Hire Sarah Small | Viola da gamba in Edinburgh

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From£200

1 hour

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Sainte-Colombe: Prelude in E minor - Sarah Small

About Sarah Small

Viola da gamba player & flight-free musician who recently toured the UK by bicycle.

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Viola da gamba

Edinburgh

Public liability insurance of £10 million

Viola da gamba player Sarah Small is dedicated to the authentic performance of baroque repertoire for this instrument. Sarah holds a Masters with Distinction from the Royal College of Music and has performed and recorded with various ensembles across the UK and Europe including multi award-winning ensemble Fretwork, Charivari Agréable, and the NDR Orchestra, as well as making appearances on radio stations such as BBC Radio 3 and Radio France and performing in world-class venues such as The Globe Theatre, St Mark’s Basilica, and Buckingham Palace. Recent projects include ‘Good Again?’, a self-supported 4,500km concert tour by bicycle around the UK to address the issue of sustainable touring in the music industry and our role as musicians in times of multiple crises. The vital connection between music, travel, and the environment is one Sarah is passionate about highlighting and now focuses her solo performances on communicating this. Cycling between venues continues to be the norm, of course!

Sarah Small

5 out of 5

1 verified review

Sarah Small's Reviews

5 out of 5

Sarah played the viola da gamba at my wedding in Spring 2024, and her playing was absolutely perfect for our small, garden ceremony. She spent time discussing repertoire with us beforehand, suggested some pieces that were exactly what we were looking for, and was also willing to learn a short arrangement of one of our favourite movements. Her playing was sensitive, moving, and deeply attuned to the atmosphere of the day. I would recommend her in a heartbeat!

Sarah’s sensitive playing provided the perfect accompaniment to our evening. I would highly recommend her.

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4th Anniversary

This act has been working with Encore for over 4 years

Sarah Small's Song list

Tobias Hume (1579-1645):

Hark, Hark!

Love’s Farewell

Life

Death

Good Againe

A Question

An Answer

The Spirit of Gambo

Johannes Schenck (1660-1712):

L’echo du Danube, Op.9, Sonate VI

Aria Burlesca

Marin Marais (1656-1728):

Les Voix Humaines

Suites from Pieces de Viole, books 1-5

Carl Friedrich Abel (1723-1787):

The Drexel Manuscript

Transcriptions of JS Bach’s cello suites.

Transcriptions of JS Bach’s violin partita in D:

Allemande

Sarabande

Gigue

Chaconne

Antoine Forqueray:

Suites 1-5 from Pieces de viole

Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe:

Fantasie en rondeau in G minor

Suite in E minor

Les Pleurs

Suite in F major

Suite in G minor

Complete solo fantasias by Telemann:

Fantasia in C minor, TWV 40:26

Fantasia in D major, TWV 40:27

Fantasia in E minor, TWV 40:28

Fantasia in F major, TWV 40:29

Fantasia in B-flat major, TWV 40:30

Fantasia in G major, TWV 40:31

Fantasia in G minor, TWV 40:32

Fantasia in A major, TWV 40:33

Fantasia in C major, TWV 40:34

Fantasia in E major, TWV 40:35

Fantasia in D minor, TWV 40:36

Fantasia in E-flat major, TWV 40:37

Scottish traditional fiddle tunes arranged on request

Sarah Small's Prices

Last updated: 2025

Note: prices may vary based on travel distance. For an exact quote, click “Check availability”.

Duration	Price
Short performance (up to 15 min)	£62.50
Up to 1 hour	£200
Up to 2 hours	£400
Up to 3 hours	£600

Customer questions

What if my timings change after I've booked you?

I completely understand that changes sometimes need to be made. If timings change slightly in the run up to the event, just let me know and I will adapt.

How much time do you need to set up?

I usually set up 1 hour before the performance time.

Do you bring all the equipment you need to perform?

Yes, I play acoustically. All I require is an armless chair.

Can you learn specific pieces before the event?

If there is a piece you’d love to be played, I can learn this for you if it isn’t already in my repertoire. There will be an additional fee of £30 for this service, to take into account the additional preparation time.

Musicianship

Genres:

Baroque, Early music, Traditional church music, Christmas, Contemporary classical, Film / TV music, Medieval music, Renaissance, Classical, Classical crossover, Folk, Easy listening, Acoustic, Covers, French music, German music, Italian music, Scottish music, Spanish music, Light music

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Instruments:

Viola da gamba, Recorder

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Event types:

Concert, Wedding, Wedding proposal, Funeral / Memorial service, Church service, Hotel / Restaurant event, Corporate event, Private event, Bar / Club / Venue event, Charity event, Recording session, Christmas party, New Year's Eve, Birthday party, Cruise, Theatre / Show, Burns night, Virtual event

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Other skills:

Fluent sight-reader, Transcription, Arranger, Accompanist, Instrumental teaching, Theory teaching, Composer

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