CONCERTS
Echoes of IRELAND
Adventures of Harper Turlough O’Carolan
APOLLO’S FIRE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chair
Charles A. Bittenbender
Chair emeritus
James B. Rosenthal
Vice Chairs
Michael Meehan
Noha Ryder
Treasurer
Ryan Siebel
Assistant Treasurer
Meng “Locky” Liu
Secretary
Andrew Gordon-Seifert
Jeffrey P. Barnett
Karl Bekeny
Anthony Calanni
Amy K. Carlson
Claudia Cash
Thomas Clark*
Patricia Costante
Nicole Divall**
Michael Frank, M.D. J.D.
Ka-Pi Hoh, Ph.D.
Thomas Forrest Kelly, Ph.D.
Richard J. Lederman, M.D. Ph.D.
John Olejko
Linda M. Olejko
Shay Olson
Kim S. Parry
William A. Powel
David J. Reimer
Phillip Rowland-Seymour
Elisa Ross, M.D.
Jeannette Sorrell*
Kathie Stewart**
Rebecca Storey
Herb Wainer
David Walker*
Ed Weber, D.O.
Apollo’s Fire Chicago
Elisa Ross M.D., President
Katrina Pipasts, President Emeritus
Doug Miller, Vice President
Patricia (“Patti”) Skigen, Secretary
Shay Olson, Treasurer
Michael Angell
Charles A. Bittenbender
Stephanie Champi
Patricia Costante
Blondean Davis, Ed.D.
Marietta McPike
Michael J. Meehan
Florence Nelson
Phillip Rowland-Seymour
Marlon Rucker
James C. Sheinin, M.D.
Jeannette Sorrell*
David Walker*
Community Advisors
Rodrigo Lara Alonso
Nathália Montezuma
Dianna White-Gould
Akron Advisory Board
Thomas Clark, Chair
Theron Brown
Esther Cooper
Susan Delahanty
Barbara Feld
Ashlee Foreman
William Foster
Walter Keith
Geraldine Kiefer
George Litman, M.D.
Kenneth E. Shafer, M.D.
Sandra R. Smith
Libby Upton
David Walker*
The Ambassadors Council
Mitchell G. Blair
Frances S. Buchholzer
Robert Conrad
William E. Conway
Samuel S. Hartwell
Vivian Henoch
Rabbi Roger C. Klein
Annette Lowe
Deb Nash
John Olejko
Linda M. Olejko
Robert Reynolds, M.D.
Allison Richards
Kasia G. Rothenberg, M.D., Ph.D.
Sandra R. Smith
Susan Troia
Ed Weber, D.O. *ex officio **Musicians’ Representative
Echoes of IRELAND
Alan Choo, fiddle, direction, & program design
Sam Kreidenweis, baritone
Anna O’Connell, harp & vocals
Brian Bigley, pipes, Irish flute, whistle, dance
Luke Conklin, recorder, flute, oboe, whistle, harp
Caitlin Hedge, fiddle & vocals
William Simms, lutes & guitar
René Schiffer, cello
— Thank you to Jeannette Sorrell for program design consultation —
Tuesday, June 16, 7:30pm Avon Lake United Church of Christ
Wednesday, June 17, 7:30pm The Bath Church (UCC)
Saturday, June 20, 4:00pm & 7:30pm Holden Arboretum, Kirtland
Sunday, June 21, 3:00pm & 7:00pm Holden Arboretum, Kirtland
Program
I. Young Turlough
Brian Boru’s March/The Rights of Man/The Pride of Petravore, arr. A. Choo & R. Schiffer
The Blacksmith – trad. English, arr. A. Choo & R. Schiffer
Sam Kreidenweis, vocals
Bridget Cruise, Air No. 4 – Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738), arr. Caitríona Rowsome
Flower of Maherally – trad. Irish, arr. A. Choo & R. Schiffer
Sam Kreidenweis, vocals
II. A WELCOME WITH OPEN ARMS
O’Carolan’s Welcome – O'Carolan, arr. A. Choo & R. Schiffer
Mrs. MacDermott Roe/Princess Royal – O'Carolan, arr. A. Choo & R. Schiffer
III. DARKNESS DESCENDS
In Darkness, Let Me Dwell – John Dowland (1563-1626)
Anna O'Connell, vocals & William Simms, lute
Sí Bheag, Sí Mhór (Small Fairy Mound, Big Fairy Mound) – O'Carolan, arr. C. Rowsome
