A Story That Echoes Through Time
Considering Matthew Shepard
MARCH 9, 2025 I 3:00PM
TROY SAVINGS BANK MUSIC HALL
Albany Pro Musica
José Daniel Flores-Caraballo, Opalka Family Artistic Director
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A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE ALBANY PRO
MUSICA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
At this exciting moment for Albany Pro Musica, I am honored to welcome you to our performance.
Our 44th season marks the beginning of José Daniel FloresCaraballo’s second decade of inspired leadership of our ensemble. There is no doubt that the moment is ripe for us to build on the artistic and organizational growth that have marked the past ten years. We are enthusiastically fulfilling the vision of our founder, the late David Griggs-Janower, who set out to create a chorus that could routinely offer extraordinary musical performances to this community. Beyond that, we have embraced both an ambitious educational mission, so that future generations can share the joy that we all feel in these shared concert experiences, and artistic aspirations that envision Albany Pro Musica reaching ever wider and more diverse audiences.
As a singer in the ensemble for 24 seasons and a board member for nine years, I have come to understand that our music truly has impact only when it is heard and appreciated by an audience. So my colleagues and I, who take so much joy from our music-making, must express our deep appreciation to you for being a part of this shared experience – for you, in fact, make it possible.
The vitality of a community is often reflected in its creative output, including the music, theater and visual arts that its citizens produce. By that measure, New York’s Capital Region is a thriving place. Albany Pro Musica is proud to be part of this dynamic artistic scene, and we are profoundly grateful that you have joined us in this expression of the human spirit.
Rex Smith President, Albany Pro Musica Board of Directors
LETTER FROM THE OPALKA FAMILY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Albany Pro Musica’s 44th season began with a blast, as we performed Carl Orff’s famous Carmina Burana with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in August, followed by an evocative Northern Lights concert in October, led by my colleague, former APM Composer in Residence Bradley Ellingboe. In December, we celebrated The Many Moods of Christmas with a full and joyful audience.
Today, APM presents the Capital Region premiere of Craig Hella Johnson’s oratorio, Considering Matthew Shepard. An intrinsic message in the composer’s selections is a reminder that, despite our differences, we are still one humanity. In the words of Dr. Daniel Bara, “this work is an invitation to stand for love, forgiveness, understanding, and justice in our communities and the world.” Now more than ever, we as artists have the responsibility to use our art to foster dialogue about the issues that face our community, and to inspire the love and action required for a more peaceful world. Thank you for being part of this important process.
Due to ongoing construction at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall this spring, APM will take our last concert of the season to The Egg. Pro Musica on Broadway will feature unique and exhilarating arrangements of some of our favorite classic and modern Broadway tunes, and we are pleased to welcome Jamari Johnson Williams – a rising star of the Broadway stage – to join the chorus and chamber ensemble as our featured guest artist. Our signature Spring Gala will take place immediately before the concert and honor our long-time partners, the University at Albany and President Havidán Rodríguez, with the Dr. Karen R. Hitchcock Award for Championing the Choral Arts.
APM’s educational programs deliver a truly life-changing experience for students. APM’s 25th annual High School Choral Festival in February brought together the best young talent from across the region for a day of music-making at Russell Sage College, then culminated in a vibrant concert entitled Futuros Ilimitados (Boundless Futures) at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. The Pro Musica International Choral Festival will take place in the Capital Region in July 2025, in partnership with the University at Albany. This week-long program provides a transformative musical experience to 150 students from across North America, with renowned faculty and guest ensembles. The festival will feature public concerts by the highly talented festival choir, celebrated professional vocal ensemble Exigence, and Albany Pro Musica.
Last year we celebrated my tenth anniversary with Albany Pro Musica. As I look ahead to APM’s future, I am filled with tremendous optimism about the opportunities for continued excellence and growth in our artistic and educational mission. Albany Pro Musica is committed to expanding and strengthening our programs that make a difference in our community, which tell important stories, and which are inspiring and transformative—in both the concert hall and the classroom.
All of this is dependent on the strong and sustained commitment by our community. I’m so grateful for the continued support, shared vision, trust, and dedication of our patrons, donors, board of directors, council of advisors, staff, and chorus—thank you!
José Daniel Flores-Caraballo
Opalka
ALBANY PRO MUSICA PRESENTS CONSIDERING MATTHEW SHEPARD
March 9, 2025 at 3:00pm
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
ALBANY PRO MUSICA CONCERT CHORUS & PRO MUSICA ENSEMBLE
JOSÉ DANIEL FLORES-CARABALLO,
Opalka Family Artistic Director
ELLIOTT FORREST, Stage Director
NOAH PALMER, Assistant Director & Accompanist
Support for our 2024-2025 season comes from our marquee season underwriters
Christine and George R. Hearst III I Ellen Jabbur
Chet and Karen Opalka I Wayne A. Senitta, Jr. and Daniel Washington
William Tuthill and Gregory Anderson
Additional season support provided by James and Joanne Crum I Richard J. Miller, Jr.
Michael and Margery Whiteman I Michael and Linda Wolff
The Kiwi Foundation, a division of Opalka Philanthropies
Support for this concert provided by Al De Salvo I James Gaughan and Keith Lee
Marion Terenzio and Pat O’Connor
Ernest Otho Reaugh Advised Fund for LGBTQIA+ Advocacy of
The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region
This event is being professionally recorded, photographed, and filmed for archival and promotional purposes. Please silence all electronic devices and hold applause until the conclusion of the concert.
Like so many people, I was deeply moved and affected by the death of a young, gay Wyoming man in 1998, Matthew Wayne Shepard. The events surrounding his death created an enormous feeling-world in me which continued to reverberate for months and years after the event. I felt such a strong inner desire to respond somehow, especially musically. This feeling stayed with me many years. But it was not until many years later when I felt ready to give voice to this inner response. In some ways, I feel that Matthew as a subject for this composition chose me rather than the other way around, as it seems is so often the case when we feel a strong inner calling. This story holds so many layers of meaning and raises many questions. My own journey with Matt and his story has proven to be an inspiring, challenging and deeply meaningful exploration that continues. Surprisingly and remarkably, although remembering the suffering of Matthew Shepard can be intense and very dark, I continue to also experience a call to the inner light which this story profoundly transmits.
The profound musical storytelling of J.S. Bach in his Passion settings, both magisterial and personal, has always deeply moved me and his masterful gift of maintaining a connection with the everyday listener (parishioner) within the grand structure of his Passions inspired me greatly. The central portion of Considering Matthew Shepard is essentially the Passion (suffering, as in passio) section of this work. The outer sections serve as Prologue, in which we are introduced to the young Matt Shepard and his strong life force, and Epilogue, which l intended to provide a space for reflection, consideration and unity within this musical framework.
For the formation of the libretto, rather than setting the words of a single writer, I chose to gather and shape a collection of texts from several writers whose words span several centuries and represent significant cultural and geographic differences. Their writings both contribute to the telling of the story and also help create the poetic and musical structure which holds this musical meditation and reflection.
I am deeply grateful to Dennis and Judy Shepard for their incredible generosity in continuing to support all of our remembrances of their beloved son Matt, and for being such extraordinary warriors for Love in the world.
I send my very best to all of our colleagues at Albany Pro Musica as they perform the regional premiere of CMS this season, and strive to keep Matthew’s legacy alive through meaningful partnerships and community conversations. Matthew’s story resonates now more than ever and hope that you are inspired to be a force for Love in our world. I invite you to stay in touch with this work at Conspirare.org/Project/Considering-Matthew-Shepard.
