THE life of a Salisbury Cathedral chorister will be celebrated with the premier of a newly commissioned piece of music.

The new choral work, Salisbury Service, has been created in memory of Chris Steinitz who died in 1997, aged 22.

The Salisbury Service forms part of a Remembrance-tide concert that also features Fauré’s Requiem as its centrepiece and JS Bach’s motets Der Geist hilft and Ich lasse dich nicht.

His parents Nick and Eleanor Steinitz chose Ian Stephens, a Liverpool-based composer, to produce the piece, which will be performed by the entire cathedral choir on November 10. 

Chris’ mother Eleanor said: “A big part of this commission was not only to remember Chris and carry his memory forward but also to create a link by helping one of his generation ply his trade. Drawing a purpose from Chris’s death, in a way.

“Getting second and further performances are what we all hope for — we are waiting to see whether the cathedral likes the music, the listeners find it relevant and choirs enjoy singing it. We chose Ian to create this piece because he has a voice to his music, an integrity we like.”

Eleanor has also thanked David Halls, the director of music at Salisbury Cathedral, for agreeing to perform the piece. 

Chris was a student at Salisbury Cathedral School and a chorister from the age of 8 to13. He spent a year working in Umtata in the Trasnkei region of South Africa at a missionary school and went on to complete his first year in Biomedical Science at Sheffield University.

Ian’s music came to the attention of the Steinitz family through Pigotts Music Camp in the Chilterns, where twice a year musicians gather for nine days of communal music making.

He said: “I never had a chance to meet Chris, but he was about my age and was known by many of my friends. I would have loved to have known him. Nick and Eleanor, his parents, asked for the work to be more a celebration than a doleful piece of remembrance, and I have kept this in mind while writing the piece.”

Explaining the inspiration behind his composition Ian said that “if certain passages remind you of Janacek, MacMillan, Britten, Howells or birdsong, then I will be satisfied”.

David Halls, the director of music at Salisbury Cathedral, added: “The choir is a like a family and we feel the loss of any member of our alumni keenly. We are touched that Nick and Eleanor Steinitz have given us the opportunity to not only perform a brand new work specially written and named for the cathedral but also to celebrate Chris’ time with us in the way we do best — by singing.”

The concert is being performed at 7.30pm. Tickets are £15 and can be purchased from Salisbury Playhouse on 01722 320 333 or via salisburycathedral.org.uk