Anna O'Connell, vocals
IV. A HARPIST-TROUBADOUR IS BORN
Ramble to Cashel – O'Carolan, arr. A. Choo & R. Schiffer
Receipt for Drinking – O'Carolan, arr. A. Choo, R. Schiffer & C. Rowsome
The Cutpurse – trad. Elizabethan tune, arr. J. Sorrell
Sam Kreidenweis, vocals
O’Carolan’s Favorite Jig – O'Carolan, arr. S. Bergeron
V. THE CHALLENGE!
An Irish Tune
from Rules for Playing in a True Taste, Op. 8 (c. 1748) – Francesco Geminiani (1687-1762)
O’Carolan’s Concerto – O'Carolan, arr. R. Schiffer & A. Choo
VI. O’CAROLAN’S FAREWELL
Óró mo bháidín (My Little Boat) – trad. Irish, arr. J. Sorrell
Anna O'Connell, harp & vocals
Bridget Cruise, Air No. 1 – O'Carolan, arr. A. Choo & R. Schiffer
English lyrics by J. Sorrell, adapted from the Gaelic Sam Kreidenweis, vocals
O’Carolan’s Farewell – O'Carolan Anna O'Connell, harp
VII. ALE AS FAR AS THE EYE COULD SEE!
Drink On, Till Night Be Spent – Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
Sam Kreidenweis, Caitlin Hedge, & Anna O'Connell, vocals
Ode to Whiskey – O'Carolan, arr. A. Choo, R. Schiffer & C. Rowsome
A Health to the Company – trad. Irish, arr. J. Sorrell
Sam Kreidenweis, Anna O'Connell, & Caitlin Hedge, vocals
The Mason’s Apron – trad. Irish, arr. A. Choo & R. Schiffer
MUSICIAN PROFILES
Violinist ALAN CHOO, whose performances have been described by The Straits Times Singapore as “an intoxicating brew of poetry and dare-devilry,” appears on the global stage as a leading soloist, chamber musician and historical specialist. He made his solo debut with Apollo’s Fire at the Tanglewood and Ravinia Music Festivals in 2017, and currently serves as Concertmaster and Associate Artistic Director for the ensemble. He is also Founder and Artistic Director of Red Dot Baroque, Singapore’s first professional period ensemble and Ensemble-in-Residence at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. In May 2019, he was invited as guest concertmaster and soloist with the Shanghai-based baroque ensemble, Shanghai Camerata. He has also appeared as a soloist with the FVG Orchestra (Italy), St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Chinese Orchestra, Orchestra of the Music Makers and more.
Alan is the recipient of the Young Artist Award 2024 from the National Arts Council Singapore, the Early Music Award 2016 from Peabody Conservatory, the Paul Abisheganaden Grant for Artistic Excellence 2015, the Goh Soon Tioe Centenary Award 2014, the Grace Clagett Ranney Prize in Chamber Music 2014 and 1st prize in the National Piano and Violin Competition 2011, Artist Category. He has also given masterclasses at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Michigan State University, Baldwin-Wallace College, Bowling Green State University, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.
Alan holds a Doctorate in Historical Performance from Case Western Reserve University, as well as degrees from the Peabody Conservatory and the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory. His solo debut album with Apollo’s Fire, the complete Mystery Sonatas of Heinrich Biber, was released on AVIE Records in 2024 and debuted at #2 on the Billboard Classical chart. Through Apollo's Fire, Alan has ventured into folk fiddling from various cultures. He studies Scottish fiddling with James Matej MacQueen, and has directed two original crossover programs with Red Dot Baroque to critical acclaim.
Praised for his ability to “tell a story without ever detracting from the music,” baritone SAM
KREIDENWEIS enjoys a diverse career as a soloist and ensemble musician. He regularly sings and records with Skylark Vocal Ensemble, Apollo’s Fire, True Concord Voices and Orchestra, and the Irish groups Anúna and M’ANAM. He is a founding member of The Leonids, a nine-part low-voice ensemble in Vancouver, BC, focusing on high-level chamber performance, and development of students and aspiring singers. He can be heard on multiple GRAMMY-Award winning and nominated albums with the Phoenix Chorale and Skylark Vocal Ensemble. Career highlights have included performing with Anúna at the Last Night of the BBC Proms, performing for the Japanese
Royal Family in a revolutionary musical adaptation of the traditional Noh play, At the Hawk’s Well, and being part of the original cast and recording of Considering Matthew Shephard by Craig Hella Johnson with Austin-based Conspirare.
