FAQs
7HB & ATTENDING OUR CONCERTS
Q: What music does 7HB play?
A: We offer historically informed performances of Baroque music (ca. 1600-1750) on period instruments.
Q: What instruments do 7HB musicians play? What are period instruments?
A: Also known as “original instruments,” 7HB performs on period instruments: antique, or faithful modern replicas of, Baroque-era instruments.
Q: What’s the cost?
A: With limited exceptions, concerts are free, and open to the public. Donations of any amount are strongly encouraged and graciously accepted. Check our calendar events or our socials for final details.
Q: What should I wear?
A: There’s no dress code. Come as you are - from work boots to your Sunday best.
Q: How long is a typical concert?
A: We recommend planning for two hours.
Q: What should I expect during a 7HB concert?
A: Think of our concerts as “glorified jam sessions!” We adhere to some familiar conventions: for example, our musicians usually wear black and bow together. But we also do some less formal things: choose your seat, chat/ask/nerd away with our musicians and meet their instruments, smile, and have as much fun as we do at our concerts - which is a lot!
Baroque-era audiences often clapped after their favorites, or even during the music after a really interesting bit or rousing solo. We encourage you to do the same, even if you’re the only one. It’s not awkward, we promise, and our musicians love the encouragement.
7HB events are a fun, educational, and welcoming experience for all patrons. Our concerts are family-friendly, collegial, and intimate. No matter who you are, you’re welcome in our spaces. Come explore the splendor and magic of Baroque music with us!
Q: What should I not do?
A: Except for intermission, please do not: talk, eat or drink, cough or fidget unnecessarily, or use your phone. We also ask that you stay home if you are feeling unwell.
Q: Can my child attend?
A: Absolutely. We trust parents to judge whether their child of any age is able to attend. Further, we encourage children to come and meet our musicians and their instruments!
Q: Why are you named Seven Hills Baroque (7HB)?
A: Because Cincinnati, our home base, is nicknamed “the city of seven hills.” We aren’t sure why - perhaps it’s a nod to ancient Rome (Cincinnati is named after Roman war general Cincinnatus), or the fact that we are positive that Cincinnati has at least seven hills.
Either way, credit goes to Anne Delfin (married to our Artistic director, Michael) for the awesome name.
Q: Can I hire you?
A: Please do. Contact us and we will be in touch! We can work with a variety of venue types, ensemble sizes, and budgets.
HISTORICALLY INFORMED PERFORMANCE (abbreviated “HIP”) & BAROQUE MUSIC
Q: What is historically informed performance?
A: Abbreviated HIP, or simply called historical performance, you might think of historically informed performance as the musical equivalent of a historical reenactment. Using historical equipment and scholarly research, HIP is a specialized field which strives to recreate the diverse sounds of past musical eras in the present day. HIP encompasses music from ancient times to the early 20th century. We use the phrase early music as a blanket term for the repertoire HIP ensembles perform.
The HIP movement began in the mid-20th century as a kind of musical revolution. A growing number of academics and musicians at that time believed that modern interpretations of early music had stylistically diverged too much from the “originals.” In response, HIP pioneers founded the first HIP ensembles and founded HIP educational programs. They also focused on reconstructing early instruments and language, musical notation, and performance techniques.
Enthralling musicians and audiences alike with the rediscovery of forgotten musical worlds, the HIP movement spread like wildfire through the decades that followed, and remains alight in schools, communities, and concert halls worldwide.
Q: How do you know what music sounded like before there were recordings?
A: We don’t for certain! HIP specialists use a mix of scholarly research, manuscripts and treatises, surviving instruments, and even sources such as dancing instructions and artwork to influence modern-day historical performances.
Even more obscure finds - such as tuning forks, and surviving recipes for making gut strings - have been used to recreate the sounds of earlier musical eras as best we can.
Q: What is Baroque music?
A: Baroque music is the predominant style of Western Classical music written between roughly 1600-1750.
The term “Baroque” is derived from the Portuguese word barroco, meaning “misshapen pearl,” originally (but no longer) a pejorative term for the unusual but elegant characteristics of Baroque art and music.
Baroque music is generally characterized by ornate, winding melodies, and bass lines which drive the music forward rhythmically.
Q: What’s the big deal with Baroque music/HIP? Why does it matter?
A: Today, Baroque music is often associated with wigged aristocrats and extravagant palaces. However, beneath the veneer of jacquard cloaks and gold filigree is a treasure trove of musical gems:
Baroque music was written to be emotionally powerful and immensely stirring to the listener. There’s even a name for this phenomenon: Affects! Baroque music celebrates the human experience: our strongest emotions, who we love and worship, and the many highs and lows of life. It’s music written for us, by people like us, from a long-gone era. That’s really special.
Our audience members have called Baroque music “cleansing,” “being completely transfixed” and “felt like floating.” In our modern, fast-paced world, connecting with ourselves and our history in this way is increasingly important.
HIP is a (not boring!) history lesson. As the last candles of the 18th century burned out, so did societal and musical tastes for Baroque music. Fortunately, the HIP movement has allowed today’s audiences to revisit this profoundly beautiful music in a way not seen (or heard) since the 17-18th century.
Baroque music influenced - or is a direct ancestor of - much of the music you hear on today’s airwaves. Composed at the height of the Enlightenment, an age of unparalleled innovation and discovery, much Baroque music remains “the industry standard.” University music students worldwide are required to play, study, and analyze the music of J.S. Bach (and NASA chose his music to send into space). The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Deep Purple, and the bands Necrophagist and Sonata Arctica are just a few modern-day artists who’ve regularly drawn inspiration from Baroque music.
Q: How does a historically informed performance of Baroque music differ than a “modern” one?
A: The biggest differences are the playing/singing styles and techniques, and the historical versions of some instruments. Baroque-era musicians did many things differently, from how they held their instruments to where they stood on stage, which HIP ensembles strive to recreate as well.
Modern ensembles generally tune their instruments to the frequency A=440Hz. Alternatively, many HIP ensembles who specialize in Baroque music (including 7HB) default to one half-step (semitone) lower: A=415Hz. While tuning wasn’t standardized in the Baroque era (and it varied with geography), it’s well established that pitch and tuning has trended higher over time, and A=415Hz was a tuning pitch used during the 18th century. A=415Hz is a convenient, uniform, historical tuning pitch that HIP ensembles can agree on - no matter where we perform.
By and large, historical performances boast a delightful crispness and clarity of sound. You will hear the rich warmth and overtones of gut-string instruments in contrast to the focused, projecting brightness of modern wound metal strings; the metallic harpsichord rather than the mahogany piano; and vocalists often use “straight-tone” technique, which differs from the larger, wider vibrato commonly used today.
OTHER IMPORTANT STUFF
Q: What’s the best way to support you?
A: Here’s some of our favorites.
Donate to our ensemble - whether sponsoring a concert, or a $5 Venmo, every dollar truly counts!
Attend our concerts
Provide valuable feedback about our mission, performances, and impact in the community
Spread the word about our concerts and our mission
Share our social media posts
Invite your family and friends to our concerts
Q: I am a musician. Can I play with 7HB?
A: Please read our “Information for Musicians” at the bottom of our contact page.