Douglas Thompson, a doctoral student in choral conducting, is bringing an entirely unique concert to campus. Incorporating his doctoral thesis, he will conduct a choir as they use their natural voices to sing with electronic music.

“”Computer music has only been around since the 1950s, which is amazing when you consider that the cello and violin have been around for more than 500 years. This is something that has never been done on this campus,”” Thompson said.

“”Evolution Meets Revolution: The Contributions of Computers to Word and Tone-Painting in Choral Electro-acoustic Works,”” is a free concert that will be held in the School of Music, Room 232, at 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Choral electro-acoustic works are the newest development in the music world. Pieces combine the natural instrument of the human voice with electronically composed music and live instruments such as piano. These multi-dimensional scores are adding a new dynamic and revitalizing the music world.

One song will even incorporate images from the Hubble Space Telescope, photos of which have been taken by our own university faculty members. “”When I Consider the Heavens,”” written by Reginald Bains of the University of South Carolina, will be performed with the lights dimmed as the images are projected.

Thompson said he hopes that this unique concert environment will attract students from all colleges, including astronomy and science, and provide something that they can enjoy. Indeed, students interested in science and technology will enjoy the juxtaposition of natural instruments with the computer used as a tool for professional and evocative music. Astronomy-minded students will enjoy the multimedia presentation of Hubble deep space photographs integrated into the natural choir sounds and technological sounds of computer synthesis.