Haçienda Classical: Anthems Reimagined

Amelia Ryder | 6th February 2016

BeFunky Collage copyMike Pickering and Graeme Park were two of most significant DJ’s to emerge from the Haçienda. They played a key role in shaping an unforgettable sound and their influence in still hugely respected today.

Haçienda Classical has been created by Pickering, Park and The Manchester Camerata Orchestra. The widely anticipated event promised to be an innovative fusion, combining classic Haçienda tracks with a live orchestral performance.

Friday night saw the first Manchester show take place at The Bridgwater Hall. The buzz beforehand was one of excitement and anticipation. Some were understandably dubious about how the unique production would come off.

The first surprise of the night saw MC Tunes take to the stage to mark his place as host. Bringing a signature Manchester energy, combined with the 50 plus piece orchestra behind him, his introduction set the scene perfectly for what was to come.

Easily the second surprise of the night, Inder Goldfinger was then welcomed to the stage. Inder is one of the most widely respected percussionists in the industry. And rightly so, he injects magic into everything he’s involved with. The undercurrent of magic he brought to Haçienda Classical was nothing short of beautiful.

The moment the audience had been waiting for the then arrived. Mike Pickering and Graeme Park made their highly applauded entrance. The tamely seated crowd rose to their feet to a perfect T-Coy opening. Pickering’s remix of the CeCe Rogers anthem Someday followed, complimented by an angelic male vocal. The atmosphere was nothing short of incredible, maybe one of the closet things younger generations will ever get to the real deal Haç.

The surprises continued when Bez made his way to the stage to flex his signature freaky moves to Voodoo Ray. The sight of Bez dancing amongst a classical orchestra was almost surreal. But in a bizarre way it worked, in a way that only Bez could make it work.

Later, and somewhat discreetly, Peter Hook made his first appearance on the stage for an amazing performance of Blue Monday. The orchestra added wonder to an already perfect song. The anthem filled set continued with classics such as Rhythm is a Mystery, Good Life and Ride on Time.

Judging by the crowd’s reaction, the highlight of the night for many was the encore. MC Tunes introduced lyrical legend Shaun Ryder to the stage. His presence, and the addition of Rowetta and Bez sent the crowd nuts. An unforgettable performance of Hallelujah followed, complimented nicely by Hooky on bass.

The production came to an end with the most beautiful performance of the night. Ryder and Bez left the stage to Rowetta for a perfect performance of You got the Love. Her voice, a powerful as ever, filled the auditorium with awe. She looked and sounded stunning.

A few suggested that the sound could have been better in that the orchestra weren’t fully audible at times. While this might be true, it didn’t in the slightest detract from the overall genius and wonder of the night. It was a musical experiment which resulted in an undeniable success. Conductor Tim Crooks held the fort impressively. He and the rest of the flawless orchestra seemed to enjoy the set as much as the crowd.

It’s safe to say that Manchester’s still got the love for the scene that sent waves around the world. Pickering, Park and The Manchester Camerata Orchestra injected a new lease of life into club anthems. They rekindled an ecstasy felt by those who lived it the first time around, and gave a taste to those who didn’t.

The Bridgewater Hall will come to life again on the 12th when Haçienda Classical returns for a second night. The event will be back in Manchester in the Summer for a special performance at Castlefield Bowl on Saturday 2nd July.

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Photography by Elspeth Mary Moore

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