Tonal
Original music and immersive sound for theatre, film, and live performance
TONAL
Tonal is composer Sarah Llewellyn’s creative production network — a trusted collective of musicians, engineers and long-term collaborators.
Founded as a cross-arts experiment, Tonal has evolved into a focused framework for composing, recording and producing original music for theatre, film, radio and independent projects.
Whether producing work for commercial, artistic or charitable purposes Tonal brings together specialist artists in a flexible, artist-led recording environment grounded in craft and collaboration.
Composer Sarah Llewellyn conducting a studio recording session. Photo by Lief Page
Sarah says..
“I founded Tonal to ensure I would always have a space for collaboration — a place where ideas could be explored alongside artists whose expertise I deeply value.
What began as a cross-arts collective has become my creative home for composing, recording and producing music for theatre, film and independent projects.
Tonal is sustained by long-term artistic partnerships with exceptional musicians and collaborators whose skill, generosity and insight continue to inspire my work”.
The Tonal Ensemble - 'Tonal 10' - Album Launch
STUDIO
Recording and Production
From recording to final mix, projects are tailored around each production’s needs.
Sessions draw on a trusted network of performers, lyricists, sound designers and engineers.
Recent work includes:
- Original music for film and commercials
- BBC Radio Drama scores
- Song development and single releases
- Studio album projects
Core production collaborators
Sound designer and producer David Tinson working with Sarah on TONAL 10.
David Tinson
Sound Designer & Producer
David joined TONAL in 2015 to record and mix Tonal: 10 and has since collaborated on numerous film, radio, and commercial projects. More about David
Sarah Llewellyn and Sam Parkinson at Stonegate Studios
Sam Parkinson
Recordist & Producer
Sarah met Sam after relocating to the Yorkshire Dales and discovered his purpose‑built Stonegate Studios, set within six acres of woodland and wildflower meadows. They now collaborate regularly on bespoke songs, commercial projects, and post‑production. More about Sam
Selected Tonal Projects
Bespoke jazz-funk soundtrack featuring percussionist David Insua-Cao and players from Tottenham Hotspur FC
BBC radio drama. Original score for Dickens adaptation. Performed and produced by Tonal. Featuring Francesca Simons
Original score for film by Mark Chaudoir. Composed and performed by Sarah Llewellyn and Tonal.
Independent studio album marking ten years of Tonal, featuring Claire-Rose Barbier.
Song for NHS wellbeing film inspired by frontline workers. Lyrics by Gaynor Winstanley. Commercial single release.
BBC RADIO Drama - Original score performed and produced by Tonal.
Circus album by Sarah Llewellyn and Karen Hutt. Recorded and produced by Tonal.
Concert performances across London marking the company’s launch.
The Making of Tonal '10'
Listen
A selection of recordings created through Tonal collaborations
The Signalman BBC Radio drama
Scarlet Pimpernel BBC Radio 4 Extracts
Bicycle Homage - Dennis Gould
Harmonies - extracts from Tonal Ensemble 10 album
Oscar and Jim Suite
The Saturday Book Rag Extracts
Featured Musicians
Composer Sarah Llewellyn — founder of TONAL. Photo by Leah Llewellyn
Percussionist Karen Hutt in performance.
Karen Hutt
Percussionist and co-founder of Tonal
Karen collaborates with Sarah as both performer and composer’s assistant. She works internationally as an orchestral percussionist and is Co‑Principal Percussion of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Multi‑instrumentalist Francesca Simmons
Francesca Simmons
Strings, Musical Saw, Waterphone, Voice, Saxophone, and Keys
Francesca is a regular performer with TONAL and is featured on many recordings and live performances. More about Francesca
Singer‑songwriter Claire‑Rose Barbier in concert with TONAL. Photo by Leah Llewellyn
Claire-Rose Barbier
Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
Claire and Sarah met at the circus in 2008 and have since been developing projects together, including the album: Tonal Ensemble: 10 More about Claire
Percussionist David Insua‑Cao in session with TONAL.
David Insua-Cao
Percussionist and Drummer
David and Sarah collaborate across circus, commercials, bespoke recording projects, and outdoor spectacle. They are currently exploring composing and performing with live loops. More about David
French horn player Ruth O’Reilly in concert with TONAL. Photo by Leah Llewellyn.
Ruth O’Reily
Cross-genre French horn player
Ruth features on various TONAL recordings and live performances. She performs widely both in the UK and internationally across orchestral, opera, and musical theatre settings. More about Ruth
Creative Partners
Filmmaker and photographer Leah Llewellyn in Ethiopia — TONAL co‑founder
Leah Llewellyn
Anthropologist, filmmaker & photographer.
Co‑founder of TONAL, Leah shaped its visual identity through photography and film. She production‑managed the original TONAL launch and the Tonal: 10 album release and she continues to collaborate through photography, film and charity projects, integrating Tonal’s music into her documentary work.
Lyricist Gaynor Winstanley with Sarah Llewellyn at the piano. Tonal recording session.
Gaynor Winstanley
Lyricist
Gaynor is a long term collaborator and Sarah’s mum! Some highlights include the song Hold Fast, Yasmine a Musical for Giffords Circus, contributor to the Tonal Ensemble: 10 album, the song Kakenya’s Dream, the epic outdoor spectacle Zara and numerous musical theatre productions with JMU drama.