About the work

Inspired by the 1998 murder of a young gay man in Wyoming, Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard, premiered in 2016 and has since been performed by more than 30 ensembles around the world, sharing the work’s message of compassion and understanding.

This three-part fusion oratorio with choir and orchestra 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 Hildegard of Bingen, Lesléa Newman, Michael Dennis Browne, and Rumi. Passages from Matthew Shepard’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.

Wilmington Voices will perform Considering Matthew Shepard at UNCW’s Kenan Auditorium. Admission will be $25, and a portion of every ticket sold will be donated to the Matthew Shepard Foundation to support their mission to amplify the story of Matthew Shepard to inspire individuals, organizations, and communities to embrace the dignity and equality of all people.