A Pre-Kindergarten - Grade 12 co-educational independent day school in Westchester County, New York

Festival Chorus Concert Celebrates 30 Years with Moving Performance of "Considering Matthew Shepard"

On January 26, Rye Country Day School’s beloved Festival Chorus Concert marked 30 years of music and community.

 

Audiences filled Rye Presbyterian Church to listen to 100+ intergenerational voices sing a beautiful collection of selections from Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard.

The three-part fusion oratorio incorporates a variety of musical styles to tell the story of Matthew Shepard, a 22-year-old college student who was found murdered in Laramie, Wyoming, in 1998 and is one of the namesakes of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The tragedy, which shocked the world, shed light on homophobia and the struggles of the LGBTQ+ community.  

Considering Matthew Shepard prompts listeners and performers alike to find the courage to face hate and the human suffering it causes, and it urges them to come together to heal and amplify the justice work that has taken place since Matthew Shepard’s death.

Johnson’s evocative musical compositions include excerpts from poetry, newspaper reports, passages from Matt’s personal journal, and interviews from his parents, Judy and Dennis Shepard, among others. The result is a heart rending commemoration of a promising young life cut short and an invitation to unite with others to grieve and move forward together.

Directed by RCDS Music Department Chair Mary Marcell, the choir featured the Upper School Concert Choir, alumni, parents/guardians, employees, and community singers. An instrumental ensemble, featuring strings, clarinet, electric guitar, and rhythm section, accompanied the multi-genre performance, which included classical, blues, gospel, and chant.

Ms. Marcell, who founded Festival Chorus in 1995, selected this year’s piece with the hope that the experience would spread the message “love is always worth fighting for—for all of us.” Expressing the complex emotions the performance evokes, Ms. Marcell said, “It prompts us to ask the questions: how do we go on after such horror and how do we find love amongst such hate.” She continues, “Gathering as a community to mourn and uplift our spirits in song can be a balm as we grapple with difficult realities.”

“In the face of darkness, we need to hold on to the light. We need to make space for love, for kindness, for the hope that we can change the world—one heart at a time. One of the most powerful ways we can express this hope is through music.” – Mary Marcell, Music Department Chair

Following the moving performance, a reception was hosted by the Parents Association.

Congratulations and many thanks to the RCDS Festival Chorus for 30 years of beautiful music. Special thanks to Mary Marcell for founding, leading, and music directing this wonderful Rye Country Day tradition.

Watch the full concert in the Family Portal Video Archive here.


2025 Festival Chorus Program
 

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