 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 . The term " choral symphony " in this context was coined by Hector Berlioz when he described his Roméo et Juliette as such in his five @-@ paragraph introduction to that work . The direct antecedent for the choral symphony is Ludwig van Beethoven 's Ninth Symphony . Beethoven 's Ninth incorporates part of the Ode an die Freude ( " Ode to Joy " ) , a poem by Friedrich Schiller , with text sung by soloists and chorus in the last movement . It is the first example of a major composer 's use of the human voice on the same level as instruments in a symphony . 
