Toccata
A TREBLE CHOIR FOR GRADES 3 & 4
The Toccatas appear in the annual Christmas Concert (Orpheum Theatre), Spring Concert (local church) and Summer concert (Chan Centre, UBC). In addition, Toccatas are proud to present small community outreach performances. Toccatas continue to master the art of fine unison singing, while exploring repertoire from the classical voice and choral repertoires, in addition to selections from musicals and international folk repertoire. Toccatas sing in English, French, German and Italian. They are introduced to musicians’ ‘lingo’ and begin to explore the architecture of music while continuing to develop their ear-training and sight-singing abilities.
CONDUCTOR: Marisa Gaetanne
PIANIST: Kin Ming Wong
REHEARSALS
CLASSES START september 16 2025
Tuesdays – 3:45-5:00pm
Pacific Spirit United Church (2195 W 45th Ave) in Kerrisdale
PLEASE NOTE: We try our best to accommodate requests for specific rehearsal venue and times, however we also need to balance our choirs in terms of enrolment numbers and vocal considerations. We appreciate your understanding!
AUDITIONS
For this level, singers should prepare to sing either ‘Happy Birthday’ or ‘O Canada’ without piano accompaniment. Singers are also welcome to prepare a song of their choice in addition to ‘Happy Birthday’ or ‘O Canada’. The conductor will take each child through rhythmic, aural and vocal skills exercises. Singers will then be expected to complete a written Music Theory Assessment. Auditions are done individually and last approximately seven minutes.
CONCERT ATTIRE
TOCCATA OPTION 1
- grey tunic (provided by VBCC)
- white long sleeve button down shirt with collar (worn underneath)
- bow (provided), pinned to collar of shirt
- white tights (full length, solid white, not sheer. Cotton or nylon is ok. Should not be shiny or patterned.)
- black shoes
- any necessary hair clips/elastics should match hair
- hair should be neat and off of your face
- any jewelry should be subtle so as not to distract during the performance
TOCCATA OPTION 2
- grey pants
- white long sleeve button down shirt with collar (tucked in)
- black socks
- black shoes
- tie (provided by VBCC)
- any necessary hair clips/elastics should match hair
- hair should be neat and off of your face
Tuition for 2025-26
(For the 2025-2026 season, the tuition fees in the table below include the following fees: a $40 society membership fee, a $2 GST on membership fee, a $30 administration fee)
| Choir | Early Bird Tuition until June 30, 2025 | Regular Tuition after June 30, 2025 | Fundraising Commitment (donation/raffle) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piccolini | $582 | $602 | $50 |
| Piccolo | $616 | $636 | $50 |
| Toccata | $675 | $695 | $50 |
| Partita | $723 | $743 | $50 |
| Chorale | $723 | $743 | $50 |
| Chorus | $754 | $774 | $50 |
- Membership fee: $40.00
- Administration fee: $30.00
- Fundraising commitment: $50.00 (more details in the registration form)
- GST: $2.00
- Single payment by cheque, credit card, or e-transfer.
- Monthly payment by credit card instalments or post-dated cheques, due by Aug 15, 2025.
Financial Assistance
Financial assistance providing up to 90% of the tuition is available. Bursaries do not cover fundraising commitments, membership fees, and administration fees.
Late Fees:
Payments that are not set-up or paid by August 15 are subject to a $20 late charge per month.
Our 7 year old daughter had major surgery to remove a brain tumour. After the surgery, she experienced some vocal challenges that her medical team could not explain. We were preparing to see a speech pathologist when she returned to VBCC in September. Since then, her speech has improved so much – and with it, her confidence – that her teachers have been stopping me to comment. Singing is an incredible gift in so many ways. Thank you, VBCC!
A proud Toccata parent