ANNA O’CONNELL, harp & vocals, is a soprano and harpist specializing in self-accompaniment with folk, medieval, renaissance, and baroque instruments. Her research interests include medieval chant and 17th-century Italian women composers. She earned her Master’s in choral music from the University of Southern California and her Doctorate in historical performance practice from CWRU. As a soloist, O’Connell has appeared with Baroque Music Montana, Repast Baroque,
the Hong Kong Early Music Society, the Cleveland Celtic Ensemble, the Back Bay Chorale, Bourbon Baroque, Choral Arts Cleveland, and the Cleveland Composers Guild. She has been in demand as a guest clinician and speaker, with recent appearances at Boston Conservatory and Oberlin Conservatory. She currently teaches voice at the College of Wooster.
BRIAN BIGLEY, pipes, Irish flute, whistle, dance, comes from a musical family on the west side of Cleveland. At eight, he began studying with Achill Island piper Michael Kilbane. Brian studied Irish step dance with Bob Masterson and Catherine Leneghan from age seven, going on to compete at the World Championships in Glasgow and Killarney. He has toured extensively as a piper, flute player, whistle player, and dancer. Competitive accolades include first prize for senior piping at the Midwest Regional Fleadh Cheoil and second place at the Fleadh in Drogheda, Ireland in 2019.
DR. LUKE CONKLIN, recorder, flute, oboe, whistle, harp, has performed with many early music groups, including American Bach Soloists, Portland Baroque Orchestra, and New York Baroque Incorporated. Luke appears on Apollo’s Fire albums, Christmas on Sugarloaf Mountain and O, Jerusalem!, playing recorder, Celtic and Medieval harps, Irish flute, and shawm. Luke teaches private lessons on modern and historical woodwinds and saxophone, and a class at Kalamazoo College. Luke holds degrees in Historical Performance Practice from Case Western Reserve University, The Juilliard School, and the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance.
CAITLIN HEDGE, fiddle & vocals, is an award-winning fiddler, violinist and violist in orchestral and baroque styles, violist d'amore, guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Her most recent albums include The Gentle Shepherd (2025) and The Galant David Rizzio (2022). In 2023, she released her debut solo album of original songs, Stranger. Caitlin performed most recently with Chivalrous Crickets, Alla Boara, Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, and ACRONYM. She is a tenured member of Erie Philharmonic and holds music degrees from Case Western Reserve University, Youngstown State University, and Baldwin Wallace University.
RENÉ SCHIFFER, cello, is praised for this "interpretive imagination and patrician command of the cello" (Cleveland Plain Dealer). A native of Holland, he toured internationally with Sigiswald Kuijken's La Petite Bands for 16 years. He has also performed and recorded with the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and in over 50 projects with Tafelmusik. As a concerto soloist, he has performed at Carnegie Hall and many international venues. He can be heard on over 40 CD recordings across 6 labels.
WILLIAM SIMMS, lutes & guitar, appears regularly with Apollo’s Fire, The Thirteen, Heartland Baroque, Indianapolis Baroque, The Arcadia Players, and The Washington Bach Consort. He has performed numerous operas and oratorios with such ensembles as The Washington National Opera, Opera Philadelphia, and American Opera Theater. Venues include Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, The Barns of Wolf Trap, Tanglewood, and the National Cathedral. He performed on the GRAMMY®-winning Songs of Orpheus with Apollo’s Fire and Karim Sulayman.
TEXTS & TRANSLATIONS
THE BLACKSMITH
A blacksmith courted me, nine months and better, He fairly won my heart, wrote me a letter, With his hammer in his hand, he looked quite clever, And if I were with my love, I’d live forever.
But where is my love gone with his cheeks like roses? He's gone across the sea gathering primroses. I'm afraid the scorching sun will shine and burn his beauty, And if I was with my love, I'd do my duty.
FLOWER OF MAHERALLY
One pleasant summer's morning when all the flowers were springing-oh Nature was adorning and the wee birds sweetly singing-oh I met my love near Banbridge Town, my charming blue-eyed Sally-oh She's the queen of the County Down, the flower of Maherally-oh
With admiration I did gaze upon this blue-eyed maiden-oh Adam wasn't half so much pleased when he met his Eve in Eden-oh Her skin was like the lily white that grows in yonder valley-oh She's my queen and my heart's delight, the flower of Maherally-oh
I hope the day will surely come when we'll join hands together-oh 'Tis then I'll take my darling home, in spite of wind and weather-oh And let them all say what they will, and let them reel and rally-oh I shall wed the girl I love, the flower of Maherally-oh
IN DARKNESS LET ME DWELL
In darkness let me dwell, The ground, shall sorrow be, The roof despair to bar all, All cheerful light from me, The walls of marble black, That moistened still shall weep, My music, hellish jarring sounds, to banish friendly sleep.
