In 1973 the British composer Geoffrey Burgon (1941 – 2010), famed for his soundtracks for movies and TV (Life of Brian; Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; Brideshead Revisited), premiered a choral tour-de-force at the Three Choirs Festival titled “The Fire of Heaven.” Ostensibly scored for (appropriately) three choirs, it actually requires 27 different voice parts. The three movements set prose by the mystic Thomas Traherne, and they demonstrate both originality and accessibility. The demands of the work have limited its performance, but on Sunday, November 8, the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus – who gave the US premiere back in 1995 – will offer a rare chance to hear it live. The venue is the appropriately resonant Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, on Lindell Boulevard, in the city’s Central West End. Tickets are now available from Cathedral Concerts (i.e., not from the Chamber Chorus itself) (314) 533-7662.
Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis4431 Lindell Boulevard
Central West End
Saint Louis, Missouri 63108
United States
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