New Hampshire Master Chorale to offer performances of 'Considering Matthew Shepard'

PLYMOUTH — The New England Master Chorale will offer three performances of the new oratorio 'Considering Matthew Shepard.' The concerts will be performed Nov. 18 in Plymouth, as well as Nov. 16 in Portsmouth and Nov. 17 in Concord.

The concert-length work by the American composer Craig Hella Johnson tells the story of the 1998 murder of a gay, 21-year-old Wyoming student, Matthew Shepard.

Performances of 'Considering Matthew Shepard' feature a chamber orchestra as well as the 30-voice master chorale. The lyrics include passages from Matt Shepard’s college journal, testimony spoken by his mother, and poetry related to the crime.

The Plymouth concert will take place at the Plymouth Congregational Church, 3 Post Office Square, at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 18.

The Portsmouth concert will be Friday, Nov. 16, at 8 p.m., at South Church at 292 S. State St. In Concord the performance will be Saturday, Nov. 17, at 7:30 p.m. at the First Congregational Church at 117 N. Main St.

Each concert will be preceded by a talk by Massachusetts poet and author Leslea Newman on the far-reaching impact of the Matt Shepard story and the difference he continues to make two decades after the murder. Newman is the author of 'October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard.'

The concerts are supported by a $4,500 grant from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts. The performances coincide with the 20th anniversary of the murder, and follow an Oct. 26 service at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., to inter Shepard's ashes.

Concert tickets are available at www.nhmasterchorale.org, and at the door for $30, $25 for seniors, and $15 each for groups of 10 or more. Admission is free for undergraduates and students in grades kindergarten through 12. The Master Chorale also has a “pay what you are able” ticket policy to ensure that anyone can attend regardless of financial ability.