Choirs focused on energy and light

In a class by themselves, Kokopelli Choirs never ceases to amaze.

At this year’s traditional Stories concert at West End Christian Reformed Church, music director Scott Leithead focuses on the energy of light.

“Personally, I'm getting tired of the dark and cold and we wanted to get away from that. So we created a music program that plays on light, music that is full of lightness and all the different forms of light,” says Leithead, a conductor with an eclectic reputation.

The concert begins with The Spheres, an 18-part double choir sunrise mass and concludes with The Northern Lights, accompanied by a jaw-dropping star-studded sunset.

And in these two works technical support is pulling all the stops to create special effects using an LED projector.

In the middle of these two bookend pieces are a series of light comedic works such as Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine.

“da Vinci was obsessed with creating a flying machine. He was trying to fly. The theme is of lifting and light.”

And in an overture from the Marriage of Figaro, an arrangement by Ward Swingle, Kokopelli incorporates light, geometric-patterned movement by St. Albert choreographer Maureen Tigner-Morrison.

Taking a jab at romantic love, the choirs sing Russian Picnic, a light operatic piece that was popular in the 1940s but has an outdated feel today.

“We're going right over the top and we're turning it into a square dance scene. In fact, Wade Brown from St. Albert is singing a feature solo where he's surrounded by a group of girls.”

A 90-minute program of comedy is a turn Leithead has traditionally steered away from. “Comedy is hard to pull off, especially the timing. However, for families this will be a fun concert. There is so much to see and hear and even the kids will get the comedy.”

Kokopelli is mounting two concerts today at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.