric guitar if he hadn’t handed me his Ibanez Artist and said ‘Play this.’ My heart goes out to Andru – she and Michael have both been such good friends to me. I can’t express how sad it makes me to know that I won’t see him again.”

The St Buryan Sessions is now available to pre-order via https://sarahmcquaid.bandcamp.com on CD and limited-edition blue vinyl double LP, together with t-shirts, tea towels, tote bags, ultra-limited-edition test pressings, and the full concert film on a 16GB engraved wooden USB stick, all bearing Sarah’s original artwork.

Sarah McQuaid is due to play at the Miners' Theatre, Ammanford on Tuesday, November 2 at 7.30pm. For tickets ring 0845 226 3510 or book online at www.theatrausirgar.co.uk