By Megan Fitzgerald Dunn
The Master Chorale of South Florida will present “Considering Matthew Shepard” on May 31 and June 1, 2024, at 8 pm as this year’s “Concert for a Cause.”
Annually, Master Chorale produces concerts for a cause to give voice to the mission and work of another nonprofit organization. This year, the Master Chorale recognizes SunServe, an organization that serves the most vulnerable members of the LGBTQ+ community. A portion of ticket proceeds will go to the organization and their youth programs.
“SunServe is an extraordinary organization that provides many different resources to families, individuals, and youth who are LGBTQ from housing to free mental health counseling,” Master Chorale Artistic Director Brett Karlin said.
Performed at the Sunshine Cathedral, the emotional three-part oratorio honors the life and legacy of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student at the University of Wyoming who was murdered in a 1998 brutal hate crime. This creative work weaves in Shepard’s words from his journals, interviews with his parents, media coverage of his murder and poetry. Referred to as “fusion oratorio,” “Considering Matthew Shepard” is a unique and moving experience, with moments of narration and then moments of emotional reflection. The work ranges from high art classical music to R&B and country ballads.
The work was created in 2016 by composer Craig Hella Johnson, who has said that he was profoundly impacted by Shepard’s death.
“Craig is an extraordinary human being,” Karlin said. “When you talk to him you can just feel that he is present, that he is connected, and that he prioritizes that sort of connection with humans, and he also prioritizes it, I think, in his music making.”
Although this is not the only piece Johnson has composed, it is his largest.
“It’s the biggest in scope and scale. He’s composed and arranged many other choral pieces, and many of them have been a fusion of pop or folk style infused with high art classical music,” Karlin said. “So, it’s very Craig. It’s a little difficult to describe, but that’s really a hallmark of his personal style.”
Johnson takes an expansive variety of musical styles and weaves them into a whole.
Karlin, who will conduct the performances at the Sunshine Cathedral, said, “This work represents, essentially, a kaleidoscope of different musical styles in order to capture not only what is being retold as the narrative of this tragedy, but also these little interspersing recitations, where this is reflective instrumental music that supports the spoken text that describes, quite plainly and directly, this thing that happened to Matt, who was beaten and left for 18 hours outside.”
The oratorio includes texts by poets Rumi, Michael Dennis Browen, and Hildegard of Bingen. It also includes quotes from Johann Sebastian Bach. While some moments of the work sound very classical, others are more contemporary classical with the inclusion of Estonian composer Arvo Part.
“It fuses together many different musical styles,” Karlin said. “So, when you listen to the piece of music, you’re hearing a group of musicians execute many different styles from blues to bluegrass to folk music. Some moments will sound like Dolly Parton. Some will sound like traditional blues gospel.”
Part of Master Chorale’s mission includes performing works by contemporary composers—composers who talk about something significant, whether it’s social, emotional, or political.
“Performing music that doesn’t exist in a vacuum, is something that is really powerful,” Karlin said. “Music that educates. Music that tries to honor individuals. This is a really powerful pursuit, an honorable and noble pursuit.”
For ticket information, visit www.masterchoraleofsouthflorida.org/considering-matthew-shepard
