Apollo’s Fire
The Cleveland Baroque Orchestra
Jeannette Sorrell, conductor
Christmas on Sugarloaf Mountain:
A Celtic-Appalachian Celebration
with Amanda Powell, soprano, and Ross Hauck, tenor
Long ago, the ancient carols and lively fiddle tunes of Celtic Europe came across the water and took root in the hills of Virginia. They mingled with shape-note hymns and African spirituals to create the soulful Christmas music of Appalachia. The people of the mountains raised their voices to welcome the Christ child in love, singing, dancing, and prayer.
In this new holiday program, Apollo’s Fire explores the Celtic roots of Appalachian music. The concert — featuring eleven instrumentalists, sixteen chorus members, and two vocal soloists — follows the joys and sorrows of the Celtic immigrants who crossed the Atlantic to build new lives.
A ClevelandClassical.com reviewer calls Sugarloaf Mountain “a triumph … an absolutely joyous achievement. Haunting melodies, foot-stomping jigs and reels, and a healthy dose of comedy, all with musicianship of the highest order.”
The acclaimed period-instrument ensemble, which has become a cherished visitor to Penn State, has played to packed halls at venues such as the BBC Proms in London, the Royal Theatre of Madrid, and the Tanglewood Festival in Massachusetts.
Artistic Director and harpsichordist Jeannette Sorrell has designed four previous creative crossover programs, each of which has become a top-ten album on the Billboard classical chart.
Artistic Viewpoints will not be offered before this performance.
sponsors
Gay and James Dunne
support provided by
William E. McTurk Endowment