Experience new musical frontiers with cutting-edge performances at the RNCM

On Fri 14 Nov, the Kantos Chamber Choir recounts the infamously appalling tales of the Salem witch trials in a contemplative exploration of human nature.

Based on the Lancashire Trials of 1612, this absorbing programme reflects on superstition and senseless death through a blend of modern music and operatic vocals, with Camden Reeves’ Spells, Remedies and Potions – billed as ‘Black Sabbath and Metallica but for sopranos’ – alongside works by Allegri, Byrd, Hildegard, Wainwright Johnston, and an arrangement of a 17th century Barbara Strozzi song by Ellie Slorach.

This November, renowned organist Darius Battiwalla joins the RNCM to bring dramatic new dimensions to the legend of Goethe’s Faust, the fatefully hubristic figure who sells his soul to the Devil in exchange for knowledge and pleasure.

Set to a screening of F.W. Murnau’s stark, sweeping expressionist silent film adaptation, Battiwalla’s improvised live score imbues the iconic fable with a captivatingly eerie sound in real time, adding a fresh voice to the pantheon of Faust-inspired arrangements which includes works by Beethoven, Mahler, Schumann and Gounod.

Abel Selaocoe is rightfully regarded as one of the most captivating performers on the world stage today, renowned for electrifying performances that are rooted in tradition yet continually push creative boundaries. Returning to the RNCM next spring with his Manchester-formed Bantu Ensemble, and joined by players from the RNCM String Quartet Studio, audiences can expect another fascinating show which blurs between African heritage and Western classical music.