SIRENS

Lisa Hannigan hosts SIRENS at the Barbican Hall on Saturday 17 October, a night of live music built around the sound of female voices. It's not a standard gig; the show moves between original compositions and reimagined works by female songwriters, unfolding through layered harmonies, collaborative arrangements and moments of deep listening. The whole thing is held together by Hannigan herself, who acts as host for the evening.

SIRENS grew out of an artistic residency at the Sounds from a Safe Harbour festival in Cork, Ireland, and it centres on the resonance, strength and intimacy of women's voices. That's a good way of describing what you'll actually hear: a gathering of contemporary folk voices rather than a single act. Hannigan is joined by Amanda Bergman, Kate Stables, Charlotte Cornfield, Tammy Adams, Victoria Canal, The Staves and Angie McMahon, with arrangements and music direction by Theodora Byrne and her trio. The set is built on those harmonies, with the different voices weaving in and out of each other.

Hannigan is an Irish singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and voice actor whose solo career now spans 18 years. It started with her Mercury Prize-nominated debut Sea Saw, followed by Passenger in 2011 and her third album At Swim. The New York Times described her as 'exquisitely ethereal', and her early collaboration with Damien Rice helped shape his critically acclaimed albums O and 9.

The show runs from 7.30pm to 10pm, about two hours with no interval. Standard tickets start from £29 (£25 plus a £4 transaction fee), and there's a Young Barbican price of £18 for those aged 16-29. Barbican members get 20% off with no transaction fees, and corporate members are discounted. Access tickets are from £29, with a free essential companion ticket if you need one. Just a heads-up: the night may contain haze and strobe.