With gratitude,
Craig Hella Johnson
PROGRAM
Craig Hella Johnson (b.1962)
Considering Matthew Shepard (2016)
PROLOGUE
Cattle, Horses, Sky and Grass
Dan Foster (soloist)
Ordinary Boy
Rebecca Monaghan (narrator)
Dharma Sanchez-Flores (Judy Shepard)
Jacob James (Matthew Shepard)
We Tell Each Other Stories
Rebecca Monaghan (narrator)
PASSION
The Fence (before)
Jared Hunt (Fence #1)
The Fence (that night)
Christopher Price (Fence #2)
A Protestor
Keep It Away From Me (The Wound of Love)
Abigail Cowan-Kuzia (soloist)
Tonya Burandt Hansen, Maria Bedo Calhoun, Darcy Crum Meadows (trio)
Fire of the Ancient Heart
Christopher Price (Cantor)
Stray Birds
I Am Like You / We Are All Sons
The Innocence
John Favreau (Dennis Shepard)
The Fence (one week later)
Katherine Skovira (Fence #3)
Stars
In Need of Breath
Brendan Hoffman (soloist)
Deer Song (Mist on the Mountains)
Jacob James (Matthew Shepard)
The Fence (after)/The Wind
Pilgrimage
EPILOGUE
Meet Me Here
Heather Lessard (soloist)
All of Us
Rachel Balbi, Maria Bedo Calhoun, Abigail Cowan-Kuzia (trio)
Featuring a Community Chorus with singers from Albany Voices of Pride, Albany Gay
Men’s Chorus, APM’s High School Honor Chorus and Masterworks Chorus, and RPI
Reprise: This Chant of Life (Cattle, Horses, Sky and Grass)
Dan Foster (soloist)
Recitations by Stephanie Saint Germain and Patrick White
CONSIDERING MATTHEW SHEPARD
CRAIG HELLA JOHNSON
LIBRETTO
Commissioned by Fran and Larry Collmann and Conspirare
Dedicated to Philip Overbaugh
PROLOGUE
All.
Yoodle—ooh, yoodle-ooh-hoo, so sings a lone cowboy, Who with the wild roses wants you to be free.
CATTLE, HORSES, SKY AND GRASS
Cattle, horses, sky and grass
These are the things that sway and pass
Before our eyes and through our dreams
Through shiny, sparkly, golden gleams
Within our psyche that find and know
The value of this special glow
That only gleams for those who bleed
Their soul and heart and utter need
Into the mighty, throbbing Earth
From which springs life and death and birth.
I’m alive! I’m alive, I’m alive, golden. I’m alive, I’m alive, I’m alive . . .
These cattle, horses, grass, and sky
Dance and dance and never die They circle through the realms of air
And ground and empty spaces where A human being can join the song
Can circle, too, and not go wrong
Amidst the natural, pulsing forces
Of sky and grass and cows and horses.
I’m alive, I’m alive, I’m alive . . .
This chant of life cannot be heard It must be felt, there is no word
To sing that could express the true Significance of how we wind
Through all these hoops of Earth and mind
Through horses, cattle, sky and grass
And all these things that sway and pass.
ORDINARY BOY
Let’s talk about Matt —
Ordinary boy, ordinary boy, ordinary boy . . .
Born in December in Casper, Wyoming
Ordinary boy
to a father, Dennis and a mother, Judy
Ordinary boy, ordinary boy
Then came a younger brother, Logan
Ordinary boy
His name was Matthew Wayne Shepard. And one day his name came to be known around the world. But as his mother said:
Judy Shepard: You knew him as Matthew. To us he was Matt.
He went camping, he went fishing, even hunting for a moose
He read plays and he read stories and especially Dr. Seuss
He wrote poems with illustrations for the neighbors on the street And he left them in each mailbox till he learned it was illegal
He made friends and he wore braces and his frame was rather small
He sang songs his father taught him
Frere Jacques . .
Row Row Row Your Boat . . .
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star . . .
Judy: He was my son, my first-born, and more. He was my friend, my confidant, my constant reminder of how good life can be—and . . . how hurtful.
How good life can be, how good life can be
Judy: Matt’s laugh, his wonderful hugs, his stories . . .
Matt writes about himself in a notebook:
I am funny, sometimes forgetful and messy and lazy. I am not a lazy person though. I am giving and understanding. And formal and polite. I am sensitive. I am honest. I am sincere. And I am not a pest.
I am not a pest, I am not a pest . . .
I am my own person. I am warm.
I want my life to be happy and I want to be clearer about things. I want to feel good.
I love Wyoming . . .
I love Wyoming very much . .
I love theatre
I love good friends
I love succeeding
I love pasta
I love jogging
I love walking and feeling good
I love Europe and driving and music and helping and smiling and Charlie and Jeopardy
I love movies and eating and positive people and pasta and driving and walking and jogging and kissing and learning and airports and music and smiling and hugging and being myself
I love theatre! I love theatre!
And I love to be on stage!
Such an ordinary boy living ordinary days
In an ordinary life so worth living
He felt ordinary yearning and ordinary fears
With an ordinary hope for belonging
He felt ordinary yearning and ordinary fears
With an ordinary hope for belonging
(Born to live this ordinary life)
Just an ordinary boy living ordinary days with extraordinary kindness
extraordinary laughter extraordinary shining extraordinary light and joy
Joy and light.
I love, I love, I love . . .
Ordinary boy, ordinary boy
WE TELL EACH OTHER STORIES
We tell each other stories so that we will remember Try and find the meaning in the living of our days
Always telling stories, wanting to remember Where and whom we came from Who we are
Sometimes there’s a story that’s painful to remember One that breaks the heart of us all Still we tell the story
We’re listening and confessing What we have forgotten In the story of us all
We tell each other stories so that we will remember Trying to find the meaning . . .
I am open to hear this story about a boy, an ordinary boy Who never had expected his life would be this story, (could be any boy)
I am open to hear a story
Open, listen. All.
PASSION
RECITATION I
Laramie, southeastern Wyoming, between the Snowy Range and the Laramie Range. Tuesday, October 6, 1998.
THE FENCE (BEFORE) Out and alone on the endless empty prairie
the moon bathes me the stars bless me
the sun warms me the wind soothes me
still still still I wonder
will I always be out here exposed and alone?
will I ever know why I was put (here) on this earth?
will somebody someday stumble upon me?
will anyone remember me after I’m gone?
Still, still, still . . I wonder.
RECITATION II
Tuesday night. Matthew attended a meeting of the University of Wyoming’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Association, then joined others for coffee at the College Inn. Around 10:30, he went to the Fireside Bar, where he later met Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson. Near midnight, they drove him to a remote area, tied him to a buck and rail fence, beat him horribly and left him to die in the cold of night.
THE FENCE (THAT NIGHT)
Most noble evergreen with your roots in the sun: you shine in the cloudless sky of a sphere no earthly eminence can grasp, You blush like the dawn, you burn like a flame of the sun.
I held him all night long
He was heavy as a broken heart
Tears fell from his unblinking eyes
He was dead weight yet he kept breathing
He was heavy as a broken heart
His own heart wouldn’t stop beating
The cold wind wouldn’t stop blowing
His face streaked with moonlight and blood I tightened my grip and held on
The cold wind wouldn’t stop blowing
We were out on the prairie alone I tightened my grip and held on I saw what was done to this child
We were out on the prairie alone
Their truck was the last thing he saw I saw what was done to this child
I cradled him just like a mother
Most noble evergreen, most noble evergreen, your roots in the sun . .
