America Independent, or The Temple of Minerva at Arch Street Meeting House

Tempesta di Mare, the Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra, presents the first fully orchestral performance in 250 years of America Independent, or The Temple of Minerva, the first American oratorio. Originally premiered on December 11, 1781, the work features music by Handel and Arne with a libretto by Declaration of Independence signer Francis Hopkinson. Soloists Meg Bragle, Gabriela Estephanie Solís, and Maren Montalbano, all mezzos-soprano, and baritone Brian Ming Chu perform under the direction of Gwyn Roberts and Richard Stone, with Emlyn Ngai as concertmaster. Handel's Water Music in F (HWV 348), featuring a pair of solo horns, rounds out the program.