Thus wedded to my woes, and bedded in my tomb, O let me living die, till death doth come, In darkness let me dwell.
SÍ BHEAG, SÍ MHÓR
Imreas mór tháinig eidir na ríoghna, Mar fhíoch a d’fhás ón dá chnoc sídhe; Mar a dúirt an tsídh mhór go mb’fhearr i féin Faoi dhó, faoi dho nán an tSídh Bheag.
An tráth chruinnigh na sluaighte bhí an buala teann Ar feadh na machaireacha anonn ‘s anall; ‘s níl aon ariamh dar ghluais ón mbinn Nar chaill a chionn san ar sin.
“Párlí! párlí! a cháirde ghaoil! Sin chugaibh ár námhaid ó Charn Chlann Aoidh, O Bhinn Eachluinn aníos na sluaighte dhíobh, Is bímíd uile uile páirteach!”
THE CUTPURSE
from Ben Johnson’s play Bartholomew Fair, 1614
My masters and friends and good people draw near, And look to your purses, for that I do say, And tho’ little money in them do you wear, It cost me more to get than to lose in a day. You oft have been told, the young and the old, And bidden beware of the cutpurse so bold.
Then if you take heed not, free me from the curse, Who give you fair warning a-gin’ the cutpurse!
Youth, youth, thou had’st better been starv’d at nurse, Then live to be hang’d for cutting a purse.
The players doe tell you at Scarborough Faire, What secret consumptions and rascals you are; For one of their actors, it seems, had the fate, By some of your trade to be fleec-èd of late: Then fall to your prayers, you that are waylayers! They're fit to chouse all the world that can cheat players; For he hath the art, and no man the worse, Whose cunning can pilfer the pilferer's purse. Youth, youth thou had'st better been starv'd at nurse, Then live to be hang'd for cutting a purse.
A great contention arose between the queens, Swelling like a fury from the two fairy hills. For the big fairy hill said that it was superior, Twice over, twice over, to the little fairy hill.
When the hosts gathered there was a terrible battle
To and fro over the plains; And there was none that descended from the peaks Who did not lose his head in that slaughter.
“Truce! truce! dear friends!
Here come our enemies from Carn Clonhugh, Down from Binn Eachluinn in great force, And let us all stand together!”
But oh, you vile nation of cutpurses all, Relent and repent, and amend, and be sound! And know that you ought not by honest mens’ fall, To advance your own fortunes, to die above ground. And tho’ you go gay, in silks, as you may, It is not the highway to heaven (they say).
Repent then, repent ye for better for worse, And kiss not the gallows for cutting a purse.
Youth, youth, thou had’st better been starv’d at nurse, Then live to be hang’d for cut-ting a purse.
TEXTS & TRANSLATIONS (continued)
ÓRÓ MO BHÁIDÍN
Translation by Anna O’Connell
Crochfaidh mé seolta is rachaidh mé siar
Óró mo churaichín ó!
‘S go hoíche Fhéil’ Eoin ní thiocfaidh mé aniar Óró mo bháidín!
Refrain:
Óró mo churaichín ó! Óró mo bháidín
Nach breá í mo bháidín ag snámh ar a’ gcuan Óró mo churaichín ó!
‘S na céaslaí á dtarraingt go láidir ‘s go buan
Refrain
‘S nach éachtach a léimreach thar tonntracha árd, óró, mo bháidín,
‘S nach éatrom í iompar aníos thar an trá, óró, mo bháidín
Refrain
BRIDGET CRUISE, 1st Air
English lyrics by Jeannette Sorrell, adapted from the Gaelic Ah, Bridget lovely, this humble poem I write for thee sincerely! For, by my faith, how I wish that Thou couldst understand my affliction. Thy flowing hair, how it shines like amber! Thy shining eyes, how they steal my heart! Oh, the flame of love it washes o’er me, So that I can barely breathe!
Woe is me, my love! Woe is me! For we should walk together. We should ramble through the forests, Side by side, and hand in hand. We should lie among the flowers.
I will raise the sails and I will go west
Oh my little currach! And not return until the Feast of St. John, Oh my little boat!
Refrain:
Oh my little currach! Oh my little boat
Isn’t my boat lovely, Swimming on the harbor?
Oh my little currach!
