musicManchester
Manchester Collective: Black Gold
Manchester International FestivalManchester
4 December 2026 · 20:00
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Rock, fire and oil. The elements drip, crash and thunder against each other in Black Gold. Feel the ground tremble as Manchester Collective morph into a bass-heavy ensemble. Sliding rhythms and revving engines from James Tenney’s Glissade rip open a chasm from which Luke Mombrea’s atmospheric Black Gold emerges. Tracing the history of a disastrous oil well fire, Luke’s audiovisual piece takes us from rising Californian mountains to the rumblings of industry – until we’re plunged into the inferno. Fragmented photographs and textural projections by visual artist Nate Mohler complete the story. Sitting between these tectonic pieces is a new commission by composer Sasha Scott, known for her shattering, glitchy music. Finally, enjoy a moment of catharsis with contemplative Bach chorales and a cinematic vista from Hildur Guðnadottir. Much loved for her TÁR, The Joker and Chernobyl scores, her
