Composer Sarah Class releases “Green Man” May 2020Sarah Class has built a prolific career as a composer and has been nominated for the BRIT and Tony awards. She is perhaps less known as a singer but audiences will soon hear her on the new EP “Green Man” that is streaming now. We were able to speak to Sarah to get to know a little bit more about this talented musician.
NB: One thing that comes across from your career is steady a constant progression. Lots of musicians seem to appear and disappear but it takes a lot of dedication and perseverance to have staying power. Would you say this is a result of your personality?
Sarah Class: Yes, it must be. I am quite tenacious – and obviously quite insane. 😉 It could be because despite the highs and lows of being a musician – (probably any artistic pursuits for that matter) I don’t tend to give up easily and music is such a part of me that I couldn’t stop writing if I tried. I thrive on change and a variety of different projects. You have to keep challenging yourself or there would be no progression. There are so many things I want to do musically, and if I’m inspired then I’m unstoppable until I think I’ve achieved that particular musical goal or dream. The musical journey is also a personal evolution and it is fraught with all sorts of demons. But I also can’t help but feel there is some higher purpose at work, which also inspires me to write and create. I’d love to think that the music I write could help people by uplifting their spirits and subliminally letting them know everything will turn out ok in the end. This probably drives me more than anything.
NB: Mentors are also an important part of growth for an artist. You were nurtured early on by George Martin. What were some of the lessons you learned from him?
Sarah Class: He taught me to keep a sense of humour, to maintain musical and personal integrity, to keep moving forward and listen and learn from great songwriters. Burt Bacharach was a particular favourite of George’s. I really miss his presence on this earth. An incredible person and musician.
NB: Tell us a little bit about the first film you composed for was that “The Weekend”? Was it a challenge to write music for specific situations, moods that needed to be conveyed rather than just free expression or did that make it easier to stay organized since the goal was very specific?
Sarah Class: Yes, when you have pictures to write to, this informs and inspires the music for that particular scene, and then I start to build in the emotional layers in the score as the film progresses. There was great complexity in The Weekend as there were so many undercurrents of emotional tension, disharmonious relationships, and unresolved feelings to the narrative. To some extent, you are being led by the pictures, but there is freedom to that kind of constraint in some ways. If you are writing a piece for say, an album, the sky is the limit, although again I look to other things for inspiration. For example, Green Man and the album to come, is inspired by the spiritual forces of nature and the interconnectedness of all things.
NB: You’ve been heard in the crossover genre with artists like “Cantamus” and Hayley Westenra. I loved her “Pure” album (had several different versions of that!) so I’d love to hear more about that collaboration and your inspiration for the song “Across the Universe of Time.”
Sarah Class: It was great working with Hayley and we’re still in touch. She’s a wonderful person and a dedicated musician and she was very young when we first met. The album Pure was a collaboration of many composers and writers coming together including Sir George Martin. Giles Martin his son, produced the album and I also produced a couple of the tracks (Dark Waltz and Across the Universe of Time) and arranged many of the others. Across the Universe of Time was about knowing your soul-mate before coming to this earth and the pact to be together, and then the soul’s emotional journey of trying to find them in this life-time.
NB: Do you ever listen to a singer and think “I’d like to write for that person?” or maybe read a book that you’d love to do the score for?
Sarah Class: Oh, yes! I often read books and think how much I’d love to write the score for that particular movie if it was made. You can’t always guarantee that the film will do the book justice and some of the films which I hoped would be made as a result of the greatness of the book, haven’t been as amazing 😉 One book which is absolutely brilliant and the best re-telling of the King Arthur story is The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It’s unputdownable and so magical. I love anything which completely takes you into other worlds, and this book certainly does that. I hope someone makes a film and does the book justice! It’s probably a series as it’s a long book!
As for singers, there are many in different genres. I’ve written operatic pieces I’d love to be performed by such gorgeous singers as Pretty Yende, Golda Schultz or Lise Davidsen. I’m excited about up and coming singer/songwriters like Imogen Williams and classical crossover soprano, Jackie Evancho. I love the tone and power of Adele’s voice and also Beth Rowley and tenor David Phelps. In another lifetime I’d have loved to have written for Tony Williams, Elvis Presley, and Eva Cassidy. There are so many. I’m currently collaborating with the wonderful Irish singer and composer Eimear Quinn on her new album Erihu, and she will be also working with me on Natural High. It’s a mutual collaboration/appreciation society! 😉
NB: Do you have a favorite film score or composition that you’ve done? (or maybe top 5)
Sarah Class:
- Aurora – Cantamus
- Okavango River of Dreams
- The Meerkats
- BBC Africa Series
- Brothers of the Wind
NB: In addition to being a wonderful composer, you are also a singer and your voice can be heard on the new EP “Green Man” which will be part of a full-length album to follow. When did you start singing? Do you normally record the vocals on demos for any singers of your compositions?
Sarah Class: I started singing about 12 years ago, relatively late compared to many. I’m still developing my vocal technique and tone and excited to find out what is possible with the voice. I generally always record the vocals for demos for other singers if I can, and also sing my own vocals on many of my scores. I love exploring singing in other languages too.
NB: Tell us more about “Green Man” and “Natural High.” The album seems based on nature and your experience growing up. I love the concept of through-composed albums/concerts.
Sarah Class: I first wrote Green Man, wanting to express the healing and spiritual forces of Nature through my music. Green Man is about rebirth and renewal and the regenerative qualities of nature as a metaphor for our lives, and the idea for it first came to me when walking on the beach on the Isle of Wight where I grew up. The island is such a beautiful place with it’s own ecosystem and such varied landscapes. It’s a place I dream of and escape to, and go there “in my mind” when I can 😉 I feel very lucky that my father encouraged me and my sister both in music and also passed on his protective love of wildlife, and strong sense of environmentalism and conservation to us. Natural High will be a fully realised musical version of Nature in all her glory, harnessing the power of the Nature Gods and Goddesses in different cultures and ancient civilizations through the music. It aims to capture the tangible magic and power of nature which affects us and connects us all in different ways.
NB: We’d love to hear more of you in the classical crossover genre where original music is greatly needed. Do you ever accept commissions and if so what are the kinds of things you ask for? Mood, range, that sort of thing?
Sarah Class: Absolutely! I would LOVE to do more in this genre. This is partly why I wanted to write this first classical/crossover album of my own as I would like it to cross so many musical boundaries. They are of course musical walls we have made ourselves over the years which need to be, and are being, released. There are infinite ways of expressing beautiful music and I love exploring new avenues of doing this! I think this genre freedom is key to being a film and TV composer – you have to keep musically agile. It suits my free spirit, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. 😉
Green Man is now available for purchase from Apple Music and streaming from Spotify
Visit Sarah’s official site to stay up to date on news about her next release “Natural High”
