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My name is Rheya. I'm from Wellington Youth Choir. Um, I'm a soprano, too. Hi, my name is Etienne. I'm also in Wellington Youth Choir. I use he, any pronouns and I am a bass one. Hi, I'm Ythara. I'm from the Christchurch Youth Choir and I sing sop 2. Kia ora, I'm Sarah. I'm from Wellington Youth Choir and I sing alto 2. Yeah, so we're in the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul's, um, and tonight we will be performing Considering [00:00:30] Matthew Shepard, um, with the Wellington Youth Choir, the Christchurch Youth Choir, as well as some instrumentalists from New Zealand School of Music. And a featured soloist, Joshua Jameson. Um, and this work is about the murder of a young gay man in Wyoming, 1998. And can you describe, um, the setup for tonight's performance? Yeah, so we've had, uh, quite a substantial amount of staging and technical operations come into [00:01:00] this, um, performance. So we've got a big projector screen up behind the choir stand, which is going to have all the lyrics because they are really important to understand what's being said, especially in a big space like this where it's quite washy and there's a lot of reverb. So being able to actually understand the really important texts that's in the work is really important. Um, we've also had some lighting very kindly lended to us by the Victoria University theatre program, um, which will be up in here, lighting up the, um, [00:01:30] behind us. Um, we've had some prizes, uh, come in from a staging company, um, sound, like, sound equipment, microphones, um, we're going to have it recorded as well, um, so lots and lots of technical, um, stuff coming in. So there are two choirs performing tonight. Can you first tell me about, um, the Wellington Youth Choir? Yeah, um, Wellington Youth Choir, I just, I joined halfway through the year, but it's Such a lovely space to be in, honestly. [00:02:00] Um, I think that I've, I've grown up in choirs and like this is the one that's felt the most right, sort of, you know? Um, there's just so many different people and different types of voices and like I find that the music that we do is just always amazing and always gives opportunity to very, like, different, um, composers and things like that. Um, and I think that it's just a very supportive [00:02:30] environment as well. You know, everybody really looks out for each other, um, which is lovely. So is the youth choir, is it youth led? So the Wellington Youth Choir is for singers age 17 to 27. Um, and we are a self-run choir, so that means that all of the choir, all the committee who do all of the organizing, arranging and everything are choir members who are singing in the choir. Um, the only person who is not, you know, I guess Youth , I guess would be our, um, our choir director, Rowan Johnston. [00:03:00] So this is his second year with the choir. Um, and. But yeah, everything else is done by choir members, um, who are obviously in the youth bracket that we have of 17 to 27. So yeah. And what about the, the Christchurch Youth Choir? The Christchurch Youth Choir also runs quite similar to the Wellington Youth Choir, so I'm the president of the Christchurch Youth Choir, and we're also self run, so we got members in the choir, also the committee as well, and similar age range from 16 to 26. Is what we're looking at at the moment. And so how did both [00:03:30] choirs come together? I believe our current director, Jared, who used to direct the Wellington Youth Choir a few years ago. And so he moved down to Christchurch. Now he's with us, this is his first year with us. And so we ended up kind of making connection and just thought this would be a great idea to collaborate. So what is the best part about being in youth choir? I think kind of making the friendships and connections. Everyone's just so friendly and we all kind of bond over our mutual love for music and it's just fun to put it together. and just [00:04:00] enjoy the whole process. What about you? I think also the friendships and the relationships are really important. I've made some really good lifelong friends out of choirs, and this one's no different, and it's really nice to be making new friends with Christchurch as well. So can you talk a wee bit more about tonight's performance, the work that you're performing? Well, um, I was born in 1997 and one year later, um, this huge [00:04:30] news event happened in the United States where, um, heads turned and I guess the middle America started noticing queer people because, um, of the really tragic and brutal death of this beautiful young man, Matthew Shepard. And people were moved. and continue to be moved so much. Also that, um, this really cool composer, [00:05:00] Craig Heller Johnson, decided to write a two hour musical work about it. Um, I remember him