Val hails from London, Ontario, and has worked as a session singer and lead singer/pianist/guitarist in various bands in Ontario and Alberta.

Val has been a soloist with various orchestras, made several appearances on CBC TV, and recorded with Tommy Banks in Edmonton.

Val is a 30-year member of the Calgary Opera chorus and is also a songwriter and vocal arranger.

Her two career highlights: being a singing Muppeteer in a movie, and getting to sing Christmas carols at a private house party in Toronto, accompanied by Oscar Peterson.

Val has been actively singing in a capella Christmas quartets in Calgary, since 1988 and before that in Ontario.

Many of our arrangements are credited to her.

Marina moved to Canada from South Africa in 2000. She started to perform in public from the age of 5 and never stopped. She sang opera with PACOFS and PACT in South Africa and became a member of the Calgary Opera chorus after her immigration.

In 2007 Marina had a chance to perform in Los Angeles and that forever changed her musical path.  Since 2016 Marina has been performing as the lead vocalist for Sentimental Journey Big Band in Calgary and in October 2021 she debuted as the guest vocalist for Prime Time Big Band.

Since 2010, Marina has been part of an a capella carolling group, and even though she is naturally a soprano, she loves to sing harmonies and became an alto by choice.

When the need for Festive Voices was established, Marina was happy to bring her Marketing experience and never ending energy to the group.