Sugarloaf Mountain: An Appalachian Gathering —Amanda Powell & Ross Hauck, vocals; Apollo’s Fire/Jeannette Sorrell (Avie 2329)
Apollo’s Fire unveiled this new program last month in performances (and CD release parties) around Northeast Ohio. Founder Jeannette Sorrell who arranged the music, plays the harpsichord and directs the ensemble, says this is not a sequel to the group’s phenomenally successful 2010 program, Come to the River. “If anything, it’s a prequel,” she says, “Reaching back in time to explore the earliest roots of the Appalachian heritage.” From the CD notes: “Long ago, the sparkling fiddle tunes and haunting ballads of the British Isles came across the water, taking root in the hills of Virginia, mingling with the Southern hymns and African spirituals, creating the soulful music we call Appalachian. The people of the mountains raise their communal voices in celebration of daily life: love, singing, dancing and prayer.”
Featured Tue 1/12, Tue 1/26 (originally featured in July 2015)