Saint Louis Chamber Chorus - Choral Elements Fire: The Fire of Heaven

Saint Louis Chamber Chorus continues its 2026-2027 season at The Cathedral Basilica on Sunday, November 8, with The Fire of Heaven. The concert is the second in their new series, Choral Fire, and they're sharing the stage with choristers from Lindbergh High School. Together they'll perform Missa Brevis, a piece commissioned from British composer Kerensa Briggs, which the chorus is bringing back for this performance.

The program runs from the Spanish Renaissance to the present day. You'll hear Duo Seraphim by Francisco Guerrero, and Hora Est by Felix Mendelssohn, which he wrote as a teenager and which calls for four separate choirs. The title piece, The Fire of Heaven by Geoffrey Burgon, takes that a step further with 27 separate voice parts. The set rounds out with Flame, a recent work by Ben Parry, who conducts the National Youth Choir of Great Britain.

Between the Renaissance, the early Mendelssohn, and the newer commissions, the program covers a few centuries of choral writing. The high school collaboration on the Briggs piece adds another layer to the mix, bringing in younger voices alongside the chorus. It's a wide-ranging set in the new season.

The Fire of Heaven is at The Cathedral Basilica, 4431 Lindell Blvd, on Sunday, November 8, starting at 3 PM. This is a ticketed event; tickets can be purchased at chamberchorus.org or cathedralconcerts.org, or at the Cathedral Basilica on the day of the concert.