Vancouver City Singers

Who We Are

Vancouver City Singers (VCS) is one of the longest-running community choirs in Vancouver. We welcome singers of all ages and talent levels, and present a wide variety of musical styles that focus on good singing and an enjoyable experience for all. 

Director and Accompanist 

We are delighted to have Matthew Smith, as our Choir Director, and Catherine Tseng, as our Accompanist. Catherine has been with the choir for several years, and adds to our diversity of music by presenting a virtuoso concert piano work at our concerts. This will be Matthew’s third year with the VSC, and under his direction the choir has grown to be able to embrace more challenging rhythms and harmonies than ever before. 

Board Members

President: Rob Appleton, Secretary: Max Read, Treasurer: Bill Kinkaid

Members-at-Large: Naomi Hanson, Mickey McKay, Jill Tolliday
Contact us vancouvercitysingers@gmail.com

Rehearsals 

Day and time: Mondays from 7 – 9 pm. Please arrive early and be ready to sing at 7 pm.

For Winter 2025: Start Monday, January 6th until May, 12th. 

Location: Spirit of Life Lutheran Church, 375 West 10th Avenue @ Yukon in Vancouver. There’s street parking nearby, and it’s close to the Cambie/Broadway SkyTrain station. 

Retreats

Once a term, we will hold a Choir Retreat from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on a Saturday. Retreats provide an opportunity to rehearse all the music for the upcoming concert and work on improving our musicality together. We also have a pot luck lunch – a very tasty and fun event! 

The retreats are at Sarah McLachlan School of Music, 138 E 7th Ave, Vancouver. 

Sing-outs 

Once or twice a term either just before or just after our concert, we hold “sing-outs” at local retirement homes. . They provide us with a chance to sing before an audience and fine-tune our performance and they fulfill one of the terms of the BC Gaming grant that we apply for each year. But more important than either of these: they are greatly enjoyed by the seniors, and they are a lot of fun for us! 

Voice Check and Singing Tips

For the last few years the VCS has not held auditions. In order to further refine the choir’s balance and sound, this year each choir member will be given a ten-minute private session with Matthew. The purpose will be twofold. First, Matthew will have an opportunity to hear your voice independent of others and understand how it fits in the blend of voices of the rest of the choir. Second, Matthew will give you tips on how to use your voice to its advantage, and suggest exercises that will work best for your singing. These sessions will be arranged throughout the year. 

Choir Progression 

We plan to build on the successes of the last two years. To that end, we are asking people to commit to attending all or nearly all of the rehearsals. Our musicianship is at a stage where missing more than one or two rehearsals will affect not only you, but also the rest of your section and the choir. If you must miss a rehearsal, there is an expectation that you will practice at home to ensure you are still able to participate fully and independently in singing. 

Membership

Membership dues are payable at the beginning of each term, and are $180 per term. If this is a challenging amount for you, please email us at vancouvercitysingers@gmail.com for details. as no willing singer will be turned away. 

Sectional Rehearsals

For one rehearsal each term, in the usual rehearsal time slot (Monday 7 – 9 pm), each section (bass, tenor, alto, soprano) will hold a separate rehearsal for their section alone. This will enable detailed work on notes  and rhythms, and ensure that sections are working together strongly and confidently. There will be more information on this during the term