saying in a documentary that I watched that he felt really affected by Matthew's death. Um, and especially the thought that it really could have been anyone, any, any ordinary boy. Um, and, Through talking to, um, Dennis and Judy, Matthew's parents, so I've heard, [00:05:30] um, was granted the permission to create this work that is about both the really specific story of Matthew's life and death, and also about our common humanity, about grace and love and forgiveness and hope, even in the face of hate. Given the age range of the choirs, what is it like for the choirs, kind of as a mass, to be [00:06:00] acknowledging Matthew, who, I mean, many of the people in the choirs wouldn't have been around when he was alive? Um, yeah, I think that, specifically for the queer members of the choir, it's like, just, Acknowledging that history and learning from that is like, really, really important. As queer people, we often don't get history, right? We're often left out or, um, like in the AIDS crisis, um, we died. And so, It's [00:06:30] really special to be able to hold on to these moments that have been captured in song or in a musical like Rent, um, or in a book or in a journal. And so to be part of bringing those histories to people today and to the younger generations, I say, still as a member of the youth choir, but as one of the only ones who was around for Matthew's death, but then I was one as well. So. I only heard about Matthew Shepard [00:07:00] because of doing this work as well, and the hope is that more people will hear, not only about him, but also about the many queer histories we have, and I'm thinking in Aotearoa, the Takataapui histories we have especially. Can you describe some of the musical forces we'll hear tonight and how the performance will go? Um, I mean we have, there's quite a wide variety of musical styles and um, different kind of, I guess, ways of [00:07:30] processing and dealing with all of the events that are covered in the work. Um, so for example we start with a real kind of cowboy solo, there's some yodeling, um, and that comes back right at the end to kind of, Bring us full circle back to the end. Um, there's some there's a really beautiful kind of jazz blues inspired number which is Phenomenal. I don't think any of us can do that that piece justice and a lot of the [00:08:00] text and the there's a mixture of sources of the text and considering Matthew Shepard, so there's Ordinary boy, which is the second um movement, um, has text from Matthew Shepard's own writing, um, has text from I think Judy's um, writing as well, um, and then there's some movement nine is a Particularly, uh, challenging work, I think, because that deals, um, with the content around how the Westboro Baptist Church protested Matthew's funeral. [00:08:30] Um, so that has some really, kind of, just nasty content for us to deal with as a choir. Um, but then we come all the To the end where there's this healing and kind of resolution and I think something that's really quite beautiful is that the last word you hear in the entire oratorio is free. I think that's really beautiful. I think that, um, all the different pieces are really interesting too because it's almost like they're their own like characters, you know? Um, like they, they all have their own different, not only like [00:09:00] styles, but like even just like the text and the way that it's like, You know, song and the people that sing it, like the different groups of the choir, like, you know, how they sing it. And I think it's really interesting to see the differences because it's like, I think if it was the same all throughout, it would kind of just be like, one story with this. It's like many, many things added together, you know? Yeah. I guess, I guess one thing that we're really conscious of is there is, there's a lot of, um, [00:09:30] violence. discussed in this work, and obviously, um, that's really, really upsetting for some people because it's, you know, a reminder that there are hateful people out there who don't accept people for who they are, and that's really, really upsetting. And particularly in Wellington, where we have such a vibrant queer community, I think we're quite conscious of the fact that there could be people in the audience who this is especially personal for, and might be quite distressing to hear, and so it's just trying to find that balance of [00:10:00] This is a really important work because it deals with such important content and queer history, but also respecting the fact that that might be quite triggering for people. So we've, we've had quite a, quite a think about how, um, how best to manage that and make sure that we perform the work respectfully, but also create that space for people who are going to be upset by the content. Can I add to that as well? Because as we said, there are many members of