CRAIG HELLA JOHNSON: Considering Matthew Shepard | Emmanuel Episcopal Church
Musical
Arts
The Emmanuel Choir kicks off Baltimore PRIDE month with a performance of Considering Matthew Shepard — welcoming Bishop Gene Robinson
Pride is more than a celebration—it is a profound period of remembrance, resilience, and hope. To mark the beginning of Pride month in Baltimore, The Emmanuel Choir presents an encore performance of
Craig Hella Johnson
's extraordinary passion oratorio,
Considering Matthew Shepard.
This groundbreaking work transcends traditional musical boundaries, weaving together jazz, blues, country, and gospel to tell the heart-wrenching story of Matthew Shepard—the young gay Wyoming college student whose 1998 murder became a pivotal moment in the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights.
This year, we welcome the
Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson
, who in 2003 became the first openly gay priest consecrated as a bishop in a major Christian denomination. Bishop Robinson, who also interred Matthew Shepard's remains at Washington National Cathedral, will offer reflections after the program.
In collaboration with the
Maryland Pride Center
and
Baltimore Pride
, this performance is more than a concert—it is a testament to the power of art to heal, remember, and inspire. Join us as we honor Matthew Shepard's memory and celebrate the resilience of the LGBTQIA+ community, reminding us all that love will always triumph over hate.
The Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson
, guest speaker
The Emmanuel Choir
Chamber orchestra
Soloists from within the choir
Christian Lane
,
director
About Tickets
A ticket is required of all attendees
, and may be obtained prior to the concert or at the door beginning 30 minutes prior to the performance.
Emmanuel Church is committed to ensuring all persons have access to its space and its musical offerings, regardless of income and ability to pay. Therefore, for most concerts, a limited number of
Free Rush Tickets
will be made available, online only, beginning 24 hours in advance of a concert's start time.
Single tickets are transferable, but not refundable
. If your plans change and you can no longer attend a performance, we encourage you to transfer your tickets to a friend. To do so, open your ticket in Eventbrite and edit the ticket's name and email address.
Subscription tickets may be exchanged for a different concert on the same series.
Simply write to tickets@emmanueldowntown.org to request a ticket exchange.
We thank Emmanuel's
Friends of Music
for their ongoing and significant support of programming at Emmanuel. If you are intersted in becoming a Friend of Music, please click
here
.
Music at Emmanuel is grateful to the
Maryland State Arts Council
and the
William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund
, creator of the Baker Artist Portfolios, www.BakerArtist.org, for their support of the 2025–2026 season.
About the choir
The Emmanuel Choir is Maryland's premier professional liturgical choral ensemble.
A 16-voice fully-professional mixed-voice ensemble, its 12-member core is augmented by four Choral Scholars, each a local young artist. Rooted in the great and expansive choral traditions of the Anglican (Episcopal) Church, the Emmanuel Choir’s repertoire spans the centuries — from Italian Renaissance to English Romantic; from plainsong to the 21st century — and includes regular world-premiere performances of new music composed for the church of today and tomorrow. The choir is directed by Christian Lane.
Parking and Transportation
Emmanuel Church is located at
811 Cathedral Street
in Baltimore, on the corner of Cathedral & W. Read Streets in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood.
Ample street parking, both free and metered, is available in historic Mt. Vernon.
After 6:00 p.m. on weekdays, and all day on Sundays, many meters do not require payment and most residential restrictions are lifted.
Please be sure to consult signage carefully.
However, we
strongly encourage
our patrons
to avoid the stress of searching for street parking, and
to make a parking plan before arriving into our residential neighborhood
. To that end, the following websites and associated mobile apps may be very useful:
www.parkopedia.com
www.honkmobile.com
www.spothero.com
The closest paid parking lot is directly behind Emmanuel Church, at
810 N. Charles Street.
Public lots within a three-block radius of the church include:
810 N. Charles Street*
910 N. Charles Street*
917 N. Charles Street
926 N. Charles Street
1000 N. Charles Street*
1017 N. Charles Street
124 W. Read Street
230 W. Read Street
600 Cathedral Street
*SAVE $5 on Parking!*
Park in a PMI lot at
810
,
910
, or
1000 N. Charles St.
and add promo code
EEC
when using the
Honk app
or
honkmobile.com
.
The church is also served by local bus routes on both Cathedral and N Charles Streets, as well as the
Charm City Circulator
(Purple Route) and
Baltimore LiteRail Link
(Mt Vernon/Centre St Stop).
Emmanuel Church is a 15-minute walk from Baltimore's
Pennsylvania Rail Station
(with regular
MARC
and
Amtrak
services).
About the venue
Emmanuel Episcopal Church is located in the heart of Baltimore's historic Mt. Vernon neighborhood. Its tremendous stone tower at the corner of Cathedral and W. Read Streets serves as a beacon in this community, and the nave's warm acoustic and gentle ambiance contribute to creating an ideal environment in which to hear choral and chamber music.
In 2022, the church building underwent a $3.2M transformation to make each space in its physical plant fully accessible to all; included in this project was an elevator, increased ramp access, and new restroom facilities.
Information Source: Music at Emmanuel | Emmanuel Episcopal Church | eventbrite