Ruckus

Davóne Tines, bass-baritone

What is Your Hand in This?

Sanders Theatre

SAT JAN 31 8PM

Ruckus
Doug Balliett electric bass, arrangements, compositions
Elliot Figg harpsichord, piano, electric keyboard
Keir GoGwilt violin
Manami Mizumoto viola
Paul Holmes Morton baroque guitar
Shelby Yamin violin
Clay Zeller-Townson baroque bassoon, taille, percussion, research
Davóne Tines bass-baritone

with the
Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum
Dr. Hana J. Cai, conductor

Bass-baritone Davóne Tines isn’t just a powerhouse vocalist—he’s a force of nature. Hailed as “a singer of immense power and fervor,” and “[one] of the most powerful voices of our time” (Los Angeles Times), he brings more than just breathtaking sound to the stage. With boundless curiosity and razor-sharp intellect, Tines delves into the stories that connect us, exploring themes of perseverance, identity, and the connections that shape our lives.

Early music band Ruckus infuses every work with vitality and immediacy, giving their period-instrument performances the spontaneity and verve of a jazz improvisation or pub session.

Together, this ensemble and singular vocalist form the perfect pairing to reflect on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Giving new life to Colonial- and Revolutionary-era hymns, ballads, and Baroque compositions, Ruckus and Tines embark on a musical journey that weaves through the pre-Civil War period, the Civil Rights era, and into the present day.

This event is part of Everyone 250, Boston's living movement that makes history visible and inclusive.

Detailed program

PART I
Stephen Foster Beautiful Dreamer (1864)
Douglas Balliett (b. 1982) Overture from Compassion Preludes (2025)
Balliett The Four F’s from Compassion Preludes
Traditional / arr. Davóne Tines (b. 1986) Be the Lover of My Soul (2025)

PART II
George Frederic Handel (1685-1759) Concerto Grosso No. 10 in D minor, Op. 6: mvt 2
Balliett Scherzo from Compassion Preludes
John Dickinson (1732-1808) / arr. Balliett The Liberty Song (1768/2025)
Handel Concerto Grosso No. 10 in D minor, Op. 6: mvt 4
George W. Clark (dates unknown) What Mean Ye? (1845)

PART III
Sawney Freeman (1769-1828) A New Death March (1801?)
Simpson To the White People of America (1854)
Freeman The Rays of Liberty (1801?)
Balliett Federal Nations (2025), incorporating the following:
Benjamin Carr (1768-1831) The Federal Overture (1794)
Handel “Why do the Nations so Furiously Rage” from Messiah (1741)
Allan & Robinson / arr. Tines & Balliett The House I Live In (1942/2025)

PART IV
Julius Eastman (1940-1990) Buddha (1984)
Clyde Otis (1924-2008) / arr. Tines & Balliett This Bitter Earth (1960)
Tines, arr. Balliett What is My Hand in This? (2025)
William Billings (1746-1800) / arr. Balliett Chester (1778)
Sam Cooke (1931-1964) A Change is Gonna Come (1964)
Balliett Nunc Dimittis from Compassion Preludes
Traditional / arr. Tines Be the Lover of My Soul (Reprise)