Manchester Collective: Black Gold
The ensemble dreams up a world of elemental soundscapes in works by Luke Mombrea, Sasha Scott and James Tenney, with Bach as the calm at the eye of the storm.
Rock, fire and oil. The elements drip, crash and thunder against each other in Black Gold.
Feel the ground tremble as Manchester Collective morphs 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 the disastrous oil well fires in Santa Fe Springs, the audiovisual piece takes us from the sleepy 1920s township to the rumbling sounds of industry – until we’re plunged into the heart of the inferno.
Fragmented photographs of the catastrophe and textural projections by artist Nate Mohler complete the story. Sitting between these tectonic pieces is a new commission by composer Sasha Scott, who’s known for her shattering, glitchy music.
Providing catharsis amidst the earth-shaking soundscapes is a selection of contemplative Bach chorales.
Manchester Collective is a Southbank Centre Resident Artist for Classical Music: Autumn/Winter 2026/27.
Performers
Manchester Collective
Luke Mombrea live electronics
Repertoire
Programme includes: -
Bach: Selection of chorales from the Orgelbüchlein (Little Organ Book), BWV.599 - 644
Tenney: Shimmer; Array (a'sysing) from Glissade
Sasha Scott: New work (London premiere)
Luke Mombrea: Black gold (with visuals by Nate Mohler)
Need to know
Times & tickets
Dates, times and prices
Dates & times
06 Dec 2026, 6pm
Standard entry
from £28 + £4 booking fee
Ticket prices may be adjusted without notice to reflect demand.
Concessions
Learn more about concession discounts
Refunds and exchanges
Find out more about our refund and exchange policy
Multi-buy Autumn/Winter 26/27 discount
3 – 4 events: 10% discount
5 – 7 events: 15% discount
8 – 10 events: 20% discount
11 – 14 events: 25% discount
15+ events: 30% discount
Discounts apply to selected events, September 2026 – January 2027 inclusive. Offer can’t be combined with the Spring/Summer 2026 multi-buy.
Become a Member
Members get free entry to the Hayward Gallery and the first chance to book our entire programme of events, including go-down-in-history gigs, concerts with world-class orchestras, and talks from cultural icons and political giants.
Join today from £60
For your visit
This event is held at the Purcell Room Southbank Centre
The Purcell Room is located in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, which is open from 90 minutes before events start until they finish. It’s closed at all other times.
Plan your visit
The Purcell Room is an auditorium located within our Queen Elizabeth Hall.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.