Season: 2018-2019

Never before heard on period instruments in Northeast Ohio, Bach’s magnificent Mass features a large and colorful orchestra, including several unusual instruments. Conductor Jeannette Sorrell and her choir and orchestra are internationally respected for compelling performances of Bach’s sacred works.

This sequel to last year’s hit program, “Three Duels and a Wedding,” takes a darker turn… sort of. Sparks fly as pairs of virtuoso soloists square off in dueling quadruple-concertos of Vivaldi, as well as the exhilarating Brandenburg Concerto no. 3. Telemann’s zany Funeral Cantata for a Dead Canary, delivered with tragic-comic aplomb by singer-actor Jeffrey Strauss, will leave you in tears… of laughter.

Join four violinist “angels” as they journey through the ancient Mysteries of the Rosary – from the Annunciation through the Crucifixion and the triumphal Resurrection. Each of these stunning sonatas by Heinrich Biber uses a different and special tuning of the violin. With cello, theorbos, and organ, this is an evening of gorgeous virtuosity.

The program that premiered in 5 sold-out concerts last year returns in a lively new version. Fiddlers, singers, hammered dulcimer, bagpipes, and a whistle-playing dancer join with children’s voices to evoke the Celtic roots of an Appalachian Christmas. The people of the mountains welcome Christmas with LOVE, SINGING, DANCING and PRAYER.

Praised on both sides of the Atlantic for their “visionary” approach, conductor Jeannette Sorrell and her actor-singers take Handel’s masterpiece back to its roots as a theatrical and spiritual journey. No one does Messiah like Apollo’s Fire! An inspiring holiday tradition.

In this new program from Jeannette Sorrell, music and poetry evoke a “tour” of the Jewish, Christian, Arab, and Armenian quarters of Jerusalem. Selections from Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 echo the rapturous singing of Jewish cantors in the temples. Medieval harp, oud, and exotic percussion blend with Arabic love songs and Sephardic ballads. The performers, including musicians of Jewish, Muslim, and Christian backgrounds, join in celebration of brotherhood and sisterhood.