Pedalling for the Planet: Sarah Small completes epic ‘Good Again?’ tour
After 73 days on the road, more than 4,300km pedalled, and 31 concerts performed, viola da gamba player Sarah Small has completed her remarkable Good Again? cycling tour of Great Britain.
Setting off from her home in Brixworth, Northamptonshire, on 7 May with her viola da gamba strapped to the back of her bike, Sarah journeyed all the way up to the north, reaching as far as Unst in Shetland, then pedalled down via the Lake District and North Wales to Bristol, Bath, Southampton and London, ultimately ending her journey back home in Northamptonshire to present her homecoming final concert. From remote islands and harder-to-reach villages to bustling towns and cities, Sarah delivered performances everywhere, including island churches, community centres and hidden rural halls.
This feat was about more than endurance. Fuelled by her commitment to environmental sustainability, Sarah refused to fly or use energy-intensive transport, instead proving that music can reach audiences in even the most remote locations without leaving a heavy carbon footprint. Along the way, she also highlighted the often-overlooked environmental cost of audiences travelling from rural areas into cities.
Her tour programme was built around Good Againe by Tobias Hume, reframed as the climate-change question Good Again? The journey was not without its physical challenges: steep climbs, unseasonable weather, and 70-mile days of pedalling with a 50 kg load of bike and instrument. Yet Sarah embraced each leg, camping in the wild when needed and welcoming the moments of hospitality offered along the way. She also took time to document the changing landscapes, wildlife encounters, and positive interactions with communities often left out of the touring circuit.
As her publicity partner, Continuo Connect was proud to support Sarah throughout the tour and document her journey – cheering her on as she turned a personal conviction into a national conversation about how and why we travel for the arts.
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