It doesn't get much grimmer.
A young gay man in his prime is abducted, chained to a fence, beaten and left to die.
The murder of Matthew Shepard in 1998 in Laramie, Wyoming, sparked a debate in the United States about hate crime against members of the nation's rainbow community.
It also inspired the composer Craig Hella Johnson to write an oratorio.
Exactly 26 years after his death, the combined youth choirs of Wellington and Christchurch will perform "Considering Matthew Shepard" in Wellington's Cathedral of St Paul.
It's not just a major musical event, but also continues Wellington Youth Choir's kaupapa of centring queer artists and stories.
Singers Etienne Wain and Herbert Zielinski joined RNZ Concert host Bryan Crump to talk about the piece, and why it matters so much to the choir.
(l to r) RNZ Concert presenter Bryan Crump, Wellington Youth Choir members Herbert Zielinsky and Etienne Wain Photo: RNZ / Tessa Guest
