Lockdowner Sun Sessions

Performing arts has been significantly hit during the Covid crisis. The double whammy is that in addition to loss of income, performers have been thwarted in doing what they love - namely playing for an audience. So thank goodness for both modern day tech and ingenuity and determination! Molesey based single mum Sarah Mallock, renowned electric violinist (Sarahviolin.com) was used to performing at the highest level with some of the best artists, from Madonna, Adele and Rod Stewart to Andrea Bocelli and

countless others. But life this year has been somewhat different. So during Lockdown One she started performances from her living room. Every evening at 6.30pm she would play live to a Facebook audience from her garden, swings and football nets in the background! The sessions became known as the Sundowner Sessions and gained a huge following. People would pour themselves a glass of something lovely, tune in and listen to a live performance. Sarah did everything from Beethoven and Mozart to Led Zeppelin and Springsteen, with a bit of House and jazz thrown in for good measure. She kept this up for 80 nights and grew an audience of up to 5000 from around the world. As lockdown was slightly relaxed, Sarah was joined (socially distanced) by her collaborator, friend, and duo partner: Shepperton based violinist Lisa Rollin on several of the sessions, adding another dynamic to the performances. They also had the time to work on writing and arranging original tracks. The collaboration has resulted in an album of the best tracks which is being released on January 15th 2021. There will be 7 single tracks and 5 duo’s. The album is a diary of lockdown, when two enterprising ladies used their talents to help keep the spirits of the community up. For details on how to get your copy of the Sundowner Sessions go to either Lisa’s company website: www.redhotstrings.com or to www.sarahviolin.com. During the festive period the duo also decided to stream their own Christmas event. Set in a sumptuous living room, festively decorated, and with the performers in evening dress to make the event extra special, their online Christmas concert was a ticketed event. It goes to show how we learn to adapt. Well done ladies and thank you for finding a way to ease the pain of lockdown. Good luck with the album.