Their truck was the last thing he saw Tears fell from his unblinking eyes
I cradled him just like a mother
I held him all night long
Most noble evergreen . .
RECITATION III
The next morning, Matthew was found by a cyclist, a fellow student, who at first thought he was a scarecrow. After several days in a coma and on life support, Matthew Shepard died on Monday, October 12, at 12:53 a.m.
At the funeral, which took place on Friday, October 16, at St Mark’s Episcopal Church in Casper, Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church protested outside.
A PROTESTOR
kreuzige, kreuzige! (translation: crucify, crucify)
A boy who takes a boy to bed?
Where I come from that’s not polite
He asked for it, you got that right
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
The only good fag is a fag that’s dead
A man and a woman, the Good Lord said
As sure as Eve took that first bite
The fires of Hell burn hot and red kreuzige, kreuzige!
Beneath the Hunter’s Moon he bled
That must have been a pretty sight
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
C’mon, kids, it’s time for bed
Say your prayers, kiss Dad good night
A boy who takes a boy to bed?
The fires of Hell burn hot and red crucify, crucify . . . the light crucify the light . .
KEEP IT AWAY FROM ME
(THE
WOUND OF LOVE)
don’t wanna look on this never get near flames too raw for me
grief too deep
keep it away from me stay out of my heart
stay out of my hope
some son, somebody’s pain
some child gone child never mine born to this trouble
don’t wanna be born to this world world where sometimes yes world where mostly no the wound of love
smoke round my throat rain down my soul no heaven lies keep them gone keep them never grief too deep, flames too raw keep them away from me stay out of my heart stay out of my hope don’t try any old story on me no wing no song no cry no comfort ye no wound ever mine close up the gates of night the wound of love keep this all away from me the wound of love you take away the wounds of the world keep it away from me
RECITATION IV
National media began to broadcast the story. As the news began to spread, many people across the country gathered together in candlelight vigils, moved to (silently) speak for life over death, love over hate, light over darkness.
FIRE OF THE ANCIENT HEART
Cantor:
“What have you done? Hark, thy brother’s blood cries to me from the ground.”
Choir:
Called by this candle Led to the flame Called to remember Enter the flame
Cantor: all our flames now swaying and free all our hearts now moving as one every living spirit turned toward peace all our tender hopes awake
Choir:
Called by this candle Led to the flame Called to remember Enter the flame
Fire: howl
Fire: broken Fire: burst Fire: rage
Fire: swell
Fire: shatter
Fire: wail Fire
We all betray the ancient heart
Ev’ry one of us, all of us
His heart, my heart, your heart, one heart
“In each moment the fire rages, it will burn away a hundred veils.”
Burning Breaking Grasping Raging how do we keep these flames in our hands? how do we guard these fears in our hearts? how long to hold these griefs in our songs? remembering anger weave it with hope remembering exile braid it with praise longing past horror longing past dread dreaming of healing past all our pain
Fire: living in me
Fire: purify
Fire: now hold me
Fire: seize my heart
(enter the flame, enter the flame shatter my heart, shatter my heart called to enter, burn a hundred veils)
Called by this flame
Fire of my heart:
Break down all walls
Open all doors
Only this Love
“Eyes of flesh, eyes of fire”
Lumina, lumina, lumina
Open us,
All!
(In each moment the fire rages, it will burn away a hundred veils.)
RECITATION V
Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson were arrested shortly after the attack and charged with murder, kidnapping, and aggravated robbery. The first of two trials began on October 26, 1999; both were convicted of the murder and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences.
STRAY BIRDS
Stray birds of summer come to my window to sing and fly away.
And yellow leaves of autumn which have no songs flutter and fall there with a sigh.
Once we dreamt that we were strangers. We wake up to find that we were dear to each other.
we are all sons of fathers and mothers we are all sons
we are all rivers the roar of waters, we are all sons
I AM LIKE YOU
I am like you
Aaron and Russell
When I think of you (and honestly I don’t like to think about you) but sometimes I do, I am so horrified, and just so angry and confused (and scared) that you could do things to another boy—they were so cruel and so undeserved, so dark and hard and full of (I don’t know)
Late one night I had a glimpse of something I recognized, just a tiny glimpse— I don’t even like to say this out loud, it isn’t even all that true— but I wondered for a moment, am I like you? (in any way)
(I pray the answer is no)
Am I like you?
I bet you once had hopes and dreams, too.
Some things we love get lost along the way, That’s just like me—get lost along the way— I am like you, I get confused and I’m afraid and I’ve been reckless, I’ve been restless, bored, unthinking, listless, intoxicated, I’ve come unhinged, and made mistakes and hurt people very much.
Sometimes I feel (in springtime, in early afternoon) the sunshine warm on my face; you feel this too (don’t you?), the sunshine warm on your face.
I am like you (this troubles me)
I am like you (just needed to say this)
Some things we love get lost along the way.
WE ARE ALL SONS
we are all sons of fathers and mothers we are all sons
sometimes no home for us here on the earth no place to lay our heads we are all sons of fathers and mothers
if you could know for one moment how it is to live in our bodies within the world
if you could know you ask too much of us you ask too little
THE INNOCENCE
When I think of all the times the world was ours for dreaming,
When I think of all the times the earth seemed like our home-
Every heart alive with its own longing, Every future we could ever hope to hold.
All the times our laughter rang in summer, All the times the rivers sang our tune — Was there already sadness in the sunlight? Some stormy story waiting to be told?
Where O where has the innocence gone? Where O where has it gone?
Rains rolling down wash away my memory; Where O where has it gone?
When I think of all the joys, the wonders we remember
All the treasures we believed we’d never ever lose. Too many days gone by without their meaning,
Too many darkened hours without their peace.
Where O where has the innocence gone? Where O where has it gone?
Vows we once swore, now it’s just this letting go, Where O where has it gone?
RECITATION VI
In the days and weeks after Matthew’s death, many people came to the fence to pay homage and pray and grieve.
THE FENCE (ONE WEEK LATER)
I have seen people come out here with a pocketknife and take a piece of the fence, like a relic, like an icon. — Rev. Stephen M. Johnson, Unitarian minister
I keep still I stand firm I hold my ground while they lay down flowers and photos prayers and poems crystals and candles sticks and stones they come in herds they stand and stare they sit and sigh they crouch and cry some of them touch me in unexpected ways without asking permission and then move on but I don’t mind being a shrine is better than being the scene of the crime
RECITATION VII
Matthew’s father made his statement to the court on November 5, 1999.
STARS
By the end of the beating, his body was just trying to survive. You left him out there by himself, but he wasn’t alone. There were his lifelong friends with him—friends that he had grown up with. You’re probably wondering who these friends were. First, he had the beautiful night sky with the same stars and moon that we used to look at through a telescope. Then, he had the daylight and the sun to shine on him one more time—one more cool, wonderful autumn day in Wyoming. His last day alive in Wyoming. His last day alive in the state that he always proudly called home. And through it all he was breathing in for the last time the smell of Wyoming sagebrush and the scent of pine trees from the snowy range. He heard the wind—the ever-present Wyoming wind—for the last time. He had one more friend with him. One he grew to know through his time in Sunday school and as an acolyte at St. Mark’s in Casper as well as through his visits to St. Matthew’s in Laramie.
I feel better knowing he wasn’t alone.
RECITATION VIII
Matthew was left tied to the fence for almost eighteen hours.
IN NEED OF BREATH
My heart Is an unset jewel Upon the tender night
Yearning for its dear old friend The Moon.
