The Central Methodist University Chorale Singers will perform a new work by internationally recognized composer Jackson Berkey, an original member of the group Mannheim Steamroller.

Berkey wrote the piece, Voices from Heaven, especially for the choirs of the Swinney Conservatory of Music at CMU. The work will debut in St. Charles at a special performance at First St. Charles United Methodist Church at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 12. 

Conducted by Dr. Thomas Clark, director of choral activities, the Chorale will be accompanied by Dr. Melissa Loehnig Simons, dean of the Conservatory, on piano, as well as Matthew Hamilton and Brandon Prince on trumpet and alto saxophone, respectively. The Chorale Singers are known as CMU’s premier chamber choir, an ensemble made up of undergraduates who strive for academic excellence, individual achievement, and social responsibility through their music. 

“Voices from Heaven is a musical meditation on the journey home,” said Clark. “Jackson Berkey has created a work that speaks to the deepest human questions: faith, eternity, and the hope that lies beyond this life. The music is both intimate and transcendent, and it has been a tremendous privilege for our students to bring this extraordinary work to life.” 

The song will be previewed at the St. Charles concert ahead of its world premiere at the “From Within” concert on the CMU campus on April 19. 

Admission to the show is free, and the concert is open to the public.

Mannheim Steamroller is a neoclassical new-age ensemble best known for blending classical music with modern synthesizers and rock rhythms.