A musical memorial: Choral groups from campus and beyond to perform ‘Considering Matthew Shepard’

A musical piece dedicated to the memory of a young man who met a tragic end is coming to the Collins Center of the Arts.

“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 the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act a decade later. The concert – performed by four vocal ensembles – will take place at the CCA on November 9 at 3:00 PM. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased here.

Shepard’s death also inspired numerous works of art, including the award-winning play (and later film) “The Laramie Project.”

Composer Craig Hella Johnson was so moved by Shepard’s story that he composed “Considering Matthew Shepard,” an evocative and compassionate musical response that leaves audiences hopeful and joyous. The piece premiered in 2016, but has since been performed by hundreds of choirs across the world. Conspirare, the group that first performed the work, continues to collaborate with the Matthew Shepard Foundation and offer artistic and technical assistance to choirs that seek to continue sharing the work.

Two University of Maine vocal ensembles – the University Singers and the Collegiate Chorale – will be joined by two outside groups – the Maine Gay Men’s Chorus (MGMC) and the Acadia Choral Society – to bring this massive musical experience to life. The Singers and the MGMC will be the primary performers, with the other two groups joining for larger numbers. In addition, there will be professional soloists involved as well. All told, there will be nearly 200 voices singing these songs of tragedy and triumph.

“Considering Matthew Shepard is a profound musical response to the events surrounding the murder of a young gay man in 1998,” 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.

“While it does not flinch from the horror of that death, it also speaks and sings of an uplifting affirmation of life,” he said. “The rehearsals have been an incredible journey for the performers, and we are humbled and honored to share that journey with our audience.”

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.

As you might imagine, it is a significant undertaking.

“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.”

Indeed, the groundwork for this event was laid long before any performers picked up their scores, with months of planning and logistical navigation necessary ahead of a single sung note.

“We began over a year ago planning for the project with all of the ensembles involved,” DeWan said. “We have four choirs who all rehearse at different times. We have hired instrumentalists and soloists. All of these separate musical entities will come together for a weekend of rehearsals and one performance. We are grateful to be able to perform the piece in the beautiful Collins Center for the Arts.”

DeWan recognizes the power that art has to engage with the world. She recognizes that that engagement can explore painful events and ideas via a lens of beauty and grace. Hurt and healing can sometimes be two sides of the same coin; works such as this evoke both.

“The arts can be a powerful modality to explore painful points in history” she said. “The story of Matthew Shepard reverberated through American society 30 years ago. This cantata can be a way for performers and audience members to express and experience the various emotions that may accompany such a story of loss and grief.

“However,” she continued, “the composer also writes beautifully about the uplifting elements of coming together as community to celebrate what can occur when we care about each other and work together.”

One thing on which all involved agree is that this work will be truly impactful for performers and audience alike.

“This is one of the biggest, most important concerts I have been involved with in my time at UMaine,” Vogt said.

(Considering Matthew Shepard will be performed on November 9 at 3:00 PM at the Collins Center for the Arts. Tickets can be purchased here.)