Apollo’s Fire celebrates 25 years

Apollo's Fire, the Cleveland Baroque Orchestra.

Celebrating 25 years in Northeast Ohio, the Cleveland Heights-based Apollo’s Fire is set to begin its 2016–17 season under artistic director Jeannette Sorrell. Committed to performing Baroque music the way it was meant to be performed—alive and full of emotional impact—Apollo’s Fire brings world-class performances practically to your doorstep.

The season will begin in October with Resplendent Purcell, a large-scale program of choral works never before heard on period instruments in Northeast Ohio. Henry Purcell wrote his most majestic music for royal events at Westminster Abbey—from joyous birthday celebrations to the heartbreakingly beautiful lamentations at Queen Mary’s funeral. The program will bring together vocal soloists and the acclaimed Apollo’s Singers, with strings, lutes, recorders, trumpets, percussion and organ.

“I am thrilled to open the season with this majestic and rarely heard music of Henry Purcell," Sorrell said. "Purcell is like Monteverdi, in that they are both among the top six or seven great composers of all time, but are not household names, since their music doesn’t really work on modern instruments. So symphony orchestras don’t play their music. I think people will be stunned to discover this resplendent music that Purcell wrote to mark the joys and sorrows of the royal family. This music was intended for Westminster Abbey, so we are delighted to present it in reverberant stone churches.”

You can hear the program locally on Oct. 7 and 8, at 8 p.m., at First Baptist Church in Shaker Heights.

Information and tickets are available at www.apollosfire.org or by calling the box office at 216-320-0012.