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Now he’s the subject of a choral piece, a 100-minute oratorio called “Considering Matthew Shepard” that explores his life, death and legacy. Conspirare, a choral group based in Austin, Texas, released the debut recording this month.
Craig Hella Johnson, who leads Conspirare, composed the piece. It features lyrics taken from Shepard's writing as well as dark passages about the group that picketed his funeral. And it opens with a sweeping depiction of the Wyoming landscape called “Cattle, Horses, Sky and Grass.”
Johnson spoke with Colorado Matters’ Ryan Warner about how and why he wrote the piece.
Jason Marsden, executive director of the Denver-based Matthew Shepard Foundation, also spoke with Warner. Marsden helped Johnson do research for the piece, and gives talks that accompany performances.
Watch Conspirare perform the opening passage in concert:
