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The event, which will be held June 29 at the Fox Theatre, will feature the SLSO alongside 110 singers from both the IN UNISON Chorus and the St. Louis Symphony Chorus.

Funds collected from the show will benefit the Urban League’s Disaster Relief Fund, which supports the most immediate needs of people displaced or impacted by the EF3 tornado that hit north St. Louis on May 16.

For members of the SLSO family and their chorus, this concert also honors Patricia Penelton, an IN UNISON coordinator who died when the tornado struck the Centennial Christian Church in the Fountain Park neighborhood, partially collapsing it.

A charter member of the chorus, she had recently retired from the group. Her husband, Harry, still sings with them.

Marie-Hélène Bernard, president and CEO of the SLSO, says the tornado and Penelton’s passing had a big impact on the organization.

“That news hit very close to home for the St. Louis Symphony because so many of our chorus members and the churches that are partners with us were deeply affected,” Bernard says. “After the tornado, several musicians reached out to me and said we should do something to help. So, then we had a few conversations, and the week after, I met with my board leadership and asked if we could put a concert together to benefit the Urban League.”

Once approved, Bernard worked quickly with the Fox Theatre and Urban League to secure a date and location for the concert. This will be the first time the SLSO has performed at the Fox since a January 10, 2009, concert with Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth.

This concert will feature Grammy Award winner BeBe Winans. A longtime partner of the IN UNISON chorus, the gospel and R&B legend was happy to offer his services to those impacted by the tornado.

“It’s going to a be a win-win-win for everyone, especially since we have BB Winans, which is fantastic,” says Michael McMillan, president and CEO of the Urban League of Metopolitan St. Louis. “The IN UNISON chorus is always great to see. BB is a great entertainer. He can sing anyone’s gospel music and make it an amazing experience. Having them together is going to give us a night to remember.”

Proceeds will also support partner churches involved in the IN UNISON program, which has connected congregations, primarily in north St. Louis, to the orchestra for more than 30 years.

McMillan says the concert is a culmination of the SLSO and the Urban League’s long-standing relationship.

“We work together to get members of the community to attend orchestra performances. Also, the symphony has sent musicians to our events over the years. They have provided volunteer help for us, and members of the symphony board have been involved in our charitable and civic activities. We have a great synergy and connectivity with them,” he says.

For 107 years, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has advocated for African Americans and others in the region. The organization has also been on the ground in north St. Louis helping tornado victims, and McMillan is proud of how the city has come together after the disaster.

“It has just been a true sign of the goodness of humanity and how we can all come together as a region. As a native St. Louisan, the response has been overwhelmingly positive,” he says. “It is wonderful to see so many people from incredibly diverse backgrounds get involved in every single level of volunteerism and philanthropy.”

Stéphane Denève, music director for the orchestra, and Kevin McBeth, the chorus director, will be leading the concert and were tasked with coming up with the program, which needed to fit the moment.

Amongst the works they selected are Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings,” Gwyneth Walker’s “How Can I Keep from Singing?” and John Williams’ “Hymn to the Fallen” (from the film “Saving Private Ryan”).

BeBe Winans will perform the songs, “Teach Me” and “Born for This.” Rounding out the evening is St. Louisan Rollo Dilworth who will perform “Freedom’s Plow” which features the spiritual “Hold On” coupled with excerpts from “Freedom’s Plow,” a poem by Langston Hughes.

“Looking at the program, there’s something for everybody. If you like classical music, some things are there, if you are a fan of gospel or soul, there are things there too,” Bernard says.

“I think it strikes a good balance between honoring Pat and those we lost and giving the community a reflective moment. I also think the program speaks to us about having confidence and rebuilding together, about the power of community, friendship and music.”