When the Nameless One debuts again Ten thousand facets of my being unfurl wings And reveal such a radiance inside
I enter a realm divine — I too begin to sweetly cast light, Like a lamp, I cast light Through the streets of this World.
My heart is an unset jewel Upon existence Waiting for the Friend’s touch.
Tonight
Tonight
My heart is an unset ruby Offered bowed and weeping to the Sky.
Matt: I am dying in these cold hours For the resplendent glance of God.
My heart Is an unset jewel Upon the tender night
My heart is an unset ruby Offered bowed and weeping to the Sky.
RECITATION IX
Sheriff’s Deputy, Reggie Fluty, the first to report to the scene, told Judy Shepard that as she ran to the fence she saw a large doe lying near Matt—as if the deer had been keeping him company all through the night.
DEER SONG
Deer:
A mist is over the mountain, The stars in their meadows upon the air, Your people are waiting below them, And you know there’s a gathering there. All night I lay there beside you, I cradled your pain in my care, We move through creation together, And we know there’s a welcoming there.
Welcome, welcome, sounds the song, Calling, calling clear; Always with us, evergreen heart, Where can we be but there?
Matthew:
I’ll find all the love I have longed for, The home that’s been calling my heart so long So soon I’ll be cleansed in those waters, My fevers forever be gone; Where else on earth but these waters? No more, no more to be torn; My own ones, my dearest, are waiting — And I’ll weep to be where I belong.
Welcome, welcome, sounds the song, Calling, calling clear; Always with me, evergreen heart, Where can I be but here?
THE FENCE
(AFTER)/THE WIND prayed upon frowned upon revered feared adored abhorred despised idolized splintered scarred weathered worn broken down broken up ripped apart ripped away gone but not forgotten
The North Wind carried his father’s laugh
The South Wind carried his mother’s song
The East Wind carried his brother’s cheer
The West Wind carried his lover’s moan
The Winds of the World wove together a prayer to carry that hurt boy home
prayed upon frowned upon revered feared
North Wind, South Wind, East Wind, West Wind
(Splintered, scarred, weathered, worn, broken down, gone)
Winds of the World: carry him home.
RECITATION X
The fence has been torn down. People still come to pay their respects.
PILGRIMAGE
I walk to the fence with beauty before me
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want
I walk to the fence with beauty behind me
Yit’gadal v’yit’ kadash (may his great name grow)
I walk to the fence with beauty above me
Om Mani Padme Ham (Om! the jewel in the lotus, hum! )
I walk to the fence with beauty below me
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit
I reach the fence surrounded by beauty wail of wind, cry of hawk
I leave the fence surrounded by beauty sigh of sagebrush, hush of stone
(Beauty above me, beauty below me
By beauty surrounded)
Still, still, still, I wonder.... wail of wind, cry of hawk
Still, still, still, I wonder. . wail of wind, cry of hawk
Still still still
EPILOGUE
MEET ME HERE
Meet me here
Won’t you meet me here
Where the old fence ends and the horizon begins
There’s a balm in the silence
Like an understanding air
Where the old fence ends and the horizon begins
We’ve been walking through the darkness
On this long, hard climb
Carried ancestral sorrow
For too long a time
Will you lay down your burden
Lay it down, come with me
It will never be forgotten
Held in love, so tenderly
Meet me here
Won’t you meet me here
Where the old fence ends and the horizon begins
There’s a joy in the singing
Like an understanding air
Where the fence ends and the horizon begins.
Then we’ll come to the mountain
We’ll go bounding to see
That great circle of dancing
And we’ll dance endlessly
And we’ll dance with the all the children
Who’ve been lost along the way
We will welcome each other
Coming home, this glorious day
We are home in the mountain
And we’ll gently understand
That we’ve been friends forever
That we’ve never been alone
We’ll sing on through any darkness
And our Song will be our sight
We can learn to offer praise again
Coming home to the light . .
RECITATION XI
Eleven years after Matthew’s death, President Obama signed “The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.”
For fear Matthew’s final resting place would be desecrated, Judy and Dennis Shepard held on to his ashes for 20 years. In 2018, Matthew’s remains were interred at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
ALL OF US
What could be the song? Where begin again? Who could meet us there? Where might we begin? From the shadows climb, Rise to sing again; Where could be the joy? How do we begin?
Never our despair, Never the least of us, Never turn away, Never hide our face; Ordinary boy, Only all of us, Free us from our fear, Only all of us.
What could be the song? Where begin again? Who could meet us there? Where might we begin?
From the shadows climb, Rise to sing again; Where could be the joy? How do we begin?
Never our despair, Never the least of us, Never turn away, Never hide your face; Ordinary boy, Only all of us, Free us from our fear.
Only in the Love, Love that lifts us up, Clear from out the heart
From the mountain’s side, Come creation come, Strong as any stream; How can we let go? How can we forgive? How can we be dream?
Out of heaven, rain, Rain to wash us free; Rivers flowing on, Ever to the sea; Bind up every wound, Every cause to grieve; Always to forgive, Only to believe.
[Chorale:]
Most noble Light, Creation’s face, How should we live but joined in you, Remain within your saving grace Through all we say and do And know we are the Love that moves The sun and all the stars?
O Love that dwells, O Love that burns In every human heart.
(Only in the Love, Love that lifts us up!)
This evergreen, this heart, this soul, Now moves us to remake our world, Reminds us how we are to be Your people born to dream; How old this joy, how strong this call, To sing your radiant care With every voice, in cloudless hope Of our belonging here.
Only in the Love . . . Only all of us . . .
(Heaven: Wash me . .)
All of us, only all of us.
What could be the song? Where do we begin?
Only in the Love, Love that lifts us up. All Of Us.
All.
REPRISE: THIS CHANT OF LIFE (CATTLE, HORSES, SKY AND GRASS)
(This chant of life cannot be heard It must be felt, there is no word
To sing that could express the true Significance of how we wind Through all these hoops of Earth and mind Through horses, cattle, sky and grass
And all these things that sway and pass.)
Yoodle—ooh, yoodle-ooh-hoo, so sings a lone cowboy, Who with the wild roses wants you to be free.
TEXT AUTHORS AND PUBLICATION CREDITS
All music composed by Craig Hella Johnson © 2016.
1. Cattle, Horses, Sky and Grass Compilation with additional text © Craig Hella Johnson / Please Come to Wyoming by John D. Nesbitt © by John D. Nesbitt. Used by kind permission. / Cattle, Horses, Sky and Grass by Sue Wallis © by Estate of Sue Wallis. Used by kind permission. Quoting Prelude in C Major Book 1, WellTempered Clavier by J. S. Bach
2. Ordinary Boy © Craig Hella Johnson / From The Meaning of Matthew, by Judy Shepard p. 206. / + I Love Poem by Matt Shepard © by Judy Shepard. Used by kind permission.