And the oars being pulled so strong and so steady, Oh my little boat!
Refrain
And is it not an achievement, to leap up over the high waves, Oh my little currach?
And is it not so easy, to carry back to shore, Oh my little boat!
Refrain
We should sleep under bowers. Wearing foliage for clothing, Side by side, and hand in hand.
Only the voice of my tender harp Can sometimes heal my sorrow. For I feel that Death soon shall call me. But my heart, it belongs to thee.
Thy flowing hair, how it shines like amber!
Thy shining eyes, how they steal my heart!
Since we will never be together, My beloved Bridgette: fare thee well!
DRINK ON, TILL NIGHT BE SPENT
The Pleasant Musical Companion, Book II, 1686
Drink on, till night be spent and sun do shine! Did not the gods give anxious mortals wine To wash all care and trouble from the heart? Why then so soon should jovial fellows part? Come, let this bumper for the next give way. Who’s sure to live and drink another day!
A HEALTH TO THE COMPANY
Kind friends and companions, come join me in rhyme
Come lift up your voices in chorus with mine
Let us drink and be merry, all grief to refrain For we may or might never all meet here again
Refrain:
Here’s a health to the company and one to my lass Let’s drink and be merry all out of one glass Let’s drink and be merry, all grief to refrain For we may or might never all meet here again
Here’s a health to the wee lass that I love so well Her style and her beauty there’s none can excel She smiles on my countenance; she is kind as can be And there's no man in this wide world as happy as me.
Refrain
Our ship lies at harbor, she is ready to sail We shall never forget you; I will write without fail If ever we meet again by land or by sea I will always remember your kindness to me.
Refrain
Here's a health to the all of you if I've named you not Do not think for a moment it's because you're forgot I will treasure the memory, as I call you my friend and I hope some day very soon we all meet again.
Refrain
NOTES ON THE PROGRAM
Our program traces the life story of the blind Irish harper Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738) through music by him and his contemporaries. In his incredible life traveling throughout Ireland, he touched the hearts of many, brought together the worlds of folk music and “high art” music, and further solidified the status of the harp as the national emblem of Ireland.
As the son of a blacksmith, O’Carolan experienced the brutal realities of class stratification from a young age. His deep love for Bridget Cruise was not meant to be as Bridget was the daughter of a landowning family with a castle, and her parents forbid her romance with the son of a blacksmith. O’Carolan would later compose four airs for his childhood flame.
In 1684, the O’Carolans moved from Nobber to Alderford, after Turlough’s father came under the employment of the aristocratic family, the MacDermott Roes. They welcomed the O’Carolans with open arms, and Turlough became lifelong friends with the entire family, and would later write tunes for various members of the family.
At the age of 18, tragedy struck when Turlough contracted smallpox, which blinded him for the rest of his life. Mary MacDermott took care of him by providing for his education and harp lessons for three years. When Turlough turned 21, Mary gave him a horse, a servant and money to begin his journey as an itinerant harper.
His first stop was the home of Squire George Reynolds, himself a harper and poet, who first encouraged O’ Carolan to try writing his own tunes. Upon Reynold’s suggestion, O’Carolan penned his first tune, Sí Bheag, Sí Mhór, based on the legend of the “small fairy mound” and “big fairy mound” which were home to two powerful fairy queens.
Many of O’Carolan’s subsequent tunes were dedicated to patrons to thank them for their hospitality. Others functioned like a diary, recording incidents in his traveling life. In one instance, O’Carolan was feeling unwell and had been told by a doctor to avoid whiskey. Depressed and unable to compose, O’Carolan visited his friend Dr. Stafford, and asked him for a “receipt” (prescription). Knowing his friend well, Stafford secretly handed him a glass of whiskey instead. Revitalized, Carolan immediately composed his joyous tune – his Receipt for Drinking.
In another incident, O'Carolan was challenged to a musical duel by an Italian violinist, possibly Francesco Geminiani, who lived in Dublin for some years. The Italian violinist played a Vivaldi Concerto, and in response, O’Carolan composed and played his own “Concerto,” mimicking the piece he just heard while retaining his own Irish soul. The Italian violinist was reportedly astounded and conceded.
Portrait of Turlough O'Carolan, from R.B. Armstrong "The Irish and Highland Harps", Edinburgh, David Douglas, 1904.
Late in his life, when O’Carolan was on a religious pilgrimage to Lough Derg, a most moving reunion took place. As he was boarding the boat to the island, his hand met the hand of a woman who had reached out to help him. O’Carolan immediately recognized the hand of his childhood flame, and cried out in Irish: “By the hand of my godfather, this is the hand of Bridget Cruise!"
