“I’ll never forget it. Johnson said that it pierced his heart like a knife. Johnson said that he felt a sense of despair, anger, and grief and that he was unable to stop writing Considering Matthew Shepard in 2012. This is a three-part oratorio, a musical performance consisting of an orchestra and a choir. The show, which was first performed in 2016, will be presented in Mississippi on two consecutive nights. It will be performed at the University of Mississippi’s Ford Center, February 27, and then at the University of Southern Mississippi’s Mannoni Performing Arts Center, February 28. Johnson performs with Conspirare, his Grammy-winning choral group (Latin for “to breath together”), which Johnson founded in Austin, Texas in 1991. Consider Matthew Shepard won a Grammy in 2016 for Best Surround Sound. Conspirare was able to bring the show to Mississippi thanks its connections with two Mississippi schools: Jos Milton, UM associate professor and singer, and Stephen Redfield (USM associate professor and violin), are both members of the Austin-based group. These performances are part of a nationwide tour marking the 20th anniversary Shepard’s passing. Johnson, a Texas resident is inducted into the Austin Arts Hall of Fame. His many roles include music director at the Cincinnati Vocal Arts Ensemble, conductor emeritus at the Victoria Bach Festival, and guest conductor at symphonies all over the globe. He attended the Juilliard School and the International Bach Academy in Stuttgart. This is his first concert-length piece. Johnson was aware that he had a lot of potential as a musician to portray Shepard’s life. He said, “The only thing that is deeper than music itself” Music has the potential to be a powerful healing channel and to speak to difficult things that are hard to hold or express. That awareness made me realize that I could hold the story. Johnson chose the title because he wanted viewers to use Shepard’s story to help them rethink what it means to be human. Johnson stated that this is not a musical retelling the story of Matthew Shepard’s last days. It is an invitation for each audience member to reflect on how they participate in acts of separation, which can lead to acts of hatred. Johnson’s research into Shepard’s life was crucial in creating the piece. Johnson traveled to Laramie (Wyo.), where Shepard was a student and later died, to meet with his classmates. Johnson also had the opportunity to meet Shepard’s parents at Laramie, Wyo. They even gave Johnson their son’s journal. Johnson stated, “What greatly helped me was a conversation that I had with his mom Judy Shepard.” When I asked her how she and Dennis Shepard (Matthew’s father), held this information, she replied, “The world knows Matthew Shepard but to us he is Matt.” He was our boy. I was so struck by that moment, that I decided to include photos of Matt. Matt was an extremely vibrant, opinionated, young boy who was very playful but also experienced a lot of sadness. He was many things, a young, normal boy.” “Ordinary Boy”, one of the first movements, uses words from Shepard’s diary to show these qualities. Johnson called it “the most important song” in the piece. Jason Marsden, executive Director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, called Considering Matthew Shepard, “by far, the most intricate and beautiful and unyielding artistic reaction to this notorious antigay hate crime.” Tickets are available online for both the University of Mississippi and University of Southern Mississippi shows on February 27 and 28.