Intensely retro: The Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments at RNCM

Now here’s a musical act you could never accuse of being too mainstream: The Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments. The group are leading exponents of pre-18th century music and the bizarre instruments used, such as the nyckelharpa, hurdy gurdy, and viola bastarda. The Society are bringing their uber-retro show to the Royal Northern College of Music for one night in mid-December. The subject of the performance is Will Kemp, a member of Shakespeare’s acting company, who in the year 1600 danced all the way from London to Norwich, entertaining the crowds as he went. The show is a celebration of this historical publicity stunt, and will feature Elizabethan dance tunes, as well as some of the more refined music of the era.

Tue 16 Dec, RNCM Concert Hall, 124 Oxford Rd, Manchester, M13 9RD, 7.30pm, £15 – £18, www.rncm.ac.uk