The Bells (symphony)
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The Bells, Op. 35, is a choral symphony by Sergei Rachmaninoff, written in 1913 and premiered in St Petersburg on 30 November that year under the composer's baton. The words are from the poem The Bell
Sergei Rachmaninoff in front of a giant Redwood tree in California, 1919
Choral symphony
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A choral symphony is a musical composition for orchestra, choir, and sometimes solo vocalists that, in its internal workings and overall musical architecture, adheres broadly to symphonic musical form
Hector Berlioz was the first to use the term "choral symphony" for a musical composition—his Roméo et Juliette.
Ludwig van Beethoven redefined the symphony genre by introducing words and voices in his Ninth Symphony.
Walt Whitman's use of free verse became appreciated by composers seeking a more fluid approach to setting text.
Igor Stravinsky used chorus and orchestra in his Symphony of Psalms "on an equal footing".