Sahra Featherstone is a multi-instrumentalist, performer, recording artist, studio-musician, private music instructor and visual artist. She performs on Celtic harp, violin, flute, and whistles. She has just released a new solo instrumental album called Born of a Summer's Day, which features her harp, violin and low whistle playing, and her arrangements of beautiful pieces written by her talented tune-smithing friends, as well as some original and traditional pieces.
In 2003 she released her first solo album of original and traditional instrumentals, featuring herself on harp with guests including Don Ross, Brian Pickell and the late Oliver Schroer. Sahra engineered and co-produced her Celtic band Fig for a Kiss' album Fallen Leaf which was released in 2006 and was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award. She produced Kevin Hutchings' album Songs of William Blake, released in 2007, featuring his settings of poems from Blake's Songs of Innocence & Experience. She co-produced Kevin's most recent album, On The Bridge You Were Burning, released in 2009, featuring a mixture of original songs as well as settings of poems by various Romantic poets including Keats, Shelley and Byron, as well as contemporary Welsh poet Grahame Davies. Sahra has been performing music for 16 years, playing shows, concerts and music festivals, as well as private and corporate events. She has recorded two solo instrumental albums, an album with her Celtic band Fig for a Kiss, and has done studio work on over 30 albums by various musicians and singers, including Jill Barber, Melissa McClelland, Leah Salomaa, Brooke Miller, Brian Pickell, Tim Harrison, Teresa Doyle, Michael Birthelmer and Jacob Moon. She has also collaborated and performed with numerous artists including Don Ross, Duncan Cameron, Joe Phillips, Bobbie Watt, Donovan, Corin Raymond, Kevin Quain, Emaline Delapaix, Abby Zotz, Jason Fowler, Lori Cullen, Kurt Swinghammer, Oliver Schroer, Anne Lindsay, Quagmyre and the Tartan Terrors. In addition, she has played opening sets for Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill, Leahy, Dervish, and David Essig. She has also done production and engineering work on several albums, and has been teaching harp and violin for over 10 years. She is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. For a further selection of audio samples, please also visit: www.myspace.com/sahrafeatherstone * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * “Upon meeting Sahra Featherstone for the first time, I realized that I had stumbled upon one of the new crop of super-talented acoustic musicians. She's equally adept at a number of instruments, but I first had the pleasure of hearing Sahra play the harp. I know now that her skills as a fiddle player, flutist, harpist (and Lord knows what else!) all feed each other. She has a great ear, a wonderful musical intuition, and flawless chops. What a find!” ~ Don Ross, fingerstyle guitarist / composer “Sahra is one of those rare musicians that belongs in the tradition, yet sounds very fresh at the same time. Her music is effortless, natural, and is imbued with her lovely spirit.” ~ Brian Pickell, musician / composer Sahra Featherstone "Sahra Featherstone" “An inspired collection of both traditional and contemporary works by one of Canada's premier harpists. Recommended. Elegant and magical, Sahra Featherstone's self-titled release is a blissful journey through worlds of wonder and delight. Considered to be one of Canada's premier harpists, Sahra presents a combination of both traditional and contemporary pieces displaying her formidable talents, all of which blend together to create a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience. Sahra Featherstone has tapped into a particular magic with this disc, a beguiling quality that celebrates the wonders of life and the beauty of the world around us. It touches the soul and inspires the heart. It brings smiles and tears and it gets the toes tappin'. What more could you ask for?” ~ rik, ping things / pingthings.com (06/14/04) |
