Irish youth choir to remember gay man Matthew Shepard in powerful concerts
As part of the 2023 New Music Dublin festival, youth choir Cór Linn will present the Irish premiere of Considering Matthew Shepard, a choral composition by Craig Hella Johnson.Written in 2016, the piece celebrates the life of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay man who died as a result of a brutal homophobic attack in Wyoming in 1998.
His murder prompted widespread outrage marked by mass vigils across the US. It also resulted in the passing of federal hate crime legislation in 2010, which was named in his honour.The composition draws on a wide range of musical styles and poetic texts.
It includes passages from Matthew’s personal journal and is described as “a soulful work of hope and forgiveness”.Formed in 2018, Cór Linn is a mixed-voice choir for young singers between 14 to 19 years of age.
The choir is one of the National Concert Hall and RTÉ choirs and comprises approximately forty members. The Cór Linn performance of Considering Matthew Shepard will be the first time that the Grammy-nominated piece has been sung live in Ireland.
