Eric Whitacre is cancelled by That Choir over gender issues

We present this open letter as a sign of troubled times.

To: The International Choral Community
From: Craig Pike, conductor of That Choir
Date: March 14th, 2022

“Do the best you can until you know better.
Then when you know better, do better”
– Maya Angelou

My name is Craig Pike and I am the conductor of That Choir in Toronto, Canada. I am a cisgender, gay white male.

That Choir had programmed an entire Eric Whitacre performance on May 14th and 15th 2022, as well as a speaking engagement with Mr. Whitacre planned for the end of March 2022.

It is with deep disappointment that I announce the cancellation of these engagements.

Myself and countless other richly, beautiful and diverse people’s from all around the world have nothing but a loving relationship with his music. It has been healing and has offered a better understanding of humanity, strength, care and love.

On Wednesday, March. 9th 2022, Mr. Whitacre, an internationally recognized and prolific choral composer, announced a residency at Brigham Young University. BYU, which is owned and run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has an honor code which includes the following:

“Live a chaste and virtuous life, including abstaining from any sexual relations outside a marriage between a man and a woman” *

This has further been clarified by Kevin Utt, director of BYU’s Honor Code Office to include:

“Any same-sex romantic behaviour is a violation of the principles of the Honor Code.” **

Mr. Whitacre, while offering the chance for a rich musical collaboration with BYU students, is entering into a professional relationship with an organization that openly discriminates against members of the LGBTQI+ community.

I immediately reached out to Mr. Whitacre via the contacts on his website to express my concerns around this decision.

At the time of writing this letter there has been no statement from Mr. Whitacre concerning this decision and the residency remains.

I am saddened and disappointed by Mr. Whitacre’s silence. I myself have been bullied for being gay; beaten up for holding the hand of the person I love.
While I can’t speak to Mr. Whitacre’s intent, I will speak of the impact this decision has made on me and on many within the choral community.

It is not lost on me the privilege afforded me by my white cisgender male status in my ability to openly express these concerns.

This similar privilege offers Mr. Whitacre the opportunity to listen to members of the LGBTQI+ Community and engage in a thoughtful and respectful dialogue around difficult conversations including: internalized homophobia, racism and prejudice within the choral community.

Ethical beliefs are different for every person. What one considers to be ethical may not be ethical to someone else. However, there are beliefs that are divisive and there are beliefs that inspire inclusivity, diversity and equity.

I sincerely hope this letter will further a discussion around human rights, and the urgent necessity to continue difficult and hard conversations that arise when we put inclusivity, diversity and equity at the core of our music making within the choral community.

I believe that we are all given an opportunity to learn from our past, listen to those that are marginalized and enter into this dialogue with compassion, empathy and forgiveness.

Sincerely,

Craig Pike
He/Him
Conductor of That Choir
www.thatchoir.com