In the spring of 1738, O’Carolan felt a weakness coming over him. Sensing his end was near, he returned to the home of the now elderly Mary MacDermott Roe – the place and people who gave him his life as an itinerant harper. O’Carolan called
for his harp, and played his final piece – his Farewell to Music, before walking upstairs to bed, where he died a few days later. A two-week wake ensued after his death, celebrated by people all over, with harp music round the clock and barrels of ale. With his harp and his music, Turlough O’Carolan touched every soul he met with a beautiful legacy, and left us with a treasure trove of over 200 tunes that provide a fascinating glimpse into Irish cultural life during the Baroque era.
©2026 Alan Choo | Cleveland, OH
Semi-Final Round
July 24 - 28
Final Round July 29 - 31
ABOUT APOLLO’S FIRE
GRAMMY®-winning ensemble Apollo’s Fire was founded by award-winning harpsichordist and conductor Jeannette Sorrell. The period band is dedicated to the baroque ideal that music should move the emotional moods of the listeners.
As a national and international touring ensemble, Apollo’s Fire has performed six European tours, and has appeared at such venues as Carnegie Hall, the BBC Proms in London, Madrid’s Royal Theatre, the National Concert Hall of Ireland, the Tanglewood, Aspen, and Ravinia festivals, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Library of Congress, the National Gallery of Art, and major venues in France, Italy, Austria, Portugal, Toronto, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Chosen by the DAILY TELEGRAPH as one of London’s “Best 5 Classical Concerts of the Year,” Apollo’s Fire’s 2014 London performance was praised for “superlative music-making... combining European stylishness with American entrepreneurialism.”
With over 24 million views of its YouTube videos, Apollo’s Fire has released 30 commercial CDs and won a GRAMMY® award in 2019 for the album Songs of Orpheus with tenor Karim Sulayman. Eleven of the ensemble’s CD releases have become best-sellers on the classical Billboard chart, including Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Monteverdi Vespers, and Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos.
APOLLO’S FIRE and Historical Folk Traditions
For over 20 years, Apollo’s Fire and Jeannette Sorrell have developed a unique ensemble of crossover artists who specialize in early traditional folk repertoire. Steeped in folk traditions as well as historical performance, these artists strive to break down the modern barrier between art music and popular music. They revive the “crossover” spirit of the 17th Century – a time when great composers regularly wrote artful variations on street tunes and tavern songs.
The Apollo’s Fire folk band has toured all over the U.S., and in 2018 performed a 6-concert tour in the UK and Ireland, including the Irish National Concert Hall (Dublin), the Irish National Opera House (Wexford), the Aldeburgh Festival, and a concert at Belfast Castle, broadcast live by European Community Radio. They have been featured in a documentary by BBC Radio.
Apollo’s Fire evokes Ben Franklin’s musical adventures in this lively program of music that was performed in Paris during his 9-year stay, including works by Mozart, Bologne, and Rameau. OCTOBER 15-18 |
Vivaldi’s
Four Seasons
Violinist Alan Choo and Jeannette Sorrell bring the storyline of Vivaldi’s masterpiece to life with joy and surprises! Each concerto is preceded by a quick and polished “tour” of the sound effects to come. NOVEMBER 6 & 13 |
Francisco Fullana and Apollo’s Fire set sparks flying with virtuoso concertos, including the famous “Il Grosso Mogul” violin concerto and Vivaldi’s stormy Concerto for Two Cellos APRIL 15-18 | Bath, Cleveland Heights, & Rocky River in Paris
Echoes ACROSS THE ATLANTIC
Legendary Trinidadian soprano Jeanine De Bique joins AF to explore the historical connections between Europe and the Caribbean colonies in the 18th century.
&
Handel’s MESSIAH
Sound the Trumpet! Jeannette Sorrell and Apollo’s Fire are renowned for their dramatic interpretation of Messiah, filled with spirituality and musical storytelling.
Fiddle Virtuosity
from the Pubs of London
Virtuoso violinist Alan Choo and friends invite you on a delightful romp through John Playford’s fiddle variations, alongside music of Dowland, Eccles, and Purcell.
Bach’s ST. MATTHEW PASSION
Apollo’s Fire and Jeannette Sorrell are thrilled to return to Bach’s legendary masterpiece on the 300th anniversary of its premiere. British tenor Ed Lyon makes his AF debut in this dramatic presentation.
VIVALDI ON Fire
