Kennedy McJunkin & Pierce Morrison
February 6, 2018
On February 27 at 7:30 p.m., the Gertrude Ford Center will host the Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble Conspirare, preforming “Considering Matthew Shepard,” composed and directed by Craig Hella Johnson.
“It’s a unique work, it’s not an opera, it’s not a musical, it’s not a traditional choral piece, it’s a music drama. It incorporates a variety of music styles,” said Ole Miss Choir Director, Dr. Don Trott.
The music drama is a three-part oratorio inspired by the tragic death of a young, gay student at the University of Wyoming.
In 1998, Matthew Shepherd was brutally beaten and abandoned in a field. He passed away days following the incident. His death sparked an enactment of the anti-hate crime legislations signed into law by former President Barrack Obama in 2009, known as the Matthew Shepard Act.
“It’s a great opportunity for our campus to reflect on a positive response to what happened to this young man, and what can we do to not make it happen again,” said Trott.
Matthew’s story has inspired artists like Johnson over the past 19 years.
“Craig is adventurous in his programming, and is a strong advocate for new music in a choral setting,” said Ole Miss’ Vocal Instructor, Dr. Jos Milton. “He pushes past many conventions that have been established in the realm of choral music, and is constantly exploring new possibilities for music for voices.”
The performance is an uninterrupted two hour piece constructed of multiple audio and visual techniques.
“It’s a feast for both your eyes and ears,” said Milton.
Conspirare is based out of Austin, Texas and is latin for “we breathe together.” Oxford is one stop in their five city tour including: Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Lincoln, Nebraska, Austin and Dallas, Texas.
“There are many different styles of music, a little bit of R&B, a little bit of Gospel towards the end, and it’s all centered on the central message,” said Milton.“It’s very moving and generates an immediate visceral response. It’s nothing like I’ve ever sung as an artist and I’m very excited we’re going to be doing it here.”
The “Considering Matthew Shepard” CD was nominated for a Grammy Award — Best Surround Sound Album.
The Ole Miss Concert Choir will be joining Conspirare for the final song called “All Of Us” with a surprise interactive factor.
“The performance is more inclusive than normal,” said Director of the Ford Center, Julia Aubrey. “Instead of just watching something happen you’re going to actually be involved in it.
The Ford Center’s Marketing Director, Kate Meacham, hopes to reach a larger audience.
“We hope the subject matter will reach to students in general because it’s a fairly current topic,” said Meacham. “We hope students will take a chance and branch out to see something they might not usually see.”
There will be a post show question and answer panel with director Craig Hella Johnson.
Faculty and staff will receive a 10% discount and students will receive the same discount for groups of ten.
Tickets and more information are available here.
Kennedy McJunkin 