Apollo Chamber Players: 'We The People'

Celebrations of the 250th anniversary of America have not gone entirely to plan, but enjoy storytelling, today’s issues and ideas with Apollo Chamber Players and ‘We The People’.

This latest album from Apollo Chamber Players is a stunning collection of music that reflects both the stories and the future of America as it celebrates 250 years since its birth.

The opening track: And Still We Cross brings an idea of those who travelled from around the world and ‘discovered’ America, bringing the idea that we all walk in their footsteps.

I’ve interviewed Apollo founder and violinist Matthew J. Detrick, in November 2021, January 2023 and September 2025. Of this latest release, he says: “This album reflects the dimensions of American democracy. Its ideals, its contradictions, its immigrant stories, its struggles for equality, its cultural plurality, its future, and its collective imagination.”

There is so much to uncover - both musically and in the story-telling - in this album and I highly recommend getting your headphones on and indulging in the variety of sounds around the string quartet. The use of voices (solos, small groups, choirs and narration) is particularly engaging and there are also additional solos on strings and electric guitar

The closing track is particularly moving: Howard Hansen and Mark Buller’s Song of Democracy is based on the poetry of Walt Whitman, featuring the Apollo Chamber Players string quartet and the Kinder HSPVA Chorale, with additional viola from Tonya Burton. Once again, Apollo Chamber Players are making music for us all to enjoy and to provoke thought.

‘We the People’ from Apollo Chamber Players is available as a digital release on Azica Records