'Come to the River' at Huntington Playhouse June 20

Anyone who is familiar with the work of irrepressible conductor and harpsichordist Jeannette Sorrell knows that her brain fairly sizzles with creative energy, which seems to have burst its banks and extended down past the ends of her iconic curly ginger locks. The brain wave responsible for the creation of the period instrument ensemble Apollo’s Fire in 1992 continues to pulse with high theatrical energy, as the group expands into more and more venues throughout northeast Ohio, the country, and (starting next fall) the world.   

From June 18-25, Apollo’s Fire will be performing at Huntington Playhouse in Bay Village, the Bath Church in Bath, the Morley Music Hall in Painesville, and will make its debut at Cain Park in Cleveland Heights. The effervescent Sorrell seems as excited about these concerts as she is about her group’s European debut in the fall. For the occasion, she has been reworking last summer’s runaway hit, “Come to the River,” which played to standing ovations in 10 sold-out concerts in its original form last year. 

“We are thrilled to be bringing these concerts to so many new venues,” she says, with pride.  “It will be such a joy to connect with new neighborhood communities in this way – with music that is full of human stories and emotions.” 

“Come to the River” was inspired by Sorrell’s encounter with the Revivalist culture as a 15-year old pianist in a small Baptist country church in Virginia. The beautiful harmonies of the shape-note hymns, the passionate singing of the congregation, and the sense of communal ecstasy when someone came forward to be "saved" made quite an impression on the gifted young musician. 

In “Come to the River” Sorrell explores the rich but neglected traditions of shape-note singing, New England barn dances, murderous Appalachian ballads, and the revival hymns of the late 18th-century tunesmiths.  For over ten years, she has been developing a unique ensemble of crossover artists who specialize in historically informed early American, Scottish, and British traditional/folk repertoire.  Tailor-made for this kind of program, they have immersed themselves in the folk traditions and improvisatory musical idioms of the 17th and 18th centuries and will be performing on period instruments such as wooden flutes, fiddles, and hammered dulcimer.

Featured performers include singer/actors Abigail Lennox, Scott Mello, Paul Shipper, and Sandra Simon; and baroque and folk flautist Kathie Stewart and hammered dulcimer player Tina Bergmann, both renowned in their fields.

Coinciding with these performances will be the celebratory release of the ensemble’s new “Come to the River” CD recording, destined for worldwide release on the British label AVIE in 2011, but available in a limited edition at these concerts in June.

Apollo's Fire performs "Come to the River" at Huntington Playhouse on Sunday, June 20 at 1:30 and 5:00 p.m. Tickets are $15–$30 for adults, $15 for patrons under 30 years old, and $10 for children and students. For specific ticket pricing, concert locations and directions, call the Apollo’s Fire Box Office at 800-314-2535 or 216-320-0012. For more information, visit www.apollosfire.org.