Formed 30 years ago, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s IN UNISON Chorus creates performances that transcend concert halls. Now, the chorus of more than 100 volunteers will expand their reach through a partnership with MorningStar Music Publishers, which will release their music internationally beginning in early April.
“For 30 years, the IN UNISON Chorus has been a pioneering ensemble, meaningfully expanding the choral-orchestral repertoire of music by Black voices,” Marie-Hélène Bernard, SLSO president and CEO, said in a recent press release. “MorningStar Music Publishers, with its strong network globally, is an essential partner in sharing this important body of music.”
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IN UNISON Chorus began as an extension of the SLSO’s community engagement initiatives with local churches. Originally intended as a one-time performance for SLSO’s African Portraits, the chorus received so much support that it was established as a resident chorus. SLSO hosts many events that highlight the excellence of IN UNISON, including the annual Lift Every Voice: Black History Month Celebration concert. Their holiday concert, A Gospel Christmas, has become a festive annual tradition.
Scores will be published by April 1, and additional compositions will be added to the series at a later date. Initial offerings will include Emorja G. Roberson’s “Lord, I am Grateful”—a soulful piece first performed at IN UNISON’s 2023 Lift Every Voice Concert—and Isaac Cate’s piece “It’s Working,” a sonorous ballad incorporating soft classic sounds that first premiered in 2019.
MorningStar is renowned for its publication of classical and choral genres. Exposure from MorningStar means broadening the reach of gospel repertoire, something Kevin McBeth, director of IN UNISON Chorus, is proud of. McBeth has been the director for IN UNISON since 2011, and he will serve as the editor for the MorningStar publications going forward.
“The legacy of this new choral series is not only the realization of a dream,” McBeth said in a recent press release, “but an opportunity to share the SLSO’s vision with choruses and orchestras around the world.”
