Apollo Chamber Players Premieres John Corigliano’s “One Sweet Morning”

Now available in a new arrangement, the standalone song has previously been used to commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11

The Apollo Chamber Players recently commissioned and performed the world-premiere arrangement for string quintet and voice of “One Sweet Morning,” written by the American composer John Corigliano. 

Initially penned in 2005 for voice and piano, “One Sweet Morning” also formed the final piece of a song cycle written in 2011 for the New York Philharmonic to commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11. 

“[The song cycle] consisted of four songs, three of which commented about war in different centuries and cultures,” Corigliano explained in a program note. “The final song, ‘One Sweet Morning’ is a prayer for the end of war.”

“Yip Harburg, the lyricist for the musical Finian’s Rainbow and the movie The Wizard of Oz wrote the poem which I then set to music,” he added. “His lyric about a time when ‘the rose will bloom…peace will come’ was an inspiration for me. This song can stand alone, and I chose to orchestrate it for Apollo Chamber Players for voice and string quintet. They came up with a fascinating voice type to perform it — a countertenor. I have great admiration for Apollo, and I am very eager to hear their performance and recording.”

The ensemble’s newly released performance video was recorded in Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in Houston, Texas.

This performance features Apollo Chamber Players members including violinists Matthew J. Detrick and Anabel Ramirez Detrick, violist Aria Cheregosha, cellist Matthew Dudzik, and guest artists countertenor John Holiday and double bassist Ella Sharpe. The video can be viewed below.

Founded in 2008 by violinist and music entrepreneur Matthew J. Detrick, the Houston-based Apollo Chamber Players is now entering its 17th season. The ensemble is featured regularly on American Public Media’s Performance Today and has performed for sold-out audiences at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. 

The group has also won Chamber Music America’s Residency Partnership award and is the first American chamber ensemble to record and perform in Cuba. Apollo’s fifth studio album, “With Malice Toward None,” on Azica Records, reached No. 1 on Amazon’s Hot New Release chart. 

The group’s collaborating artists have included Jennifer Higdon, Libby Larsen, Pamela Z, Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, Hector del Curto, Vân Ánh Võ, and Tracy Silverman.