Reviewer: Ben Champagne
Venue: St. John's Episcopal
On Thursday evening, St. John’s Episcopal Church in downtown Saginaw filled slowly with quiet anticipation. By the time the Saginaw Choral Society began Considering Matthew Shepard, the atmosphere had shifted into something closer to collective reflection than a typical concert. Marking the organization’s 90th season, the performance brought Craig Hella Johnson’s powerful oratorio to life with care, sensitivity, and emotional clarity under the direction of conductor Jeremiah J. Kraniak.
Considering Matthew Shepard reflects on the life and legacy of Matthew Shepard, the young Wyoming college student whose murder in 1998 became a national symbol in the fight against hate crimes and violence toward LGBTQ+ people. Johnson’s composition moves fluidly across musical styles including classical choral writing, folk-like melodies, spirituals, and contemporary textures, creating a musical landscape that feels both intimate and expansive.
The performance opened with “Cattle, Horses, Sky, and Grass,” a gentle and atmospheric introduction that immediately established the emotional landscape of the work. From there, the Saginaw Choral Society handled the piece’s shifting tone with impressive nuance. At times the choir sounded almost fragile, their voices hovering delicately within the church’s resonant acoustics. In other moments the ensemble swelled into powerful declarations of grief, resilience, and hope. Soloists stepped forward to deliver some of the work’s most personal passages, grounding the larger narrative in individual human voices.
What makes Considering Matthew Shepard so affecting is its refusal to dwell only in tragedy. Instead, Johnson’s work gradually guides the listener through sorrow toward compassion. The final movement, “All of Us,” felt particularly moving in the sacred setting of St. John’s, where the choir’s voices rose together in a message of shared humanity.
For the Saginaw Choral Society, this performance represents more than a concert within a milestone season. Works like Considering Matthew Shepard ask performers and listeners alike to engage with difficult history while imagining a more compassionate future. Through music that blends reflection, storytelling, and moments of quiet beauty, the piece continues to resonate with audiences across the country. In presenting it as part of its 90th season, the Saginaw Choral Society contributes to an ongoing conversation about empathy, remembrance, and the power of the arts to bring communities together.