The Toledo Choral Society will present “Considering Matthew Shepard,” by Craig Hella Johnson as their final concert of the 2022-2023 season. The show will be at the University of Toledo’s Doermann Theatre at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 11.
The piece takes audience members on an exploration of the human condition as they journey through the life and tragic death of Matthew Shepard. Guests are shown a poignant journey from the viewpoint of different characters— Matthew’s parents, protestors at his funeral, friends and other family and even the prospective of the fence that was the scene of his torture.
“This is the most technically difficult piece we’ve undertaken,” said Rick Napierala, the choral’s artistic director since 2012. “With meter changes throughout most of the movements, variations of choral singing styles ranging from baroque hymns, gospel, country, western and jazz, to fifteen-part harmonies. This is a beautiful piece with a tragic story and a timeless message, and we are looking forward to sharing it.”
The choral society will feature local soloists Kirsten Kunkle, soprano; Elizabeth Mitchell, alto; Gregory Ashe, tenor, and Bradley Baker, bass soloist.
General admission tickets are $25 each and are available through any society member, online at toledochoralsociety .org, or by calling 1-800-5044849.
