Chesterfield Philharmonic Choir celebrates three living composers at autumn concert
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Light, devotion, and the celestial is explored in afternoon performance.
Chesterfield Philharmonic Choir will present contemporary choral masterworks at their autumn concert.
The concert, titled Voices Among the Spheres, will be presented at St John’s Church, Walton Back Lane, Chesterfield on November 7, 2026, at 3pm.
Under the direction of Steven Roberts—now in his 30th year with the Philharmonic—the choir will perform works that explore light, devotion, and the celestial in a celebration of the work of three living composers.elebrate the work of three living composers.
The concert opens with the first movement of the Sunrise Mass, called The Spheres, by Norwegian born composer Ola Gjeilo. The piece invites listeners into a soundworld that feels both intimate and infinite.
Next, the choir presents “Ubi Caritas” by celebrated American composer Dan Forrest, whose music the ensemble recently brought to life in a widely praised performance of Requiem for the Living. Forrest’s setting of the ancient text is tender, luminous, and deeply moving.
The programme culminates in John Rutter’s joyful “Magnificat”, a modern choral favourite bursting with colour, rhythmic energy, and Rutter’s unmistakable melodic flair, the work promises a thrilling and uplifting finale.
Tickets cost £15 (adults), free for students, unemployed and under 16s, available from choir members, www.chesterfieldphilchoir.org.uk, and from Denise Phelps: [email protected], also in advance and on the door from from St John’s Church.