Christina Whitten Thomas’s works have been performed throughout the United States including premieres at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Disney Concert Hall. Christina has received commissions from the Los Angeles Master Chorale Chamber Singers, the Golden Bridge, the Seraphim Singers of Boston, the Denver Women’s Chorus, Vox Femina of Los Angeles, the Esoterics of Seattle, Melodia Women’s Choir of NYC, the Middlebury College Choir, the Apollo Men’s Chorus of USC, and the Vermont Choral Union.

She is particularly committed to writing for the voice and is passionate about working with contemporary poets and original texts. She has collaborated with poets Jay Parini, Naomi Shihab Nye, Marian Partee, Pam McAllister, Abigail Carroll, Hilary Miminguaquay, and Deirdre Lockwood.

Her music is published by E.C. Schirmer and Hal Leonard, as well as available through MusicSpoke.com. Christina holds a M.M. in composition from the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music.

In addition to being an active vocalist in Los Angeles County, Christina is the Director of Worship Arts at La Cañada Congregational church. As an educator, she has been teaching for over fifteen years and maintains an extensive studio of voice and piano students. She currently resides with her family in Claremont, California.

A conversation with Christina Whitten Thomas:

SPM: What inspired you to write Choral de Bêtes?

CWT: When I was in graduate school, I was at home searching for a text for my assigned choral piece. My mother then revealed that she had been a music minor in college and had once attempted to set a few poems by French poet Carmen Bernos de Gasztold. She brought out an old, beat up book of poetry, her maiden name on the cover, her 20-year-old notes on the pages. Inside were these sweet yet passionate texts all from the point of view of an animal, each contemplating the trials and joys they face in life. I found their strengths and weaknesses completely relatable and was instantly charmed. I set two of the poems, Prière de l’Agneau and Prière de la Gazelle, that year in graduate school (2004). The other two, Prière de la Baleine and Prière du Lion, I set post-graduation in 2006.

SPM: What's the one thing you'd like an audience member to take away after hearing this piece?

CWT: I hope the choir and audience have fun with these pieces! The music is intended to capture the character of each animal: the fierce lion, the vulnerable lamb, the peaceful whale, the spirited gazelle. On a deeper level, one might connect with the lion's desire to lead with strength and justice, the lamb's need for comfort, the whale's longing for quiet and solitude, or the gazelle's delight in her unbounded freedom.

SPM: What excites you about being included in this concert? Do you have anything to add about your piece and how it might relate to the focus of this concert?

CWT: I feel the process of its creation relates to the message you are sending. These poems traveled across the world, through three generations of women, to reach your audience in this form. The animals themselves contemplate issues we all experience. Each animal is desirous of the right to live as she chooses, and to live that life free from oppression. The lion understands the responsibility that comes with power. The lamb wants to live a life free from fear. The whale wants to be comfortable with who she is and not deal with persecution. We all want to be as free as the gazelle to follow our hearts as we choose.

Website: christinawhitten.com