South African cellist Abel Selaocoe helms the Manchester Collective in Vancouver Recital Society concert, April 11
Energetic program Sirocco spans classics by Stravinsky and Haydn, original African music, and Danish folk songs
SPONSORED POST BY Vancouver Recital Society
Abel Selaocoe and the Manchester Collective. Photo by Gaëlle Beri
The Vancouver Recital Society hosts the Manchester Collective, featuring South African cellist Abel Selaocoe as guest director and narrator, at the Vancouver Playhouse on April 11 at 7:30 pm.
Known for experimental programming and daring collaborations, the Manchester Collective brings a combination of cutting-edge contemporary works and classical masterpieces to diverse audiences. With Selaocoe, it presents the innovative program Sirocco, which first toured in 2018 to critical acclaim.
Sirocco is pure joy and energy—a great storm of music that celebrates the warmth and diversity of cultural traditions from across the globe. The concert is helmed by Selaocoe, a rising star with an utterly unique musical voice who is redefining the parameters of his instrument.
This program covers everything from Selaocoe’s outrageous arrangements for solo cello to beloved classics by Stravinsky and Haydn; and from a set of original African folk music to a collection of gorgeous Danish folk songs.
Abel Selaocoe and the Manchester Collective. Photo by Gaëlle Beri
Selaocoe is joined by percussionist Sidiki Dembélé and electric bassist Alan Keary, his bandmates from experimental African trio Chesaba. Accompanying them onstage from the Manchester Collective are violinists Rakhi Singh and Simmy Singh and violist Christine Anderson.
The work of the Manchester Collective has expanded at breakneck speed since their formation in 2016 by Adam Szabo and Rakhi Singh. The collective’s vision is to reshape the future of classical music by creating radical artistic work from their base in northern England. Notable performance projects include 2022’s The Oracle with Selaocoe, 2023’s Rosewood with guitarist Sean Shibe, and a 2022 multimedia performance of Michael Gordon’s 1997 cult music piece “Weather” with an installation by sound recordist Chris Watson.
In 2021, the Manchester Collective made its Royal Albert Hall debut as part of the BBC Proms Festival and is currently artist-in-residence at the Southbank Centre in London. In 2023, the collective won the Royal Philharmonic Society’s prestigious Ensemble Award.
The Vancouver Recital Society performance of Sirocco on April 11 is part of a North American tour that kicks off in Kingston, Ontario on April 3, and wraps up in San Diego, California on April 14.
Tickets to the Vancouver show and more details are available here.
Post sponsored by Vancouver Recital Society.