We
7. The Fence (that night) Material reproduced from Hildegard of Bingen from Symphonia: A Critical Edition of the “Symphonia Armonie Celestium Revelationum” (Symphony of the Harmony of Celestial Revelations), Second Edition, translated by Barbara Newman. © 1988, 1998 by Cornell University. Used by permission of the translator, Barbara Newman, and publisher, Cornell University Press. / The Fence (that night)*
9. A Protestor * Lesléa Newman / Additional italicized text by Craig Hella Johnson
10. Keep it Away From Me (The Wound of Love) by Michael Dennis Browne and Craig Hella Johnson © 2015 by Michael Dennis Browne and Craig Hella Johnson. Used by kind permission. / Gabriela Mistral
12. Fire of the Ancient Heart by Michael Dennis Browne and Craig Hella Johnson © 2015 by Michael Dennis Browne and Craig Hella Johnson. Used by kind permission. / ^Genesis 4:10 / #Rumi / ~William Blake. With thanks to Tom Burritt – percussion consultation and special arrangement
14. Stray Birds Stray Birds by Rabindranath Tagore
15. We Are All Sons (part 1) by Michael Dennis Browne © 2015 by Michael Dennis Browne. Used by kind permission.
16. I Am Like You/We Are All Sons (part 2)
17. © Craig Hella Johnson
18. The Innocence by Michael Dennis Browne and Craig Hella Johnson © 2015 by Michael Dennis Browne and Craig Hella Johnson. Used by kind permission.
19. The Fence (one week later)* Lesléa Newman
21. Stars* Lesléa Newman / Dennis Shepard Statement
22. to the Court
23. In Need of Breath Hafiz lyrics from “In Need of the Breath” from the Penguin (New York) publication The Gift: Poems by Hafiz by Daniel Ladinsky. Copyright © 1999 Daniel Ladinsky and used with his permission.
24. Deer Song by Michael Dennis Browne and Craig Hella Johnson © 2015 by Michael Dennis Browne and Craig Hella Johnson. Used by kind permission.
25. The Fence (after)/The Wind* Lesléa Newman
26. Pilgrimage* Lesléa Newman
27. Meet Me Here © Craig Hella Johnson
28. Thanks “Even in This Rain” text by Michael Dennis Browne © 2019 by Michael Dennis Browne
29. All of Us by Michael Dennis Browne and Craig Hella Johnson © 2015 by Michael Dennis Browne and Craig Hella Johnson. Used by kind permission. / + from Divine Comedy, from the Paradiso by Dante, adapted by Michael Dennis Browne
30. Cattle, Horses, Sky and Grass (reprise) Cattle, Horses, Sky and Grass by Sue Wallis © by Estate of Sue Wallis. Used by kind permission. / Please Come to Wyoming by John D. Nesbitt © by John D. Nesbitt. Used by
31. kind permission.
Recitations I-X compiled from news reports and crafted by Craig Hella Johnson and Michael Dennis Browne.
*All works authored by Lesléa Newman are from OCTOBER MOURNING: A SONG FOR MATTHEW SHEPARD. Copyright © 2012 by Lesléa Newman. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA. Selections used by permission of Curtis Brown, Ltd. Copyright © 2012. All Rights Reserved.
“INTRODUCTION” FROM OCTOBER MOURNING: A SONG FOR MATTHEW SHEPARD BY LESLÉA NEWMAN
On Tuesday, October 6, 1998, at approximately 11:45 p.m., twenty-one-year-old Matthew Shepard, a gay college student attending the University of Wyoming, was kidnapped from a bar by twenty-one-year old Aaron McKinney and twenty-oneyear-old Russell Henderson. Pretending to be gay, the two men lured Matthew Shepard into their truck, drove him to the outskirts of Laramie, robbed him, beat him with a pistol, tied him to a buck-rail fence, and left him to die. The next day, at about 6:00 p.m. – eighteen hours after the attack – he was discovered and taken to a hospital. He never regained consciousness and died five days later, on Monday, October 12, with his family by his side.
One of the last things Matthew Shepard did that Tuesday night was attend a meeting of the University of Wyoming’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Association. The group was putting final touches on plans for Gay Awareness Week, scheduled to begin the following Sunday, October 11, coinciding with a National Coming Out Day. Planned campus activities included a film showing, an open poetry reading, and a keynote speaker.
That keynote speaker was me.
I never forgot what happened in Laramie, and around the tenth anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s death, I found myself thinking more and more about him. And so I began writing a series of poems, striving to create a work of art that explores the events surrounding Matthew Shepard’s murder in order to gain a better understanding of their impact on myself and the world.
What really happened at the fence that night? Only three people know the answer to that question. Two of them are imprisoned, convicted murderers whose stories often contradict each other (for example, in separate interviews both McKinney and Henderson have claimed that he alone tied Matthew Shepard to the fence). The other person who knows what really happened that night is dead. We will never know his side of the story.
This book is my side of the story.
While the poems in this book are inspired by actual events, they do not in any way represent the statements, thoughts, feelings, opinions, or attitudes of any actual person. The statements, thoughts, feelings, opinions, and attitudes conveyed belong to me. All monologues contained within the poems are figments of my imagination; no actual person spoke any of the words contained within the body of any poem. Those words are mine and mine alone. When the words of an actual person are used as a short epigraph for a poem, the source of that quote is cited at the back of the book in a section entitled “Notes,” which contains citations and suggestions for further reading about the crime. The poems, which are meant to be read in sequential order as one whole work, are a work of poetic invention and imagination: a historical novel in verse. The poems are not an objective reporting of Matthew Shepard’s murder and its aftermath; rather they are my own personal interpretation of them.
There is a bench on the campus of the University of Wyoming dedicated to Matthew Shepard, inscribed with the words He continues to make a difference My hope is that readers of October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard will be inspired to make a difference and honor his legacy by erasing hate and replacing it with compassion, understanding, and love.
OCTOBER MOURNING: A SONG FOR MATTHEW
Copyright © 2012 by Lesléa Newman.
Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.
Considering Matthew Shepard was developed with the support of Conspirare. Please visit conpsirare.org to learn more about this project and learn more about the many individuals and organizations who support this work.
Conspirare, The Matthew Shepard Foundation, and KLRU-TV, Austin PBS have partnered to ensure that Considering Matthew Shepard reaches as many people as possible on the stage and screen. The Matthew Shepard Foundation has provided ongoing support in outreach and project development. Conspirare and KLRU-TV, Austin PBS co-produced a Considering Matthew Shepard television special commemorating the 20th anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s passing. KLRU profiled Craig Hella Johnson’s creative process in their documentary series Arts in Context (available at artsincontext.org). The film is accompanied by outreach and engagement programs. Candlewick.com
3.
Tell Each Other Stories We Tell Each Other Stories © Craig Hella Johnson
5. The Fence (before)* Lesléa Newman
8. Lesléa Newman
SHEPARD.
ALBANY
PRO MUSICA CONCERT CHORUS
ALBANY PRO MUSICA OUR MISSION, VISION, AND CORE VALUES
MISSION I To perform a broad spectrum of quality choral music at the highest levels of artistic excellence that inspires and transforms our audiences and to provide exceptional educational experiences that advance the choral art among new generations of singers.
VISION I Albany Pro Musica will be a leader in the choral arts in New York’s Capital Region, the Northeast and beyond ― bridging cultures, ethnicities, and generations.
CORE VALUES I Perform with excellence — Inspire new generations of singers — Engage expanded and broadly diverse audiences
— Operate with integrity — Respect each other and our community
Albany Pro Musica’s mission inspires all that we do. It is at the heart of every rehearsal and concert experience, each selection of musical compositions performed, and every collaboration and partnership. It also provides a foundation for us to build upon as we strive to serve as a leader in choral excellence and choral music appreciation in New York State’s Capital Region, the Northeast, and beyond.
Our vision of excellence and leadership, bridging cultures, ethnicities, and generations, depends on our core values, which we cultivate purposefully:
• Albany Pro Musica aspires to excellence in performance and repertoire with a demanding rehearsal schedule for singers and a rigorous, uncompromising approach to choral technique that Opalka Family Artistic Director Dr. José Daniel Flores-Caraballo has continued and expanded upon from his predecessor, founding director David Griggs-Janower.
