The Kokopelli Choir is made up of 50+ singers from all over Canada and other parts of the globe. (Facebook/Kokopelli Choirs)

By Martin Martinson

Music to the ears

Local singer lives dream with Kokopelli Choir

May 14, 2019 | 5:00 PM

For North Battleford local, Naomi Wall, music has always been a big part of her life.

“We definitely listened to a lot of music growing up and it was always something I enjoyed,” she said. “I took choir, band, and piano lessons [right] from an early age.”

Growing up in the Battlefords, Wall began singing in choir at the age of four, when she joined the Battlefords Children’s Choir.

Moving through the ranks from the Junior Choir level to Prep Choir and Kamala Choir, Wall was first introduced to Edmonton’s Kokopelli Choir as a part of the local group while at a youth choir festival known as Voices West.

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“We did Voices West with five other choirs from Western Canada, and Kokopelli was one of them,” Wall said.” [Upon seeing them], they were just the choir I fell in love with.”

Following her graduation from North Battleford Comprehensive High School in 2018, Wall moved to Edmonton to attend post-secondary education at the University of Alberta.

Joining the city’s Kokopelli Choir, Wall said becoming part of the group was something she had hoped to do since seeing them previously, when they initially caught her eye.

“It’s just the energy of the group,” Wall said, when asked what stood out about the ensemble. “From watching their performances in the past, they have an incredible energy, they have an incredible sound, and I think it was those two things that drew me in to wanting to join the group.”

The Kokopelli Choir has since been invited to perform at the World Choral Expo this July in Lisbon, Portugal.

The event is the most prestigious in the 23 years the choir has been around, an opportunity that Wall said she and her fellow choir members could not be more excited for.

“It’s a huge experience for us, a huge opportunity,” Wall said. “It’s the biggest thing the choir’s done [since] it’s been around, so I’m incredibly excited to be part of that.”

When asked what it is she enjoys most about singing in various choirs over the years, Wall said she has always been fond of the community aspect that can only come from making music together along with others.

“I think a big part of it is being able to share the music with other people,” she said. “It’s not just an individual thing, it’s a group thing and I really enjoy the connections you can make through choir.

That, and the sounds,” she added, “like when you get a piece right, it sounds so, so cool.”

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1