Manchester Collective and Sidiki Dembélé: Constellations 09/10/2026

  • Classical
  • Contemporary Classical/New Music

When

Fri 9 Oct 2026, 7.30pm

Price

£10 – £24.50

  • Member Discounts

Where

RNCM Concert Hall

Promoter

RNCM

Programme

Sidiki Dembélé* Teriya, Sinsiensigui, Tama, Djikunu, Shaka, Chefari Dundun, Ita
Traditional* Johnny Faa
John Playford* Wallom Green, The Virgin Queen set
Henry Purcell* The Old Bachelor, Z.607: Hornpipe, The Virtuous Wife, Z.611: Air, Timon of Athens, Z.632: Curtain Tune
Hans Abrahamsen Ten Preludes for String Quartet: Selections
Emily Hall So Far
Edmund Finnis Hymn (after Byrd)
Nwando Ebizie For You, small in the embrace of untethered, unwinding possible futures
Sidiki Dembélé / Rakhi Singh Simiya / Suo Gan

*arranged for string ensemble by Rakhi Singh

Performers

Sidiki Dembélé Ensemble percussion, calabash, djembe, ngoni, dundun, balafon, vocals
Manchester Collective string ensemble, bass guitar
Rakhi Singh creative direction, violin

About

An exhilarating musical journey, where West African and European traditions call out to each other.

Join Manchester Collective’s string ensemble, percussionist extraordinaire Sidiki Dembélé and his band for folksong and storytelling from the Ivory Coast, Mali and Senegal. Born out of his family’s griot tradition of West African oral history and music, Sidiki’s work ‘Teriya’ (‘friendship’ in Bambara) celebrates where our roots intertwine.

Our destination is the musical meeting point between cultures. Guiding us there and directing from the violin is Rakhi Singh. Hear the old anew with her bold reimaginings of classical and folk tunes, baroque mixed with African percussion, and plenty of improvisational magic along the way.

Adding her own colours to this vibrant palette is Nwando Ebizie. The Northern composer and multidisciplinary artist creates a brand-new work filtered through her very own Afrofuturist vision. Drawing from the power of ancestral heritages and rites, her piece looks to the future by calling on the spirits of the past.

Constellations is a human experience of sharing and connection. You can be sure that rhythm will be your friend here.

Photo credit: Mike Skelton

Constellations is supported by the Leche Trust, Maria Björnson Memorial Fund and Radcliffe Trust. Nwando Ebizie’s new work is commissioned by Manchester Collective with support from the Cockayne Foundation and Vaughan Williams Foundation.

Affordable Tickets

We want everyone to have the opportunity to engage with our performances. That’s why across the 2026/27 season we’ve introduced a limited number of Affordable Tickets, available to anyone who feels they may benefit from this option. More information is available on our How to Book page.

Inspirational Artists Multibuy Offer

Book more and save. Automatically save 20% off your tickets when you book two to three events in this series or save 30% when you book four or more. Bookings must be purchased in a single transaction, and this promotion cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts. This event will end at approximately 8.55pm.

Publicity image of Paul Lewis

Part of the Inspirational Artists Series

Encounter extraordinary musicians whose work is shaped by curiosity, collaboration, and creativity

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Things to know before your visit

We want everyone to have the opportunity to engage with our performances. That’s why across the 2026/27 season we’ve introduced a limited number of Affordable Tickets on RNCM promoted events.

They are available to everyone who feels they may benefit from this option, with no eligibility criteria or proof required. As there is a limited allocation for each event, tickets are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. We recommend booking early to avoid disappointment.

For general admission events, Affordable Tickets can be unlocked using the promo code RNCM10. If the discount is not applied, this usually means all Affordable Tickets for that event have been claimed.

As long as there are still Affordable Tickets available, this offer can be used for accessible seating. Please contact our Box Office for more details.

Please note Affordable Tickets cannot be combined with any other promotion, discount, or offer.

We’ve transitioned away from mass‑produced, single‑use print for the majority of our events and instead provide online programmes featuring the most up‑to‑date event information. Many of our concerts now also open with personal introductions from RNCM students and staff, offering insights into the repertoire and a chance to connect more closely with our community.

Where printed materials remain necessary – such as for RNCM Opera productions, RNCM Symphony Orchestra, RNCM International Brass Band Festival, and RNCM Family Events – we design and print them carefully and responsibly, using limited resources, with an online version available for anyone who wishes to support our sustainability goals.

At the RNCM, the safety of our students, staff, and audiences is our highest priority. To improve safety for our visitors, we have enhanced our security provision. If you bring a bag with you, this may be searched on entry to the building. For a list of prohibited items and other security information, please visit our Security page.

Unless otherwise stated on the event listing page, our Front of House team will permit latecomers into a performance at a suitable opportunity.

We do not operate a cloakroom at our venue. Please do not bring large bags with you, as these are not permitted in the auditoria. Coat rails may be available, and for some family events, we may provide a dedicated buggy park area. Please note that these items are not monitored by staff and are left at the owner’s risk.

