Considering Matthew Shepard

The University of Maine Singers and the Maine Gay Men’s Chorus in collaboration with UMaine’s Collegiate Chorale and Acadia Choral Society present Craig Hella Johnson’s oratorio Considering Matthew Shepard.

About the piece: Deeply moved by the murder of a young gay man, acclaimed conductor Craig Hella Johnson composed an evocative and compassionate musical response that leaves audiences hopeful and joyous. This three-part fusion oratorio speaks with a fresh and bold voice, incorporating a variety of musical styles seamlessly woven into a unified whole. Johnson sets a wide range of poetic and soulful texts by poets including Michael Dennis Browne, Lesléa Newman, Hildegard of Bingen and Rumi. Passages from Matt’s personal journal, interviews and writings from his parents Judy and Dennis Shepard, newspaper reports, and additional texts by Johnson and Browne are poignantly appointed throughout the work.

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