World premiere of new works by Carol Ann Duffy and Sasha Johnson Manning to be held at RNCM on 14th December

Celebrated poet Carol Ann Duffy and composer Sasha Johnson Manning present a brand new collection of Christmas carols for the 21st century.

The Manchester Carols take the Christmas story and retell it for a modern-day audience through sixteen new carols such as New Boy Born and Call It Nazereth.  The pairing of Carol Ann Duffy and Sasha Johnson Manning has made this world premiere one of Manchester's most hotly anticipated festive events.

Carol Ann Duffy is often hailed as Britain's favourite living poet and has published many collections of poetry, including The World's Wife and her most recent offering, Rapture. Over her career she has won the The Eric Gregory Award; The Dylan Thomas Award; Lannan Award; The Cholmondely Award; The Somerset Maughan Award; The Forward Prize; The Whitbread Prize; three Scottish Arts Council Awards and the T S Eliot Prize.

A self-confessed atheist, she recently said that she was drawn to the project because of the relevance the themes of the Christmas story still have for a modern audience, such as refugees, displacement, poverty and the joy of birth.

Manchester-born composer Sasha Johnson Manning approaches The Manchester Carols from a more religious background. She is one of the country's foremost composers of sacred music, with many liturgical music commissions to her name including carols, anthems, motets, responses and canticle settings. She is currently working on a series of commissions from the St Louis Chamber Chorus (Missouri) which will ultimately comprise a full-scale Requiem and is the musical director of St Mary's Parish Church in Bowdon.

In addition to her liturgical compositions, she also has written a large body of secular works, many of which have been performed at The Bridgewater Hall. She is a well-respected soprano singer too and a member of The Britten SIngers, sings weekly on BBC Radio 4's Daily Service (which she occasionally directs), and has toured with many renowned orchestras and performers including the Orchestra of the Golden Age, Paco Pena and the Deller Consort.

Both Duffy and Manning have strong ties to the city; Duffy is the creative director of Manchester Metropolitan University's renowned Creative Writing School, while Manning works freelance as a performer and teacher across the northwest and sits on the faculty of Withington School. The Manchester Carols build on these connections as the choir will include singers from Manchester High School for Girls, Manchester Grammar School and WIthington Girls' School alongside the BBC Daily Service SIngers and the Northern Chamber Orchestra.

The Manchester Carols

Friday 14 December 2007 7.30pm

Haden Freeman Concert Hall, Royal Northern College of Music

 £17

Concessions Available

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