Vesper Chorale will perform 'Considering Matthew Shepard' at Kern Road Mennonite Church

SOUTH BEND — Vesper Chorale opens its season with a performance of “Considering Matthew Shepard” at 3 p.m. Nov. 12 at Kern Road Mennonite Church, 18211 Kern Road.

Written by composer Craig Hella Johnson for the 20th anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s murder in October 1998, the work mourns and honors Shepard, a 20-year-old gay college student who was executed in Laramie, Wy., but it also celebrates community and its reaction to violence.

This three-part fusion oratorio incorporates and juxtaposes a variety of musical styles, including spoken text, cowboy song, American hymns and popular song, spirituals, jazz, and polyphony.

The text includes works by Hildegard of Bingen, Lesléa Newman, Michael Dennis Browne and Rumi. Passages from Shepard’s personal journal; interviews and writings from his parents, Judy and Dennis Shepard; newspaper reports; and additional texts also appear in the work.

“Considering Matthew Shepard” includes musical depictions of actual events surrounding Shepard’s murder and therefore includes words and images that reference extreme violence, death, hate and trauma. Viewer discretion is advised.

Artistic director Jeshua Franklin conducts the concert.

A reception follows the concert.

Tickets are $20-$5.

For more information, visit musicalartsindiana.org.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Vesper Chorale opens season with 'Considering Matthew Shepard'