Considering Matthew Shepard is an evocative and compassionate musical response to the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard in 1998, one of America’s most notorious anti-gay hate crimes. Shepard’s tragic death ultimately led to the creation of the Matthew Shepard Foundation and provided a catalyst for legislation that expanded the definition of a hate crime to include sexual orientation. In 2009, Congress passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Composer Craig Hella Johnson had a profoundly personal reaction to both the murder and its resonance. The Shepard family and Foundation engaged with Johnson to create the Grammy-nominated oratorio, Considering Matthew Shepard, which draws from fragments of Shepard’s personal diary.
In November 2021, the U‑M School of Music, Theatre & Dance and UMMA created filmed a live performance of the U‑M Chamber Choir performing the oratorio under the direction of award winning conductor Eugene Rogers, acclaimed stage director Matt Kunkel, and Emmy-award winning film producer Bob Berg, with pianist Scott VanOrnum, production designer Harrison Hoffert, and narrated by Priscilla Lindsay. The live performance was presented as part of the UMMA exhibition Oh honey…A queer reading of the collection and the 50th anniversary of the U‑M Spectrum Center.
Tune in to Detroit Public Television channel 56 to see the film of the performance. It will also be available online through DPTV.org.