The Glasshouse

Sarah Hayes has toured the world as part of Admiral Fallow, played with Field Music and run away with a circus featuring her “dream band” of female musicians. But it all started at Folkworks Summer School and now, she’s back to help inspire a new generation of players. We caught up with her to talk teaching, touring and tunes.

Tell us about your experience as a student in the Folkworks Summer Schools…

My first Folkworks Summer School was a totally immersive experience, and I had never encountered anything like it. It really cemented a love of music-making early on and I couldn’t wait to go back – pretty sure I attended for seven years running. It was exciting to discover that there were others around the country who enjoyed playing folk music as much as I did. Some of my most formative musical experiences came from the Summer School, learning from inspiring tutors and playing music with others.

How did those Folkworks Summer Schools influence your musical journey and career path?

I met so many people there who I’m still in touch with; we bump into each other at festivals, occasionally play gigs and quite often end up teaching together, too. Having the opportunity to meet and learn from professional musicians helped to demystify the idea of music as a potential career path. I began to develop my tune repertoire at the Summer School and it also provided insight into creating and arranging music as a band.

Now you’ve gone from being a student to a tutor at the Folkworks Summer Schools, what do you hope to impart to the next generation of young musicians?

As a tutor, I would hope to encourage young musicians to listen actively, be expressive, stay open to inspiration from different sources and contribute to a shared experience.

You’ve been involved with so many bands and projects; are there any particular highlights or memorable experiences you’d like to share with us?

I’ve played with my band Admiral Fallow for nearly 17 years – we met in Glasgow and have toured widely, recorded four albums and been involved in some special projects including co-writing an opera and developing a performance for Glasgow Film Festival. I self-released my solo album Woven in 2015 (originally a Celtic Connections New Voices commission) which was a big milestone. More recently I’ve been developing my writing, recording, and production skills as part of the Hen Hoose collective and via several Field Music productions and side projects. I’ve led a community singing group for older adults since 2019 which is a lovely part of each week.

There’s so much diversity in what you do: how do you balance the different roles, and what do you find most fulfilling?

I feel very fortunate to be involved in a range of musical projects. Typically, they seem to move through different cycles in which one or two elements are more to the fore than others – whether that’s writing, recording, touring, arts admin, working with longstanding collaborators or on one-off shorter projects. Teaching and community music are my constants, which I’m very grateful for. All the various aspects inform each other. They’re fulfilling in a variety of ways, providing connection on a musical and interpersonal level and an outlet for thoughts and ideas.

In 2023, you composed the music for Hold Fast, a circus show. How did this come about? What unique challenges or inspirations are there in creating music for a circus performance?

Hold Fast was made in collaboration with Superfan Performance ­– director Ellie DuBois initially got in touch in 2018, with her idea to create a family show specially designed to be performed in village halls with a live band of folk musicians.  We had a cast of four incredible multi-discipline acrobats, and I got to choose my dream band (Anna Massie, Rachel Newton and Laura Wilkie). It was a completely new challenge trying to write music that spoke to the strength of movement and striking imagery the acrobats were creating, evoking shifting backdrops of sea, archipelago, loch and mountainside. The music was based on traditional tune forms, taking inspiration from nature writing and memoir along the way. As we developed the show over the course of three years, it became further informed by the village hall setting (echoes of ceilidhs and communities past) and by the rapport the all-women cast had established over our time together. We were all definitely out of our comfort zones at various points, but took courage from the sparky immediacy of live performance and the warm and welcoming audiences in the village halls we visited.

Can you tell us about any upcoming projects or initiatives you’re particularly excited about?

I’m in a new band called Birdvox with Inge Thomson, Charlotte Printer and Jenny Sturgeon – we’re currently getting ready for our first ever festival gigs. There are original songs from each of us, interspersed with traditional repertoire and filtered through our various musical influences and favourites.

What advice would you give to young musicians who aspire to pursue a career as versatile and multifaceted as yours?

My advice to young musicians hoping to pursue a varied career in music would be: keep learning, stay open to opportunities, listen widely, be adaptable and dependable, find what inspires you, ask for help if you need it, learn just enough about music business to ignore the bits that aren’t the right fit for you. The idea of ‘making it’ is a myth – success looks different for different people. And definitely make time to relax and do other stuff too.

Finally, what would you say to anyone thinking about joining Folkworks Summer Schools?

Programmes like the Folkworks Summer Schools are extremely valuable in encouraging students of all ages to explore their creativity, and learning traditional music in these settings is a great way in. There’s so much to dig into in the tunes and songs – as you learn you can broaden your knowledge of the wider tradition and develop your own musical point of view.

The Summer School develops your playing, listening and repertoire, encourages creativity, confidence and independence, supports friendships and helps you feel part of something bigger.