Special Broadcast: Hear The Powerful ‘Considering Matthew Shepard’ In Its Entirety

Photo: Conspirare
Conspirare, a choral group based in Austin, Texas, recently recorded "Considering Matthew Shepard." It's a 100-minute oratorio by the group's director, Craig Hella Johnson.

CPR Classical presents a special, full-length broadcast of Craig Hella Johnson's new oratorio "Considering Matthew Shepard" on Saturday, Oct. 22 and Sunday, Oct. 23.

Johnson, who directs the choral group Conspirare, wrote the 100-minute work as a reflection on the story and legacy of Matthew Shepard. (Update: Here's a copy of the libretto for the piece, from a recent Conspirare concert program.)

The gay Wyoming man was beaten and left for dead in October 1998, and the trial and media coverage that followed gained international attention.

When to listen:

  • Saturday, Oct. 22 at 1 p.m.
  • Sunday, Oct. 23 at 1 p.m.

For more on how the piece came together and why Shepard's story still matters, listen to CPR News' recent interview with Johnson and Jason Marsden of the Denver-based Matthew Shepard Foundation.

Here's a preview: Conspirare performs in concert "Cattle, Horses, Sky and Grass," the stirring movement that opens the oratorio.