The Monash University Choral Society (MonUCS) presents the Victorian premiere of Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard, a fusion oratorio inspired by the 1998 murder of a young gay man in Wyoming – an intensely powerful and intimate work
This thought-provoking work will be brought to life by MonUCS – the first time it will be performed in Australia by a student-led group. The choir aims to help local LGBTQIA+ youth by raising awareness through music performance, as well as providing opportunities for students to participate in such a meaningful work. Find more information about the concert here, and buy tickets here.
According to a report by Rainbow Health Victoria (2020), 4% of men and 7% of women under 25 years of age in Victoria identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual. When combined with the population statistics in the City of Monash, this is an estimated 1,500 young, local gay, lesbian and bisexual people that could benefit from this concert. There is a need in Victoria for a greater level of awareness in the general community, as 34.2% of LGBTQIA+ people were reported to have experienced discrimination or been unfairly treated by others in the past year.
MonUCS is dedicated to championing equity, diversity and inclusion to the world of choral singing, and is focused on celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community for this concert. However, a student-run university choir faces many obstacles when trying to organise a large concert such as Considering Matthew Shepard. Costs rise exponentially with venue hire, engaging professional musicians and equipment hire to do justice to this profound work. All donations will go directly into concert operational costs, so MonUCS can perform a work that will speak volumes about LGBTQIA+ issues that have not only been faced in the past, but continue to have ongoing impacts in our communities to this day.