Sirocco

This electrifying show from the daring British group traverses multiple genres, from a wide range of classical music to African and Danish folk songs.

22/23 Hop Presents

Sirocco: Ka Bohaleng | Abel Selaocoe with Manchester Collective & Chesaba

They are joined by the young South African cellist taking the world by storm with his blend of traditional playing styles with improvisation, singing and body percussion. Along with his band, they present a swirling storm of music that celebrates the warmth and diversity of folk traditions from across the globe.

Featuring Selaocoe's original compositions for solo cello, classics by Stravinsky and Haydn, and folk songs from Denmark, Mali, Ivory Coast and South Africa, Sirocco is ultimately a show about belonging.

A conversation with the artists follows.

Generously supported by Anonymous Fund No. 136 and the Sidney Stoneman 1933 Fund.

Program

The Project

Hopkins Center for the Arts
presents

Manchester Collective
Sirocco
featuring Abel Selaocoe & Chesaba

Thursday, October 6, 7:30 pm
Spaulding Auditorium • Dartmouth College • 2022

Generously supported by Anonymous Fund No. 136 and the Sidney Stoneman 1933 Fund.

Credits

Abel Selaocoe, Cello
Rakhi Singh, Violin
Simmy Singh, Violin
Ruth Gibson, Viola
Alan Keary, Electric Bass
Dudu Kouate, Percussion

Program

Approximate duration: 90 minutes
The order and repertoire of this program may be subject to change by the artists at any point; spoken introductions will be given from stage throughout the performance.

Improvisation
Trad. arr. Danish String Quartet – O Fredrik, O Fredrik
Trad. arr. Danish String Quartet – Brudestykke (Bridal Piece)
Hans Abrahamsen – Three Preludes
Trad. – Qhawe

Haydn – String Quartet in G Major, Op. 76 No. 1 ii. Adagio sostenuto
Trad. – iBuyile
Improvisation
Abel Selaocoe – Kea Mo Rata

About Manchester Collective

Sirocco is pure joy and energy—a great storm of music that celebrates the warmth and diversity of cultural traditions from across the globe.

Guest directed and narrated by South African cellist Abel Selaocoe, this is music for the people, by the people. The show covers everything from outrageous arrangements for solo cello to beloved classics, from a set of original African music to a collection of gorgeous Danish folk songs. When this programme toured across the UK and Europe, critics described it as a “deeply moving” and “once in a lifetime experience.”

Known for their experimental programming and daring collaborations, Manchester Collective perform a combination of cutting-edge contemporary music, classical masterpieces and staged work in venues ranging from concert halls to warehouses, nightclubs to festivals.

The work of Manchester Collective has expanded at breakneck speed since their formation in 2016 by co-founders Adam Szabo (Chief Executive) and Rakhi Singh (Music Director). They now play in concert halls, gig venues and factory spaces across the UK and internationally, performing a combination of cutting-edge contemporary music, classical masterpieces, and staged work to a hungry, new audience.

Crossing different genres and artforms, new music is of vital importance to the Collective—in recent years, they have commissioned major works by artists including Edmund Finnis, Hannah Peel, Lyra Pramuk, and Laurence Osborn. In 2021, they made their Royal Albert Hall debut as part of the BBC Proms Festival and are currently artists-in-residence at the Southbank Centre in London. Manchester Collective record for the Icelandic label Bedroom Community. Their second album Shades was released in March 2022.

About the Artists

South African cellist Abel Selaocoe is a rapidly rising star who is redefining the parameters of the cello. He moves seamlessly across a plethora of genres and styles, from collaborations with world musicians and beatboxers, to concertos and solo performances. Selaocoe combines virtuosic performance with improvisation, singing and body percussion, and is devoted to composing works and curating programs that highlight the links between Western and non-Western musical traditions, broadening the horizons of classical music to reach a more diverse audience.

In April 2022, following his hugely successful debut, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra announced Selaocoe as Artistic Partner for an initial three seasons from 2022/23. He is also Artist in Association with the BBC Singers and Artist in Residence at London’s Southbank Centre for the 2022/23 season with performances there throughout the season, including an exclusive performance of his debut album Where is Home? (Hae Ke Kae—Warner Classics), which will be released on Friday 23 September 2022. Further tour performances include Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Lucerne Festival, Berliner Philharmonie, Kolner Philharmonie and Antwerp deSingel, among others.

Selaocoe premieres two new concerts in the 22/23 season; he gives the world premiere of a new double concerto for kora and cello with Seckou Keita and the Ulster Orchestra in March 2023, co-commissioned by Orchestre national de Bretagne, Ulster Orchestra and Southbank Centre, and the world premiere of his solo cello concerto with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in March 2023, with subsequent US premiere with Seattle Symphony in April 23.

In 2016, Selaocoe formed Chesaba, a trio specializing in music from the African continent, including many of his own compositions. He enjoys close collaborations with musicians from a medley of genres, including Bernhard Schimpelsberger, Tim Garland, Seckou Keita, Giovanni Sollima, Dudu Kouaté, Famoudou Don Moye and Gwilym Simcock. He has a close partnership with Manchester Collective, with whom he devised the hugely successful Sirocco which has been enjoyed both live and digitally by audiences since 2019 and The Oracle, which toured the UK in 2022.

Selaocoe completed his International Artist Diploma at the Royal Northern College of Music in July 2018. In May 2021, he was announced as an inaugural Power Up Music Creator participant in PRS Foundation’s new initiative to address anti-Black racism and racial disparities in the music sector and in July 2021, he received a Paul Hamlyn Foundation award for his compositional work. Abel Selaocoe is an exclusive recording artist with Warner Classics.

Connecting Artists to the Community

The artists will take part in a public conversation following the show.

"Sirocco is a once in a lifetime experience”
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