Sarah Colgan

Sarah Colgan is an Irish-Australian alto, conductor and music educator based in the West Midlands. She graduated with First Class Honours in Vocal Performance with Second Study Conducting from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, where she was also awarded a four-year scholarship.

As a professional choral singer, Sarah performs regularly with choirs and ensembles across the UK, alongside her work as a soloist, conductor and educator. Her musical experience spans cathedral and church music, concert performance, contemporary repertoire and community music-making. She is particularly passionate about the role of music in bringing people together, developing confidence and creating opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to engage with singing.

Performance

Sarah is a freelance alto with extensive experience in professional and semi-professional choral singing, regularly performing with ensembles across the UK. She has sung in cathedral, concert and broadcast settings and appears on numerous album recordings, alongside regular engagements for weddings, funerals, charity events and other occasions.

She is currently an Alto Graduate Scholar with Ex Cathedra, having first joined the choir in 2022, and was previously a member of The Sixteen’s young artist programme, Genesis Sixteen (2025 - 2026). Her repertoire includes a wide range of sacred and secular choral music, from Renaissance polyphony and Anglican cathedral repertoire to large-scale oratorio, specialised baroque and contemporary works. Her performances with Ex Cathedra have included Bach’s St Matthew Passion, Rachmaninoff's* All-Night Vigil*, Tallis’ Spem in Alium, and recorded works by contemporary composers including Alec Roth and Liz Dilnot Johnson.

Alongside her ensemble work, Sarah undertakes regular solo engagements with choral societies and ensembles across England and Wales. Recent performances include Queen Jezebel in Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Alto Soloist in Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de confessore and Bach's St John Passion and the mezzo-soprano solo in Duruflé’s Requiem. She has also appeared as a featured soloist with Gwent Bach Choir and performed contemporary repertoire with King’s College London at the Presteigne Festival.

Choral Director | Educator

Sarah is an experienced music educator, working with children and young people across the West Midlands. Since 2024, she has been a Choral Director and Melodica Teacher with the Birmingham Schools Singing Programme (an extension of the National Schools Singing Programme), delivering weekly music education to over 600 pupils across multiple schools in the West Midlands. 

Her teaching encompasses choral technique, singing, musicianship, music theory, keyboard and melodica skills, as well as repertoire from a wide range of musical genres. She works with pupils across Years 3 - 6 and has experience teaching children from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds, including pupils with additional needs.

Alongside classroom teaching, Sarah has supported the musical development of young choristers across the Midlands, teaching singing, music theory and vocal technique.

Conducting

Alongside her work as a singer and educator, Sarah is an emerging conductor with experience directing choirs in educational, community and cathedral settings. She studied conducting as her Second Study at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and has developed her skills through regular practical experience alongside her vocal training.

During her time at Birmingham Cathedral, Sarah was part of the Emerging Talent Scheme, gaining regular opportunities to conduct Evensong and work closely with the Cathedral Choir. She directed multiple services, prepared choristers for liturgical performances and developed her conducting practice within a professional cathedral environment.

In 2025, Sarah organised, managed and conducted a community ‘Come & Sing’ Evensong at Birmingham Cathedral, bringing together more than 70 singers from across the West Midlands. She oversaw the project from planning and publicity through to musical preparation, rehearsals and the final service, creating an accessible and welcoming environment for singers of varied experience.

Through her education work, Sarah also develops her conducting practice through directing school choirs, selecting appropriate repertoire for each ensemble and working with pupils to develop the music from initial learning through to performance. She leads rehearsals, teaches repertoire and prepares pupils for Christmas and summer concerts, as well as other performances throughout the academic year.

For an updated CV, please email Sarah  (link below)

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