ECHOES Across the Atlantic

GRAMMY®-winners Apollo’s Fire and Jeannette Sorrell are thrilled to join with legendary Trinidadian soprano Jeanine De Bique to explore the historical connections between Europe and the Caribbean colonies in the 18th century. Across the waters, tales of love, despair, and resilience emerge from the palaces of Europe and the plantations of the Caribbean – with surprising resonance for today.
 
A suite from Handel’s masterful Agrippina (1709) leads to a dramatic recitation from a Caribbean funeral oration of the same year, lamenting the murder of an enslaved man by the plantation owner. A thrilling orchestral suite by Rameau leads to his flirtatious aria “Air de la Folie – Aux langueurs d’Apollon” from Platée, which explodes into a joyous Creole wedding celebration. The virtuoso music of Handel, Purcell, Rameau and Vivaldi meets the soulful voices of Caribbean poets in this celebration of our shared humanity.
 
Jeanine De Bique is hailed as “one of the most exciting sopranos to catch onstage these days” (Operawire). Conductor/harpsichordist Jeannette Sorrell is praised as “a master musical storyteller” (Seen & Heard International, UK). Drawing “resplendent performances” (New York Times) from her ensemble, she is known for her compelling explorations of multicultural influences in early music, creating timely programs that ask us to ponder our shared history.
 
PERSONNEL: Approximately 21 artists, including Ms. De Bique and Ms. Sorrell (13 strings, 2-3 woodwinds, 1 theorbo, 1 baroque harp, 1 Caribbean percussionist, and Ms. Sorrell at the harpsichord)

FROM THE CRITICS:

“Jeannette Sorrell and her dazzling period band [Apollo’s Fire]… are incandescent.”
– The Sunday Times, London

“Jeanine De Bique is one of the most exciting sopranos to catch onstage these days. Animated, joyful, and technically flawless.”
– Operawire

“Apollo’s Fire, the lauded group from Cleveland, brings joyous spontaneity to its performances.”
– The New Yorker

“[De Bique has] sheer endless wealth of colour and nuance [and] a radiant, free-floating timbre.”
– Opernwelt

“Superlative music-making… combining European stylishness and American entrepreneurialism”
– The Telegraph, London