Human stories, told through music.
After months of lockdowns, cancelled tours and broken dreams, it’s finally here. The Holy Presence is happening, and Manchester Collective are making their debut at the BBC Proms. (Yes, we know. We can’t believe it either.)
However, before we head down to London, we’re thrilled to be playing a home game – our first live show in Manchester since March 2020, and our first performance at Hallé St Peter’s in Ancoats. It’s going to be a big, messy, exciting gig: a celebration of life, music, and some truly extraordinary composers.
Mahan Esfahani has made a career exploding stereotypes around the harpsichord. In this programme, he joins us to present a pair of subversive concertos by Joseph Horovitz and Henryk Górecki – the former a witty confection of jazz colours and textures, the latter an intense and devastating musical prank.
Between these contrasting musical bookends we’ll be presenting one of our best-loved works – Edmund Finnis’ swirling, roiling ‘The Centre is Everywhere’ – alongside a truly astonishing piece by the American composer Julius Eastman. His ‘Joan d’Arc’ is violent, thrilling and intense, and we’ll be giving the world premiere of this piece in an arrangement for string orchestra, especially commissioned for these performances.
Last, but most definitely not least, our very own Ruth Gibson will take the stage to present Dobrinka Tabakova’s ‘Suite in Old Style’, backed by string orchestra, harpsichord, and potentially a bass drum if we can organise the hire in time. Dobrinka’s music is full of humour and energy – the perfect vehicle for Ruth and her extraordinary playing.
Please do join us if you can make it. We’ve missed you. So. Much.
Our performance at the BBC Proms on Tuesday 17 August will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 – tune in on the radio or online, if you can’t make it to the gig.
Dates and Tickets
15 August – Manchester – Hallé St Peter’s
17 August – London – Royal Albert Hall
Book tickets via the venue links. Please note that the Manchester concert is a matinée, starting at 2:00pm.
Setlist
Henryk Górecki Harpsichord Concerto (9”)
Edmund Finnis The Centre is Everywhere (13”)
Julius Eastman The Holy Presence of Joan d’Arc (21”)
Dobrinka Tabakova Suite in Old Style (19”)
Joseph Horovitz Jazz Harpsichord Concerto (15”)
Line-up
String orchestra, jazz bass, jazz kit, and harpsichord
Artists
Music Director Rakhi Singh
Harpsichord Mahan Esfahani
Jazz bass Misha Mullov-Abbado
Jazz kit Alan Taylor
Sound Joe Reiser
Violin Hannah Dawson, Lyn Fletcher, Donald Grant, Jonathan Martindale, Rakhi Singh, Simmy Singh, Katie Stillman, Eva Thorarinsdottir, Lily Whitehurst
Viola Nick Bootiman, Carol Ella, Ruth Gibson
Cello Peggy Nolan, Hannah Roberts, Nick Trygstad
Bass Toby Hughes