Manchester Collective ‘Sirocco’ at RNCM

Back by popular demand, Manchester Collective’s Sirocco celebrates the warmth and diversity of folk traditions from across the globe.

One of the city’s most electrifying arts organisations, Manchester Collective produces innovative and daring musical experiences which aim to transform the audience experience. One of its most celebrated concerts so far is Sirocco, which last toured in 2018. Billed as “music for the people, by the people”, Sirocco inspired audiences to dance in the aisles and critics to call it a “once in a lifetime experience” (Plays To See).

At the heart of this concert is Guest Director Abel Selaocoe – a uniquely mesmerising cellist. At the RNCM, he will perform as part of a six-member ensemble, which includes Manchester Collective string players and two members of his band, Chesaba, who specialise in the performance of music from the African continent.

Reaching beyond any one region, this carefully-curated programme features a great storm of music from around the world, all of which brims with pure joy and energy. We’re particularly looking forward to Giovanni Sollima’s outrageous Lamentatio, which would stretch the limits of any cellist. We also eagerly anticipate beloved classics by Stravinsky and Haydn, some gorgeous Danish folk songs, and, highest on our list, a set of original African folk music.

As the concert unfolds, Selaocoe will narrate the history of each piece, drawing a thread through folk traditions from around the globe. He will thus promote a message of harmony through the unique language of music – a message which, in these increasingly fractured times, we can all get behind.