Sasha Johnson Manning (born 1963) is an English

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

specialising in vocal pieces. She graduated in voice and

cello The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

from the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is one of the oldest music schools in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the firs ...

in 1985. She has worked as a full-time soprano and composer ever since. Her singing career includes the

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

s ''

The Daily Service ''The Daily Service'' is a short Christian service broadcast every weekday morning between 09:45 and 10:00 on BBC Radio 4 Extra. History In 1926, British novelist Kitty Cordeux began a persistent letter-writing campaign urging the BBC to ...

'' and extensive

oratorio An oratorio () is a musical composition with dramatic or narrative text for choir, soloists and orchestra or other ensemble. Similar to opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguisha ...

work throughout the country. She has performed across Europe and in Israel and the USA. She has worked with the Deller Consort, The Academy of St. Martin-in-the fields, the Britten Singers, Musical Offering and Partita. As a composer Sasha specialises in writing for voices and held the position of composer-in-residence of the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus of Missouri for eight years, culminating in a "Requiem for St. Louis." Sasha has composed for Emma Kirkby, James Bowman, Lynne Dawson, Claron McFadden and the London Baroque.She now also sings in Saint Mary's Parish Church in Bowdon. In 2007 she composed the music for a major new piece, ''The Manchester Carols'', a festive suite of new carols with words by soon-to-be Poet Laureate,

Carol Ann Duffy Dame Carol Ann Duffy (born 23 December 1955) is a Scottish poet and playwright. She is a professor of contemporary poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University, and was appointed Poet Laureate in May 2009, and her term expired in 2019. She wa ...

. The world premiere of ''The Manchester Carols'' took place at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester on 14 December 2007. The Manchester Carols were published by Faber Music in 2009. Since 2006, when her 'Composer Residency' with the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus ended, she has continued to earn commissions from several ensembles in St. Louis, including St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Ladue, Third Baptist Church (St. Louis), Grand Center; the Music Department of

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) is a private research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1853 by a group of civic leaders and named for George Washington, the university spans 355 acres across its Danforth ...

. Several of her more recent works for the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus have been included on recordings on the

Regent Records (UK) Regent Records is a United Kingdom choral music and organ record label and production company based in Wolverhampton. Founded in 1987 by Gary Cole, the label is run by Gary and Pippa Cole. It currently has nearly 150 commercial releases. In th ...

, and her anthem "Out of the Deep" has been published by E. C. Schirmer, Inc.

References

External links

The Manchester Carols
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manning, Sasha Johnson Living people 1963 births English sopranos Place of birth missing (living people) Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music 20th-century English composers 20th-century English singers 20th-century English women singers 20th-century British women composers 21st-century English composers 21st-century English singers 21st-century English women singers 21st-century British women composers