We The People Apollo Chamber Players

• Daniel Bernard Roumain (b. 1971): And Still We Cross:
• 1 Roumain: And Still We Cross 16:25
• Ludwig van Beethoven ((1770 - 1827): Fantasy on Symphony No. 7:
• 2 Beethoven: Fantasy on Symphony No. 7: Allegretto Groovando 06:54
• John Corigliano (b. 1938): One Sweet Morning:
• 3 Corigliano: One Sweet Morning 05:58
• Homayoun Sakhi (b. 1976): String Quartet No. 1:
• 4 Sakhi: String Quartet No. 1: Tolo (Sunrise) 08:52
• John Cornelius: PAX:
• 5 Cornelius: PAX: Prologue / Isle of Self 03:08
• 6 Cornelius: PAX: Give Us Our Peace 04:07
• 7 Cornelius: PAX: Interlude / Give Us Our Peace 01:34
• 8 Cornelius: PAX: The Dove 01:19
• 9 Cornelius: PAX: People 03:00
• 10 Cornelius: PAX: PAX / Painting 02:04
• Marcus Maroney: The Color Blue: Part 1:
• 11 Maroney: The Color Blue: Part 1: For the Fourth 06:28
• The Color Blue: Part 2:
• 12 Maroney: The Color Blue: Part 2: Thought--Prayer 03:03
• The Color Blue: Part 3:
• 13 Maroney: The Color Blue: Part 3: The Color Blue 08:44
• Howard Hansen (1896 - 1981): Song of Democracy:
• 14 Hansen: Song of Democracy 12:22
• Total Runtime 01:23:58

Info for We The People

Apollo Chamber Players are releasing a new album, "We the People", capturing musical narratives from the American experience in advance of the nation’s 250th birthday.

In this ninth studio album, Apollo presents a bold musical tapestry celebrating the ideals, complexities, and evolving story of American democracy at this milestone juncture. Featuring new commissions, world premieres, and transformative reimaginings, the recording amplifies voices from across cultures, eras, and communities whose lived experiences help define the collective meaning of “We the People” – envisioned by the nation’s founders but unfulfilled in their time and even in ours. From Beethoven’s Enlightenment-rooted humanism to contemporary reflections from Afghan, African-American, Haitian-American, Jewish-American, and student creators, each work explores how democracy is dreamed of, challenged, and renewed.

“This album reflects the dimensions of American democracy,” said Apollo founder and violinist Matthew J. Detrick. “Its ideals, its contradictions, its immigrant stories, its struggles for equality, its cultural plurality, its future, and its collective imagination.”

We the People opens with Haitian-American composer Daniel Bernard Roumain’s And Still We Cross, a dramatic contemporary work exploring the legacies of 19th-century African-American luminaries Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington. Composed for string quartet, vocal quartet, and narrator, the composition brings this piece of American heritage to life through the eyes and voice of Kenneth Morris Jr., a living descendant of both figures, infusing the album with an essential and lived perspective on racial justice and American identity.

Apollo Chamber Players

Apollo Chamber Players
Apollo’s “performances have rhythmic flair and doses of virtuosity” (The Strad), and the ensemble has “found fruitful territory” (Houston Chronicle) in the cultural diversity of its hometown Houston, TX. Apollo Chamber Players has gained prestige through innovative, thematically-programmed concerts and educational activities, and the commissioning of new music. During their 2013 East Coast Tour and Carnegie Hall debut, the group performed for over 1,000 enthusiastic concert-goers, including dignitaries from the Consulates General of Bulgaria and the Czech Republic of New York. Recent touring engagements include concerts for Chamber Music Society of Little Rock, Seattle University (WA), Grand Junction Symphony (CO), and in Lake Charles (LA) and Fredericksburg (TX).

Winner of HoustonPress’ 2014 MasterMinds award, Apollo was one of three organizations in Houston to be recognized for positively impacting the local arts community. This past season Apollo collaborated with Houston METdance for concert productions at Wortham and Miller Outdoor Theaters, and it was the featured ensemble for Concert at the Villa, an AIDS Ministry event sponsored by Catholic Charities Houston. In September 2014, the organization launched a multi-year commissioning project, 20x2020, with a new work by Grammy winning composer Libby Larsen, and in recent seasons the ensemble has collaborated with acclaimed artists James Dunham, Ivo-Jan van der Werff, Timothy Pitts, Ismail Lumanovski, and Viktor Valkov. Apollo is featured frequently on American Public Media’s nationally syndicated program, Performance Today.

"European Folkscapes makes folk music come to life effectively." (American Record Guide.) Apollo’s debut album earned ‘Album of the Week’ honors by WQXR in New York City has reached millions of listeners through national and international airplay. Passionate about arts education, the ensemble curates culturally-enriching programs for performance through Young Audiences of Houston, and it presents concerts and masterclasses for schools and festivals across the country.

Booklet for We The People