OF US’ COMMUNITY CHORUS
Stephanie Saint Germain
Patrick White
• The ensemble is dedicated to inspiring new generations of singers through numerous educational programs and our continuous recruitment of new, talented singers.
• APM is committed to engaging expanded and broadly diverse audiences through innovative programming, challenging repertoire, an emphasis on inclusivity, and a wide range of musical selections.
• Finally, we actively partner with civic, cultural, and educational organizations and institutions to leverage the talents, passions, and resources of our collaborators and amplify our joined voices for greater impact. APM’s partnerships with the University at Albany (SUNY), where rehearsals and master classes typically take place, and with the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, where the ensemble sits as Chorus-in-Residence, represent two of our most essential relationships.
TROY SAVINGS BANK MUSIC HALL NARRATORS
The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall has been captivating audiences since 1875. 2025 will mark the 150th anniversary of its inaugural concert which was performed to a full house and glowing reviews. In 1890 the Odell concert organ was installed, which helped contribute to the Music Hall’s legendary acoustics. Throughout its history, the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall has been a hub of community activity, attracting premier musicians including many the world-renowned artists of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries— among them Yo-Yo Ma, Isaac Stern, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Lyle Lovett, Ben Folds, Indigo Girls, the Albany Symphony Orchestra, and Albany Pro Musica. The Troy Savings Music Hall has been associated with The Troy Chromatic Concerts for over 125 years and has played host to over 300 recordings, echoing its significance in the world of music. Today, the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall is one of only a handful of 19th-century concert halls in continuous operation in the United States and is a National Historic Landmark building. It is truly unlike any other inspired by its mission to enrich the community and inspire passion for the creative arts by fostering diverse, engaging, inclusive, and transformative cultural experiences through performances, collaboration, community events, and education.
Albany Pro Musica (APM) is the preeminent choral ensemble in New York’s vibrant Capital Region and is renowned for its distinctive artistic style and mastery of a wide range of musical genres. Critically acclaimed for its performances of intimate a cappella pieces and large-scale choral works alike, APM is led by Opalka Family Artistic Director Dr. José Daniel Flores-Caraballo and is Chorus-in-Residence at the historic Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. Now celebrating his 10th season with Albany Pro Musica, Maestro Flores-Caraballo has elevated the ensemble through ambitious programming, prestigious national and international collaborations, a renewed commitment to civic and educational engagement, and a bold vision for the future.
LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY CELEBRATED
Albany Pro Musica’s reputation as a world-class chorus attracts large, diverse audiences who encourage newer, bolder projects to satisfy their growing desire for exposure to a rich choral repertoire. It’s also a draw for distinguished guest conductors, soloists, and composers, including composers-in-residence Bradley Ellingboe (2020-2023 seasons) and Ola Gjeilo (2017-2020 seasons), who partner with APM for concerts, premieres, and commissioned works. In addition to long-standing hometown collaborations with the Albany Symphony Orchestra, the Musicians of Ma’alwyck, the Capital District Youth Chorale, and others, APM has developed exciting new relationships with numerous internationally renowned musicians and ensembles, including Canadian Brass, ACRONYM, the American String Quartet, The Philadelphia Orchestra, New York City Ballet, Vienna Boys Choir, the Escher String Quartet, and the Alturas Duo.
VOICES CAPTURING THE HUMAN SPIRIT AT THE INTERSECTION OF CREATIVITY AND EXCELLENCE
Albany Pro Musica is now in its fifth decade as a driving musical force in the Capital Region, the Northeast, and beyond. At the heart of Albany Pro Musica is the vital realization that choral music at its best is not merely entertainment but rather a transformational and emotional experience for performers and audiences alike. This perspective is reflected in Opalka Family Artistic Director Dr. Flores-Caraballo’s vision for APM, which balances exceptional technical competency, exquisite artistry, and purposeful programming that is relevant and meaningful in today’s society.
Under the leadership of Dr. Flores-Caraballo, APM is continuing to push the boundaries of choral performance in the area, embracing challenging musical programming and innovative new partnerships that elevate the ensemble to new heights. Dr. Flores-Caraballo has laid out a bold plan for APM’s future that includes the premieres of commissioned works; concerts across the Northeast; new civic events and partnerships; and the Pro Musica International Choral Festival, which was launched in July 2023 in partnership with the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada.
OUR SEASON
Albany Pro Musica’s Concert Chorus is composed of 70 auditioned volunteer singers from several counties and states. For large choral and orchestral masterworks, the group expands to more than 100 singers as the Albany Pro Musica Masterworks Chorus, and is often joined by the instrumentalists of Orchestra Pro Musica. Albany Pro Musica offers four series concerts each season, including “Artist Series” concerts which bring world-renowned artists and ensembles to share the stage with APM; “Masterworks Series” performances of oratorios and other large-scale choral works with orchestra; and an annual Christmas program, which has become a beloved holiday tradition in the region. Each season is deliberately curated to include classical masterpieces from the choral canon, new compositions from modern and contemporary composers, and popular selections from the worlds of Broadway, traditional and folk music, and more.
OUR COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION
Music education is one of APM’s pillars, and the organization’s educational programs have made a mark on the lives of more than 4,000 young students in the Capital Region and beyond. APM’s annual High School Choral Festival brings together gifted musicians from high schools across the region for an intensive day of rehearsal and performance with Maestro Flores-Caraballo and guest clinicians, on campus at the University at Albany. The festival culminates with a fun-filled concert in which all the students join the voices of Albany Pro Musica’s Concert Chorus on stage for a festival chorus performance.
APM partnered with the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts at Queen’s University in Ontario and the University at Albany to offer the inaugural Pro Musica International Choral Festival in July 2023. The festival represented APM’s largest educational offering to-date and allowed students from across the United States and Canada to study and perform with the Festival’s guest clinician and composer Dr. Rollo Dilworth, as well as other distinguished faculty and world-class musicians. Generous funding from Bader Philanthropies, Inc. provided full fellowships to all participating students, allowing the Pro Musica International Choral Festival to waive the tuition and room & board fees for every attending student.
OUR HISTORY
Albany Pro Musica was founded in 1981 by University at Albany Distinguished Professor Dr. David Griggs-Janower, who created a community chorus capable of performing at a professional level. He remained the group’s Artistic Director until his death in August 2013. After an extensive national search, Dr. José Daniel Flores-Caraballo succeeded Griggs-Janower as Artistic and Executive Director in August 2014. Dr. Flores-Caraballo came to Albany Pro Musica with an ambitious vision to build upon the group’s impressive and cherished legacy and elevate APM to be among the best choirs in the nation.
APM has made numerous recordings, including most recently the first professional recording of Bradley Ellingboe’s Star Song. APM was one of only 16 choruses selected for inclusion on the 2005 National Public Radio (NPR) CD Christmas Around the Country. In 2004 APM collaborated with the Albany Symphony Orchestra and composer Michael Torke to record the opera Strawberry Fields for mass distribution. The group has toured nationally and internationally, including to France in honor of the 60th anniversary of D-Day at Omaha Beach, and to the Czech Republic, Spain, and Ireland.
