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NH Master Chorale Welcomes Author Lesléa Newman



The New Hampshire Master Chorale is thrilled to welcome author and poet Lesléa Newman as part of our weekend of performances of Considering Matthew Shepard. Lesléa is the author of October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard.

An hour before each concert, Lesléa will present a pre-concert program titled He Continues To Make A Difference: The Story of Matthew Shepard. This program uses poetry, photographs, and creative visualization to explore the impact of Matthew Shepard’s murder on the world. In 1998, Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, robbed, beaten, and murdered in Laramie, Wyoming. Lesléa Newman was the keynote speaker for Gay Awareness Week at the University of Wyoming that year, and arrived on campus the day that Matthew Shepard died from this horrendous hate crime. She spoke to a devastated campus and community, and vowed to work to erase hate from that day forward. Her book, October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard explores the impact of Matt’s murder in a cycle of 68 poems. Written as fictional monologues in a variety of voices including the fence Matt was tied to, the stars that watched over him, and the doe who kept him company, this powerful presentation challenges audience members to look deep inside themselves and find a way to make a difference to create a safe world for everyone.


Following each concert, Lesléa will take part in our post concert audience and performer discussion to reflect on the content of the evening.

Lesléa Newman is the author of 70 books for readers of all ages including the picture book, Sparkle Boy, the short story collection, A Letter to Harvey Milk, the children’s classic, Heather Has Two Mommies, and October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard. Her literary awards include the Matthew Shepard Foundation Making a Difference Award, a poetry fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and two American Library Association Stonewall Honors. A past poet laureate of Northampton, MA, she currently teaches at Spalding University’s low-residency MFA in Writing program.

 

Performance Details - Tickets Available Here

Friday, November 16 at 8PM – South Church: 292 State St. Portsmouth, NH

Saturday, November 17 at 7:30PM - First Congregational Church: 177 N. Main St, Concord, NH

Sunday, November 18 at 4PM - Plymouth Congregational Church: 4 Post Office Square, Plymouth, NH

The New Hampshire Master Chorale, led by Dr. Dan Perkins, is a non-profit choir established in the spring of 2003. This premier chamber ensemble is dedicated to excellence in the art of choral music performance. Members of the group are trained singers, auditioned from throughout New England, who have performed as soloists and in choral ensembles throughout the world. You can get a taste of the NHMC on our SoundCloud page: soundcloud.com/nh-master-chorale or find us on facebook and twitter: www.facebook.com/NHMasterChorale and twitter.com/nhmasterchorale.

Tickets available at nhmasterchorale.org and at the door — $30 general, $25 senior, $15 group of 10+

Free admission for undergraduates and students in grades K–12.

The New Hampshire Master Chorale also utilizes a “Pay What You Are Able” ticket policy so that anyone can attend regardless of financial ability. We welcome all donations to support this.

The New Hampshire Master Chorale is funded in part by a generous grant from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts.


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