If you have accessible seating requirements or need to bring an Essential Companion to assist you, please contact [email protected] or phone 0161 907 5555. You can also visit our Access page for full details about our building’s accessibility to help you plan your visit.

We want everyone to enjoy our performances in the clothes they feel most comfortable in whether that’s a t-shirt and jeans or something a little more formal.

About the RNCM Concert Hall

Venue

The RNCM Concert Hall is a striking performance venue with tiered seating for up to 550 audience members, including balcony seating for 165, offering excellent sightlines and an intimate concert experience.

Access

The Concert Hall offers a range of access options, including step-free routes to selected seating areas, lift access to the Upper Hall, and handrails on all staircases. Step-free access is available to Row A in the Lower Hall and Row GG in the Upper Hall, with additional accessible stalls seating available for some performances.

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How to Get Here

Bus

There are frequent bus services from Manchester City Centre (Piccadilly Gardens) to Oxford Road and Booth Street West.

These bus stops are all within a five-minute walk to the RNCM:

Aquatics Centre (Southbound):
Bus Numbers 15, 18, 41 CrossCity, 42, 42A, 42B, 42C, 43, 111, 142, 142N, 143, 147, 191, 197, V1 Vantage, V2 Vantage, V4

Cavendish Street (Northbound), Higher Cambridge St/Boundary St West (Southbound):
Bus Numbers 101, 102, 103

Royal Northern College of Music (both directions):
Bus Numbers 53 Orbits, 85, 85A, 86, 250, 263 Sapphire

University Shopping (Northbound):
Bus Numbers 15, 18, 41 CrossCity, 42, 42A, 42B, 42C, 43, 111, 142, 142N, 143, 147, 191, 197, V1 Vantage, V2 Vantage, V4

Tram

The nearest tram stop is St Peter’s Square (0.8 miles). From there you can walk to the RNCM in 15 minutes or catch a southbound bus down Oxford Road.

Bike

A public bike rack can be found in the RNCM surface car park located on Rosamond Street West, next to the entrance doors – don’t forget to bring your bike lock!

There is also a Bee Network docking station on the corner of Rosamond Street West and Oxford Road, next to the RNCM.

Please note that e-bikes are not permitted at the RNCM.

Train

The nearest train station is Manchester Oxford Road (0.5 miles). From there you can walk to the RNCM in 13 minutes or catch a southbound bus down Oxford Road.

Other train stations include:
Manchester Piccadilly (0.8 miles/20 minute walk)
Deansgate (0.9 miles/21 minute walk)
Manchester Victoria (1.5 miles/33 minute walk)

Car and Parking Information

If you are travelling by car we recommend that you allow plenty of time for your journey. Please note that general traffic along Oxford Road is no longer permitted to use the route between 6am and 9pm, seven days a week. Visitors driving into and across the city centre will need to use alternative routes, such as Upper Brook Street and Princess Street, rather than Oxford Road.

Parking 

Please note that there is no public car parking available at the RNCM on weekdays and Saturdays before 5pm. Daytime visitors are advised to use nearby public car parks.

We have limited blue badge spaces within our surface car park that can be pre-booked by customers at [email protected] (these are subject to availability). There is also limited on street provision for disabled parking on Rosamond Street West, adjacent to the main car park entrance.

Sir Charles Groves Hall of Residence Underground Car Park (evenings and all day on Sundays) Off Rosamond Street West

On weekdays and Saturdays between 5 – 11.30pm, and on Sundays between 6am – 11.30pm, visitor parking is available in the RNCM secure underground car park, located next to the College in the basement of Sir Charles Groves Hall of Residence. This is a cashless car park.

The current charge per visit is £5 per car, payable by contactless or chip and pin only.*

Please note that the underground car park entrance/exit is 2.1 metres high and 2.3 metres wide. Customers who own larger vehicles may wish to consider using alternative car parks in order to reduce the risk of damage to vehicles.

Overnight parking in the Sir Charles Groves Hall car park is prohibited, and is subject to a fine of £50 per night.

The two closest public car parks to the RNCM are:

University of Manchester Booth Street West Car Park
Booth Street West
M15 6AR (access via Higher Cambridge Street)
Further information

Manchester Aquatics Centre Car Park (NCP)
Booth Street East
M13 9SS
Further information

Please note that travel and parking information has been given as a guide only, and may be subject to change. Car parks 2 and 3 are not managed by the RNCM. Visitors are advised to check travel plans ahead of your journey.

Air

Our nearest airport is Manchester Airport, located about 10 miles south of the city centre. There are regular train, bus and taxi connections to the city.

For more information please visit the Manchester Airport website.

Where to eat

Our fully accessible RNCM Café Bar serves freshly prepared breakfasts, lunches, and evening meals, as well as takeaway salads, sandwiches, wraps, cakes, and snacks. All our selections include vegan options, and we operate our service in a sustainable, environmentally responsible way.