Albany Pro Musica has commissioned numerous works from American composers and performed local and regional premieres of masterpieces such as Bristow’s Oratorio of Daniel and Handel’s Oratorio of Esther. Under the composerin-residence program launched by Dr. Flores-Caraballo, APM has expanded the group’s library of commissioned works, sponsoring new compositions by celebrated local, national, and international composers including Steven Murray, Donald McCullough, Ola Gjeilo, and Bradley Ellingboe. APM is frequently invited to sing at high-profile events such as gubernatorial inaugurations, civic celebrations, and on stage with visiting artists, including Judy Collins, Kenny Rogers, Andrea Bocelli, and The King’s Singers. APM continues to introduce local audiences to challenging and bold choral repertoire, including Frank Martin s a cappella Mass for Double Choir, the New York State premiere of Requiem by Raymond Torres, entire concerts devoted to musical theater, innovative programs including art forms such as visual arts and dance, and a powerful multimedia presentation of Karl Jenkins The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace.
BIOGRAPHIES BIOGRAPHIES
José Daniel Flores-Caraballo
Opalka Family Artistic Director
José Daniel Flores-Caraballo is a widely acclaimed conductor and musical director recognized for his artistry and integrity in stylistic performance of choral literature, his methodical and uncompromising approach to music learning, and his gifts as a patient and inspiring teacher. Dr. Flores-Caraballo brings that unique combination—along with an ambitious and energizing vision—to Albany Pro Musica (APM) as the Opalka Family Artistic Director, a role he has held since 2014.
As a trained organist as well as a celebrated orchestral and choral conductor, Dr. Flores-Caraballo places strong emphasis on technical precision as the fundamental seed from which musical artistry can grow. Dr. Flores-Caraballo joined Albany Pro Musica with the goal of building upon the group’s impressive and cherished legacy and elevating APM to be among the best choirs in the nation. Through Dr. FloresCaraballo’s leadership, APM is pushing the boundaries of choral performance in the area, embracing challenging musical programming, innovative national and international partnerships, and a renewed commitment to civic and educational initiatives.
Dr. Flores-Caraballo also serves as Conductor-In-Residence at the University at Albany (SUNY) and Chorus Director for the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Chorus. He has prepared his choirs for prominent orchestral conductors, including Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Bramwell Tovey, Stéphane Dèneve, Kensho Watanabe, and Fabio Luisi of The Philadelphia Orchestra, Andrews Sill of the New York City Ballet, David Alan Miller of the Albany Symphony Orchestra, and Anthony Princiotti and Andrew Crust of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra.
Dr. Flores-Caraballo came to the Capital Region from Vero Beach, Florida, where he was a musical force for more than a decade. There, he founded and directed three auditioned, community choral groups that transformed the musical landscape in the Treasure Coast: the Atlantic Symphonic Chorus, the Atlantic Schola Cantorum, and the Atlantic Children’s Chorale. A native of Puerto Rico, Dr. Flores-Caraballo served as Dean of Academic Affairs at the Conservatory of Music in San Juan and has led prize-winning school- and church-based choral programs in Puerto Rico and across the mainland United States. He holds a Doctorate in Sacred Music with an emphasis on Choral and Instrumental Conducting from the Graduate Theological Foundation, a Master’s in Choral Conducting and Organ from the University of Illinois, and a Bachelor’s in Music Education and Instrumental Conducting from the Conservatory of Music in San Juan.
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Dan Czernecki
Elizabeth Eschen-Cacciola
Paul Davis
Laura D’Agostino
Kelly and Paul Fahey
Elliott Forrest
Dan Foster
Lynn Gardner
Jim Gaughan
Shay Gauthier
Gary Gold
Nathaniel Gray
Craig Hella Johnson
Ken Kozak
Paul Lamar
Olga Martinez
Noah Palmer
Will Pedigo
David Peterson
Katie Peterson
Stephanie Saint Germain
Wayne Senitta
Matthew Shaftel
Katherine Skovira
Rex Smith
Claudia Stefany
Michele Susko
Marion Terenzio
Noah Palmer
Assistant Music Director and Accompanist
Noah Palmer is one of the Capital Region’s most in-demand musical collaborators. Noah was most recently appointed Artistic Director of Saratoga Voices and the Music at Trinity Lenox concert series; he also serves as Assistant Music Director and Accompanist for Albany Pro Musica and the Assistant Conductor of Concerts in the Village, in Kinderhook, NY. In 2018, Noah made his orchestral conducting debuts with both Concerts in the Village and Albany Pro Musica, following his opera debut with the Midwest Institute of Opera in 2015.
As a choral conductor Noah has led, among other groups, Albany Pro Musica, the Battenkill Chorale, the Northern Berkshire Chorale, the Sage Singers, and the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Chorus. In 2016, Noah was the Chorus Master at the prestigious Merola Opera Program with the San Francisco Opera.
In addition to conducting, Noah is an accomplished vocal coach and pianist. He has worked with several regional opera companies, including Sarasota Opera and Opera North. In 2021, Noah was the principal coach and rehearsal pianist for Tom Cipullo’s “Glory Denied” at the Berkshire Opera Festival and was subsequently invited back in 2022 for their production of Jake Heggie’s “Three Decembers.” Noah has performed with some of the Capital Region’s finest singers, including Andrew Boisvert, Vedrana Kalas, Sylvia Stoner, Irina Petrik, and the late Kevin Kees. In 2022, he accompanied violinist Elizabeth Pitcairn in a vibrant program of Russian and Polish music at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.
As an educator, Noah was the Choral Director at Skidmore College in Spring 2021, where he led the college’s two choral ensembles through a series of innovative virtual performances during the COVID-19 pandemic. In collaboration with soprano Sylvia Stoner, Noah also directs the Skidmore College Opera Workshop.
Noah studied conducting with John Yaffe and Steve Osgood and attended conducting masterclasses with Markand Thakar, Christopher Zimmerman, Mark Gibson, and David Effron. Noah studied piano with the renowned Spanish pianist Jose Ramon Mendez at NYU (BA), and Bulgarian pianist Pavlina Dokovska at the Mannes School of Music (MM). Noah has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in the United States, Europe, and China.
Elliott Forrest Stage Director
Peabody Award winning broadcaster, director, producer, designer, filmmaker: CONSIDERING MATTHEW SHEPARD by Craig Hella Johnson for NY Production with Trinity Wall Street, National Conspirare Tour and PBS-TV Special.
Co-Creator, Producer, Projection Designer of the National Tours of AN EVENING WITH ITZHAK PERLMAN and MICHAEL FEINSTEIN CELEBRATES JUDY GARLAND and TONY BENNETT. Midday host on New York’s Classical Radio Station 105.9FM, WQXR. Founding Executive Artistic Director of ArtsRock. org of Rockland County, NY. Director, award-winning documentary with violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins FACE TO FACE: FORGOTTEN VOICES HEARD, premiered at Carnegie Hall. Host of the national radio concerts of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
Executive Producer, The Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park on the Radio of RICHARD II. Executive Producer: IT HAPPENED HERE, podcast with Tony Shalhoub, John Turturro, Edie Falco. Director, AIDS NEWS, MCC Theater, NY. Directed productions of A CHRISTMAS CAROL with David Hyde Pierce, F. Murray Abraham, Brian Cox, Tony Roberts, Kathleen Turner. Featured on Grammy winning comedy album WTWP: Classical Talkity Talk Radio with Peter Schickele.
