Nearly 200 singers unite to perform ‘Considering Matthew Shepard’ Nov. 9

Nearly 200 singers, including many from two University of Maine vocal ensembles, will perform “Considering Matthew Shepard” at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 9 at the Collins Center for the Arts. 

Performers include members of the University Singers, the Collegiate Chorale, the Maine Gay Men’s Chorus and the Acadia Choral Society, as well as many professional soloists.

“Considering Matthew Shepard” is a musical piece about the titular Shepard, a University of Wyoming student whose murder in 1998 sparked a conversation about hate crimes that led to the passage of Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act a decade later. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased here.

“This is one of the biggest, most important concerts I have been involved with in my time at UMaine,” said Francis Vogt, director of choral activities and voice instructor for the School of Performing Arts. Vogt is also the conductor of the University Singers. 

Rebecca DeWan, the Libra assistant professor of choral/general music education in the School of Performing Arts Division of Music, serves as the producer of the concert, spearheading an effort that is supported in part by a $10,000 grant from the McGillicuddy Humanities Center..

“This epic work incorporates so many different genres and styles of music,” said DeWan. “Composer Craig Hella Johnson writes so beautifully for choirs. However, it is such a large work with many moving parts, so it has required a great deal of planning and multiple musical forces to put it together.”

Visit the School of Performing Arts website to learn more about the performance.