both choirs who are queer, and that's something that. Each of [00:10:30] us has had to work through as well in really wanting to perform this important work while also not sacrificing ourselves along the way. And so, um, we've bonded together, we've learned different skills, um, different exercises we've, um, processed in our own time. I think we've also found, um, a deep enough level within the music that the music that we know so well now can hold us. And so sometimes it's holding out for that jazz solo [00:11:00] or for a wonderful tenor aria, which always lifts my spirits. And I, um, know that, ah, yep. And a few movements, this is where the arc is hitting. Um, and so we are very conscious of this for the audience, many of whom won't have heard the work at all. And so wanting to make that journey. as safe as possible while still doing the work. What's it been like, not only learning the work, but you're also learning about [00:11:30] Matthew at the, at the same time. How's that been? I mean, I think it's been really beautiful in a, you know, in a way, um, because I find that yes, there is a lot of focus on his death, but we have one song called Ordinary Boy, and It's it's interesting because like lots of people have emotional reactions to like the more sad songs my most emotional reaction is to that song because yeah, because it's like [00:12:00] describing him in this beautiful like amazing way and You know, he he likes doing these different things, you know, and he he was just living out this like beautiful life you know so full of life so full of life exactly and I think that And that just makes everything else in the, in the, you know, in the piece like hit so much more because it's like, yeah, he just seemed like a beautiful soul.[00:12:30] What's the line that stands out to you in the entire work? Oh, that's like a tough question. I think all the pieces are just so beautiful. It's hard to pick. But I think like Sarah said, then the final. The word just being free really encapsulates the entire whole work in one word, just to end on a, such a powerful note, I would say. Um, I think for me, I think it's in movement three, um, which is, I am [00:13:00] open, we tell each other stories. Um, it talks about how, you know, we're open to hear a story, um, about a boy. And then there's this one line that I think is kind of in a similar way to Raya. Um, where it just says, could be any boy. You know, like this could have happened to any boy. any young queer person, and it has happened to other queer people. And that's, I think, this is a, like, this is a story about Matthew Shepard, but it's also a story about the queer community and the queer history that we've had. Um, [00:13:30] so I think that really, that one really, uh, hit home, I think. I'm with Rhea on this one. From Ordinary Boy, there's a line that gets me every time. Um, yeah. A boy of extraordinary laughter, extraordinary life, and yeah, just what we as humanity were robbed of, but also what this work calls us to, as well. Has this work been heard [00:14:00] in New Zealand before? Yes, once I believe in Christchurch. Okay, but not in the North Island, or? No. We think this is the North Island premiere. How many performers are performing tonight? It would be over a hundred. I, because we've got about, uh, 65 to 70 in the Wellington Youth Choir, and I think about 40 in the Christchurch Youth Choir. Plus we have our pianist, um, [00:14:30] and we have, yeah, as well as, um, Josh, who's doing a solo, but isn't in the choir. Um, so yeah, definitely over a hundred people. How does it feel to perform with such a large number of people in such a large space? I mean, for me, it feels like a bit like, I don't want to sound cheesy, but it sounds like a warm hug, you know, like, cause it's just kind of like hearing [00:15:00] Like do a big strong finish on us like especially for all of us, you know the very end we do this big and then it echoes and it's like We fill this space and it's just like it's beautiful because I'm like that was us. Yeah, exactly I'm like, oh my god, we did that guys, you know, um, and I think that it just like yeah, it's It's great singing with a big group of people that are as passionate about a piece as you are because you, you know, you'll be looking around [00:15:30] and seeing people like singing and, and, you know, like moving with the music. And I think that's like one of the most amazing experiences ever, you know, just being surrounded by people who love what you're doing as much as you, you know? No, I absolutely agree with that. I think it always gives me the chills when I hear the soloists and just the entire group come together, singing like one perfect chord in harmony. It just rings the entire cathedral. I think there's nothing more beautiful than that. One thing I want to add is that, [00:16:00] To