Regularly produces, directs and designs symphony concerts: LA Philharmonic, The NY Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, New Haven Symphony, Pasadena Pops and the Little Orchestra Society in venues including the Kennedy Center, Hollywood Bowl and Lincoln Center. Orchestra narrator: SaintSaens’ Carnival of the Animals, Peter and the Wolf, Lincoln Portrait. For 12 years, Host, A&E Television Breakfast with the Arts. Was on the Gong Show with Chuck Barris in the 1970’s. Co-host, The Late, Late Radio Show with Tom Snyder. Theater Grad, University of Texas, Austin. www.ElliottForrest.com
ALBANY PRO MUSICA STAFF
OPALKA FAMILY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
José Daniel Flores-Caraballo
ARTISTIC STAFF
Noah Palmer, Assistant Music Director and Accompanist
SooYeon Justesen, Manager of Educational Programs
Tonya Burandt Hansen, Abigail Cowan, Jonathan Hansen, Daniel Washington, Section Leaders
Steve Murray, Honorary Composer in Residence
Elizabeth Eschen Cacciola, Teaching Artist
Dan Foster, Teaching Artist
Katherine Skovira, Teaching Artist
ADMINISTRATION
Emily Sturman, Deputy Executive Director
Jared Shortmeier, Director of Operations
Katie Peterson, Development Manager
Rebecca Monaghan, Audition Coordinator
Dharma Sanchez-Flores, Member Connections Liaison
Ann-Marie Barker Schwartz, Orchestra Contractor
Michele Susko, Roya Consulting, LLC, Development Counsel
Primeau-Fahey Studios, Marketing and Public Relations
Capital CFO+, Accounting and Business Management
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Box Office Services
ALBANY PRO MUSICA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Rex W. Smith, President
Marion Terenzio, Vice President
Tom McGuire, Treasurer
Jonathan E. Hansen, Secretary
DIRECTORS
Jeanette Altarriba
Eric Arndt
M. Tracey Brooks
Al De Salvo
James M. Gaughan (emeritus)
Robert T. Hennes
Christine Hoek
OUR
Alan Goldberg
E. Stewart Jones, Jr.
Kimberly Sanger Jones
DIAMOND
Ellen Jabbur (emerita) Gwen Krause
Steven E. Lobel (emeritus)
Darcy Crum Meadows
Douglas Petersen
Raona Roy (emerita)
Wayne Senitta (emeritus)
Margery Whiteman (honorary)
Michael Whiteman
Russ Wilks
Michael Wolff
Edelgard Wulfert
ALBANY PRO MUSICA COUNCIL OF ADVISORS
George R. Hearst III and Chet Opalka, Co-Chairs
Richard Miller Paul Milton
John Nigro
Karen Opalka
Ellen Sax
Marcia White
THANK YOU TO OUR 2023-2024 SEASON DONORS!
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John DeFilippo Harriett DeGraff
Joyce Diwan
Heather W. Drinkwater JoAnn Duquette
Seth Edelman
Ben and Linda English
and John Favreau
Ferguson Dennis and Carol Fitzgerald Perry F. Smith and RoseAnne Fogarty
Muriel Gordon Frasher
Stacey and Mark Gallagher
Joanne Gascoyne
Ronald C. Geuther
Gary David Gold and Nancy Pierson
Ben and Claudia Golub
Michael Halloran
Pauline and Henry Hamelin
Philip and Dianne Hansen
Leif and Claudia Hartmark
Anthony Hayes
William Hetzer
John and Susan Hill
Edward
Dorothy
Julie
Stephen
Patrick
Janet
Susan
Sarah
Lisa
Peter
Faith
Barbara
Susan
We
WAYS TO SUPPORT ALBANY PRO MUSICA
Did you know? Similar to most arts organizations, APM’s ticket revenue covers only a fraction of the costs to produce our full season. Your support sustains APM’s high level of professional artistry and educational programming, and ensures the continuation of Maestro Flores-Caraballo’s exciting and innovative vision.
Learn about the many ways you can help keep APM singing, this season and for years to come:
ONE-TIME GIFTS
Support APM’s mission with a gift via check or credit card. Contributions can also be made via wire transfer or through Donor Advised Funds.
RECURRING DONATIONS
Setting up a recurring gift is an easy and automatic way to support APM that works for your budget and schedule. You decide how much you would like to give and how often, and the contributions are charged to your credit card on a monthly or quarterly basis.
CORPORATE MATCHING
Double your donation by checking if your employer (or former employer for retirees) will match your contribution! Many companies offer matching gift programs which match charitable contributions made by their employees, retirees, and even spouses.
GIFTS OF STOCK
Contribute appreciated securities, such as stocks and bonds, for potential tax benefits. Please visit our website for detailed instructions for your broker.
RETIREMENT DISTRIBUTION
Make a gift (qualified charitable distribution) directly from your individual retirement account to APM. Talk with your financial advisor to learn more about how to support APM with a qualified charitable distribution, while also deriving a tax benefit.
PLANNED GIVING
Turn your passion for music into a lasting legacy by including APM in your estate plans.
To make a gift to Albany Pro Musica, please scan with your smartphone or visit our website to donate safely online: albanypromusica.org/ donate
If you have any questions or would like additional information, please reach out to us!
Emily Sturman / emily@albanypromusica.org / 518-687-1947
Katie Peterson / katie@albanypromusica.org
Thank you for your support.
Albany Pro Musica has a legacy in the Capital Region and beyond, as a choral group whose music truly captures the human spirit. Our Lux Aeterna Society allows donors to keep the “eternal light” of their own legacy alive through Albany Pro Musica, by including APM in their estate plans.
The Lux Aeterna Society recognizes individuals and their families who have remembered APM in their estate plans through a planned gift. A planned gift to Albany Pro Musica can offer tax advantages, and allows you to designate a contribution – large or small – that will support the music you love, for years to come.
To learn more about how to include Albany Pro Musica in your estate plans, please visit our website or contact us for a confidential consultation.
The University at Albany is proud to support Albany Pro Musica in its 44th season!
Albany Voices of Pride, the Capital Region’s first LGBTQIAA+, Pride & Ally, All Voices Choir.
Now in our 30th Season and preparing for our PRIDE Concert: The Songs that Made Us!
Thank you to Albany Pro Musica for including us to be a part of this powerful, poignant performance of Considering Matthew Shepard. It is truly an honor that our chorus will never forget.
Facebook @AlbanyVoicesofPride
Instagram @AlbanyVoicesofPride
https://albanyvoicesofpride.org/
2024-25 Concert Season
Contemporary arrangements of gospel classics
Sun, Oct 27, 3 PM
Saratoga Springs, High School Auditorium
Classic carols, traditional tunes, & pop favorites
Sun, Dec 8, 3 PM
St. Edward the Confessor, Clifton Park
saratogavoices org Feel the Spirit!
Williams s 5 Mystical Songs & Haydn s Mariazeller Mass Sat, May 10, 7 PM
Zankel Music Center, Skidmore College
Pro Musica on Broadway
APRIL 26, 2025 I THE EGG
Concert 7:30PM
Albany Pro Musica will close its 2024-25 season with an homage to Broadway! Albany Pro Musica and the Pro Musica Pops will present some of our audience’s all-time favorite showtunes, arranged for chorus, small ensembles, and soloists, and featuring Broadway talent Jamari Johnson Williams.
Concert tickets are available now at albanypromusica.org/broadway.
TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR OUR SIGNATURE SPRING GALA! 4:30-7:00PM
Join us before the concert for our annual spring gala, where we’ll honor our long-time partner, the University at Albany, with the 2025 Dr. Karen R. Hitchcock Award for Celebrating the Choral Arts.
Honorary Committee and General Admission tickets include entry into the evening’s concert PLUS a delicious dinner, an exclusive performance by Mr. Williams, and a chance to support the music you love.
Learn more and save your spot by visiting albanypromusica.org/gala.
