Power and Promise: Considering Matthew Shepard

What does it mean to be powerful?

I once heard a quote by Victor Hugo — 19th Century author and poet, writer of Les Miserables — that goes, “All the forces of the world are not so powerful as an idea whose time has come.”

Considering Matthew Shepard, the musical performance composed and conducted by Craig Hella Johnson, is a powerful idea that is stronger than all the forces of the world. Recently, it was recorded in studio-quality, and the CD was just released several months after the original performances earlier this year.

The operetta follows victim Matthew Wayne Shepard, who was brutally tortured and killed in 1998 while attending the University of Wyoming. Matthew was, of course, killed because of his sexual orientation.

Even now — almost 20 years later — Matthew remains a symbol in the community. He has long been the subject of books, plays, and documentaries. Now, we can add a new operetta to the repertoire.

Johnson works with theater supergroup Conspirare, whose work aims to reflect the diversity across America both in musical style and subject matter.

All in all, Conspirare’s core values are pretty rad: They include aiming to transform lives, open hearts, to transcend human and cultural differences, and to bring people together in joy, humanity, and peace.

Johnson, a multiple award-winning conductor and composer, “feels transformed in being part of this process.” The process to which he refers is being part of the powerful creation of Considering Matthew Shepard — a dedication to, for, and about the slain young man and all others who may be hurt or affected by his tragedy. In his own words, he went about composing the concert-length work by “creating [his] own response to the powerful events around Matthew Shepard’s life.”

Johnson states in a press release that he aimed to “follow [his] instincts and [his] heart to create something that would honor Matt’s life.”

As for what to expect? The work is advertized as a “contemporary oratorio” which Google translates as “a large-scale musical work for orchestra and voices, typically a narrative on a religious theme, performed without the use of costumes, scenery, or action. Well-known examples include Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Handel’s Messiah, and Haydn’s The Creation.” In other words, a litany of people wearing black singing and performing perfectly, and — don’t forget — powerfully.

I took a listen to the album and it blew me away. I won’t pretend to close-read the whole thing, but I do know it’s on par with tear-wrenching Disneyesque talent and sentimentality, and also as moving as anything Broadway has to offer. The opening piece for instance, Ordinary Boy, is catchy and relatable.

The album is out online (you can find it on Spotify) and worth a listen.