The music programme at The Devonshire Hunting Tapestries Gallery, V&A Museum, starts with Songs of Sanctuary, a fusion of classical Syrian music and contemporary folk songs performed by Raghad Haddad from the National Syrian Orchestra  and folk songwriter Sam Slatcher, the musicians from the Stories of Sanctuary project. 

Songs of Sanctuary is a stripped back and intimatearrangement of the Stories of Sanctuary songwriting project that brings together people from different backgrounds – including Syrian refugees and residents of County Durham – through writing originals songs. 

Raghad Haddad is a highly accomplished viola player from the Higher Institute of Music in Damascus. She was a member of the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra and has performed in the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim. After seeking refuge from the Syrian civil war in the UK in 2016, Raghad now performs with the Orchestra of All Saints MAS in Brighton and the London Syrian Ensemble.   

Sam Slatcher is a folk singer-songwriter living in Durham, North East England. His honest and reflection songwriting, delivered with a calming and delicate voice captures the warmth of humanity and a longing for peace and justice. To date, Sam has released a debut EP ‘In Unlikely Places (April 2018) and curated the album Stories of Sanctuary (Nov 2018). Sam frequently performs across Northern England and sings and plays guitar, piano and bouzouki. 

Part of our PRS Foundation funded ‘Music for Social Change’ project.