Name: Considering Matthew Shepard- Concert for a Cause
Start: 2024-06-01T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Sunshine Cathedral

Considering Matthew Shepard- Concert for a Cause

𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭⁣
It's the anniversary of an American tragedy. Twenty-five years ago, Matthew Shepard, a young gay student at the University of Wyoming-Laramie, was kidnapped, severely beaten, tied to a fence and left to die in a lonely field. His death garnered widespread national and international attention, and served as a turning point for gay rights in the U.S.
In recognition and remembrance, Master Chorale of South Florida will deliver two performances of Craig Hella Johnson’s power three-part oratorio “Considering Matthew Shepard.”
The unique composition, loosely modeled on the style of a Bach passion, tells the story of Matthew’s life, death, and his legacy. It incorporates a broad spectrum of music genres, including Broadway musical, Country & Western, Blues and Jazz, Pop, Southern Hymns, Gospel, Classical, and even Gregorian chant.
Additionally, passages from Matt’s personal journal, interviews, and writings from his parents Judy and Dennis Shepard, newspaper reports, and other texts by Johnson and Browne are tenderly incorporated throughout the work.
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞⁣
As this season’s “Concert for a Cause,” a portion of proceeds from these concerts will be shared with SunServe, a local organization providing critical life assistance and mental health services to the most vulnerable members of South Florida’s LGBTQ+ community.
Considering Matthew Shepard was made possible, in part, by a grant from The Our Fund Foundation, an LGBTQ Community Foundation.