The Declaration of Independence. The U.S. Constitution. Patrick Henry, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy.

If you’re talking about liberty, that’s a formidable lineup of thoughts and thinkers. Each will be invoked this weekend when the Bangor Symphony Orchestra presents the Maine premiere of “And Liberty for All,” an orchestral score with narration excerpted from patriotic speeches and writings. The “American Pops!” concert, which was originally scheduled for February 2003, will take place Saturday in Bangor and Sunday in Rockport.

“I thought this would be a perfect time to hear this program – in a high school concert hall near Father’s Day,” said Xiao-Lu Li, BSO conductor and music director. “It’s a time for every family to remember that liberty for all is the greatest representation for America.”

James A. Beckel Jr., a composer from Indiana, wrote the piece to stir the hearts of listeners.

“I wanted not only to celebrate freedom and liberties, but I wanted to pay homage to those who made sacrifices so we can enjoy this life,” said Beckel, who has been principal trombonist with the Indianapolis Symphony since 1969. “I realized the music could not match the grandeur of the words, but I hope it complements them. ”

More than 40 orchestras, including Maestro Li’s former Acadiana Orchestra in Lafayette, La., have performed “And Liberty for All” since it was written in 2003.

The Bangor performance will feature Mark Torres, producing artistic director of Penobscot Theatre, as the narrator for the piece. The BSO will also be joined by the Bangor High School chorus singing “America the Beautiful,” “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “God Bless America.”

At Rockport, the concert will include selections from the musical “The Phantom of the Opera” and narration will be provided by Mort Strom, for whom the auditorium is named.

Typically, the BSO pops concert has offered a chance for a concertgoer to make his or her debut as a guest conductor leading the musicians in “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” Peter VerLee, a physician in Bangor, and Donald LeClair, a businessman in Wiscasset, will take up the baton at Bangor and Rockport, respectively.

The “pops” in this concert clearly refers to the style of light, summer fare on the program, which also includes selections from “West Side Story” and songs popularized by singer Mario Lanza, performed this weekend by tenor Jan Berlin. Since the weekend also marks Father’s Day, the pops may also refer to dads in the audience.

The title “American Pops!” also sounds like a declaration in its own right, something between the teen compliment “America rocks!” and the lyric “the bombs bursting in air.” Either way, it’s a fitting coordination with Beckel’s rousing work.

“I was envisioning the founding fathers drawing a line in the sand and saying: ‘We’re done. This is it,'” said Beckel. “There’s a definite commitment in the musical line. They were betting their lives on this. I wanted to represent that commitment, that devotion, in a stern, frank, poignant and uplifting way.”

The Bangor Symphony Orchestra will present “American Pops!” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 14, at Peakes Auditorium at Bangor High School and at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 15, at Strom Auditorium in Rockport. For information, call 942-5555 or 1-800-639-3221.