Photo: Edmonton Threshold Choir/Valda Roberts

L-R: Cheryl Nikurak, Teresa Griffith, and Valda Roberts

A new choir being formed in Kamloops is in search of experienced vocalists to aid its mission of singing to people on the “threshold of life.”

Valda Roberts told Castanet Kamloops she founded the Edmonton Threshold Choir in 2018. Now living in Kamloops, she has already begun work on a similar choir in the Tournament Capital.

Roberts said the idea of threshold choirs began 25 years ago in California, and there are now well over 150 of them around the world.

Threshold choirs have sung to people at various life-changing moments, including during celebrations of life, birthings, and graduations, but are most often seen singing at the bedside of someone as they are dying.

“What we are doing is creating a vibrational space that allows for grace and peace and ease of passage,” Roberts said.

Requiem for a life

Roberts said a similar choir existed in Kamloops years ago, but stopped operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. After meeting with a former member of the choir, Roberts said she decided to attempt a revival.

She said eight singers attended the choir’s first rehearsal and the group is now looking for more experienced vocalists to join their ranks.

“Im looking at a few months down the road at least, that we would then be able to say threshold choir is available to be a service,” Roberts said.

When singing to someone near death, the choir sings a cappella in groups of three.

“It's very, very intimate and it's quiet singing — it's not high projection,” Roberts said. “It's a service choir, it's not necessarily a performance choir.”

Songs are composed by choir members to respond to a client’s musical taste, spirituality and receptivity and are not oriented towards any religion or belief.

Coming from Edmonton, Roberts said she was surprised to see Kamloops already had quite a robust choir scene.

“In my estimation, seems to have more singers, more choirs per capital than any place I’ve every been before,” she said. “It’s wonderful.”

Threshold choirs have been founded across B.C., including in Nelson, Courtenay, Vancouver, and Campbell River.