Fall of Freedom Potluck @ the Spaceship with Andrew Chukwuka Egbuchiem, Countertenor

When Freedom Fell: Songs of Captivity and Release

Andrew Chukwuka Egbuchiem, Countertenor

Program Note

Freedom does not always end with chains. Sometimes, it slips away quietly — in the name of love, devotion, or fear. These songs explore the delicate boundary between surrender and captivity, between what confines us and what redeems us. From Handel’s entranced lovers and broken vows to Schubert’s quiet ache of yearning, from Purcell’s futile flight to the enduring hope of the spirituals, this program traces the many faces of captivity — emotional, spiritual, and divine.

Even when freedom falls, the soul continues to sing.

I. Illusions of Freedom — Baroque Reflections on Love and Loss

(Devotion, illusion, and the ache of farewell)

Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741) – Vedrò con mio diletto, from Il Giustino (1724)
A tender expression of longing and devotion, where desire and hope intertwine.

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) – Ombra mai fu, from Serse (1738)
A serene homage to beauty, offering a moment of quiet reflection amid emotional turbulence.

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) – Verdi prati, from Alcina (1735)
Ruggiero bids farewell to the illusory paradise of love and enchantment, confronting the fleeting nature of desire.

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) – Lascia ch’io pianga, from Rinaldo (1711)
Almirena voices profound sorrow and longing, yearning for freedom while held captive.

II. The Quiet Ache — Romantic & Art Song

(Love remembered, dreamed, and unreturned)

Franz Schubert (1797–1828) – Du bist die Ruh (1823)
A meditation on peace and yearning, where love is both sanctuary and sorrow.

Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924) – Après un rêve (1877)
A fleeting vision of love that fades with waking.

Gerald Finzi (1901–1956) – Two Lips (1946)
A tender reflection on parting, where even a kiss cannot hold love from fading.

Leslie Adams (1932–2024) – For You There Is No Song (1980)
A modern whisper of heartbreak — the silence left after devotion.

Leslie Adams (1932–2024) – Since You Went Away (1995)
A gentle elegy for love’s absence, grief softened by gratitude.

III. The Spirit’s Resistance — From Sorrow to Strength

Traditional Spiritual, arr. H.T. Burleigh (1866–1949) – Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child (1917)
A cry of longing from a soul far from home.

Traditional Spiritual, arr. H.T. Burleigh (1866–1949) – Go Down Moses (1917)
A story of deliverance and hope, rising from oppression.

Traditional Spiritual, arr. H.T. Burleigh (1866–1949) – I Don’t Feel No-ways Tired (1917)
A testament of endurance, faith, and resilience amid struggle.

Encore

Giuseppe Giordani (1751–1798) – Caro mio ben (1783)
A gentle remembrance — love, though lost, remains cherished.