me, it's really special as a queer Christian, actually, being in a cathedral for this, because the work draws on lots of church music from the ages, and it shows the church at its worst, Westboro Baptist Church, and also at its best as the place that hosted Matthew's funeral, for example. And so it's really special to be here in this symbol of Christianity um, singing an unapologetically queer work that calls [00:16:30] Us all. Um, to love us all. And adding to that as well, I know that the Cathedral have, are also really excited for us to be here. That was a very enthusiastic yes from them for us to perform here. Um, which is also really lovely as well, I think. I was really interested in seeing the advert for tonight's performance where you're talking about centering queer artists and queer works. Is this part of a larger thing for Wellington Youth Choir? Um, Yeah, so, um, earlier in the year we did a [00:17:00] concert called Huakina, which means to open in te reo Māori. Um, and that was a concert where all of the music was entirely by, um, non binary, erāwhiti and wāhine composers from New Zealand. Um, and we actually featured a lot of, um, uh, whānau. What's the word? Premieres. The first performances of, um, some works, including, um, uh, there was two pieces that were written by members of [00:17:30] Wellington Youth Choir as well, um, which was really cool, as well as, um, one by a former Wellington Youth Choir member as well, um, so that was really special for us to be able to perform that as well, especially not only it being, um, all non binary wahine erāwhiti composers, but also from Wellington. New Zealand and all of them were still, um, like most of the composers were actually in attendance at the concert as well. So we had some people who traveled, um, one of the composers traveled down from, uh, Palmerston North, I [00:18:00] think, um, some from Auckland, one from New Plymouth, one from Auckland. It was really, really cool to, um, have that experience. Um, and especially in the choral world where so much music is written by old white men. Um, and as much as that music has. Nice to sing. It's just really nice to be able to centre voices that often go unheard. Just finally, how, how do you think Matthew Shepard has changed you? [00:18:30] Well, I, so I was first introduced to Matthew Shepard because I did the Laramie Project, um, which is a play based on, um, the, a bunch of interviews of, um, from people after his death. Um, and that was like, it really piqued my interest because there were so many different people and so many different responses, you know? Um, but I think that this piece [00:19:00] specifically made me see truly, like, how beautiful his life was. And I think that, like, inspired me to kind of just live out my life unapologetically queer and be very, you know, thankful for kind of, you know, In a way, his death brought a lot of support to the queer community. You know, a lot of people's response was to recognize that, Oh, this is like, you know, there's so much hate [00:19:30] going towards this community. We can, we should do whatever we can to support them. And I'm really happy that I surround myself with people that support me and my queerness. But, um, yeah, I think it just, it kind of makes me sad because I would just kind of wish that. He was able to live out and, like, get the same support that I'm sort of getting, you know? Um, yeah. I, sorry, it's a hard question to answer, but [00:20:00] I think that it just made me reflect a lot. Um, and, yeah. Yeah, I mean, I would agree with that about it making me reflect a lot, but I also think, um, something that it also makes me think of is this, is queer history, but it's also the queer present, and we need to still have that, bring that same energy, um, and it's, it's, Which is why I think this is [00:20:30] so important to do, um, because, you know, so many of our choir members are queer. It is really, really important that we hold that space, um, for all the queer people in our choir. Um, and I think it's, yeah, it's made me really reflect on how, um, It is queer history and it's queer present and try not make it the future I think as well. Yeah really emphasize the importance of everyone's has to be heard everyone has a right to just live and [00:21:00] be themselves and no one should be having to hide in the shadows for what they how they feel what they want to do anything like that so open my eyes a lot and I think a lot to like these guys said a lot to reflect on and I'm just grateful that I can do it with a great group of people. In a word, for me, Matthew's taught me a lot about grace, and about a vision for a world where everyone is welcome, and no one even [00:21:30] thinks to be queerphobic or homophobic or transphobic, one where everyone can belong.
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