Considering Matthew Shepard – Click HERE to Purchase Tickets!
The Carolina Master Chorale opens its 2023-24 concert season October 13-15, with CONSIDERING MATTHEW SHEPARD, a Grammy-nominated three-part oratorio composed by Craig Hella Johnson. The work is an evocative and compassionate musical response to the murder of Matthew Shepard. On October 6, 1998, University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, beaten, and left to die, in what became an infamous act of brutality, and one of America’s most notorious anti-gay hate crimes. Shepard’s murder ultimately led to the creation of the Matthew Shepard Foundation and provided a catalyst for legislation that expanded the definition of a hate crime to include sexual orientation. In 2009, Congress passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Composer Craig Hella Johnson had a profoundly personal reaction to both the murder and its resonance.
This three-part fusion oratorio speaks with a fresh and bold voice, incorporating a variety of musical styles seamlessly woven into a unified whole. Johnson sets a wide range of poetic and soulful texts by poets including Hildegard of Bingen, Lesléa Newman, Michael Dennis Browne, and Rumi. The Shepard family and Foundation engaged with Johnson in the creation of the work and allowed the use of fragments from Shepard’s personal diary. These excerpts, along with interviews and writings from Matthew’s parents Judy and Dennis Shepard, newspaper reports, and additional texts by Johnson and Browne are poignantly appointed throughout the work.
The Carolina Master Chorale will stage the work in a collaborative effort the Theatre of the Republic of Conway South Carolina. A chamber instrumental ensemble from the Long Bay Symphony of Myrtle Beach will accompany the performance. The ensemble features string quintet, clarinet, guitar, marimba, and percussion. Soloists, singing in musical styles from classical to country and gospel will be chosen from throughout the Myrtle Beach musical community.
purchase Tickets
Give the gift of music. For those special occasions, consider giving CMC concert tickets to your friends and family. 2023-2024 individual concert tickets are $25 for an adult, $20 for senior citizens and veterans (with ID), and $5 for students. Children 12 and under accompanied by an adult are admitted free.
For purposes of ticket buying, the Chorale defines “students” as those 22 years of age or under who present a student identification issued by the institution in which they are currently enrolled. 2023-2024 special event tickets are priced according to the event. All tickets purchased on the website will be mailed to the purchaser unless the purchaser chooses to print their tickets at home. Tickets purchased less than two weeks prior to the event will be available for pick up at the Will Call table 30 minutes prior to the start of any concert. Tickets will be under the name of the person buying the tickets on the website.
Click here to purchase tickets: https://1066.na.ticketsearch.com/sales/sales/sales
Season Tickets
2023-2024 Subscription Season Tickets are $70 for an adult, $55 for senior citizens and veterans (with ID), and $15 for students. A single season ticket includes one ticket for each of our three (3) subscription season concerts. Season Ticket sales end on Sunday, 12/10/23 for this year. Season tickets will not include our 1st concert, Considering Matthew Shepard.
Click here to purchase Season Tickets: https://1066.na.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesubscription/15577
Box Office Information
To be admitted, everyone entering the concert must present a valid ticket to an usher at the door for the concert being attended that day. Due to the nature of our non-profit status, we are unable to issue refunds for unused concert tickets.
Late Arrivals
Doors to the concert hall open 30 minutes prior to the start of the event. Please plan your trip to arrive at the concert venue 30 minutes prior to the start of the performance. This will allow you plenty of time to park and to be seated before the concert begins. In consideration of the artists and patrons at the concert, late seating will take place during the first appropriate pause in the program.
Ticket Outlet
The Wacky Rabbit: 7702 N Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach