Down East Singers and Elizabeth Brown, composer and thereminist, will combine forces on Monday, May 25 (Memorial Day) at 5 pm to perform the world premiere of a work by Brown commissioned by Down East Singers entitled “To Walk Humbly,” for chorus, theremin and piano, at Camden Opera House. Also on the program is Igor Stravinsky’s “Symphony of Psalms” for chorus and orchestra. The concert is entitled “Honoring Our Heroes."

The theremin, an electronic instrument invented by Soviet scientist Leon Theremin and patented in 1928, is seldom featured in choral compositions. The instrument's controlling section usually consists of two metal antennas that sense the relative position of the thereminist's hands; the pitch is controlled with one hand, and volume with the other. The sound is connected to an amplifier. The instrument’s sound is more often associated with the sound track of films or with avant-garde rock music than with choral music.

The sound of the theremin bears a remarkable similarity to the human voice but without words. To make this point, Elizabeth Brown will perform Sergei Rachmaninoff’s famous “Vocalise” with pianist Jennifer McIvor. This wordless song was originally written for a soprano in 1915.

Stravinsky’s “Symphony of Psalms” was cited by Time Magazine as the greatest classical composition of the 20^th century. Down East Singers Artistic Director Anthony Antolini describes it as “…a masterpiece that combines jazzy rhythms, Byzantine chant, Baroque fugal writing and modern harmony. It’s at the top of my list of favorites.” It is scored for low strings, woodwinds and two pianos.

Introducing the concert will be Dmitri Bortniansky’s hymn  “Kol’ slaven,” performed in Russian and English.  It was written for civil ceremonies such as military funerals and is performed in many countries including Russia and Germany to this day.

Tickets are $20, free to students under 18. They are available at The Highlands Coffee House, Thomaston; Grasshopper Shop, Rockland; The Owl and Turtle Bookshop, Camden; and Left Bank Books, Belfast. Tickets are also available by phone: 207-619-0413; online: www.downeastsingers.org and at the box office beginning at 4 p.m. the day of the concert, if any.