About WTCC
The West Toronto Community Choir (“WTCC”) was founded by Taylor Strande and Sarah Townsend in 2016, born from a vision to bring together a group of people who genuinely enjoy singing, gathering once a week to make music in order to build a strong community bond. WTCC is an amateur choir, which aims to provide a supportive and joyful environment for its members, bound by a love of music and singing, and spreading this true enjoyment to the community.
We are a mixed-voice, secular community choir serving Roncesvalles, Parkdale, the Junction and surrounding communities. Our group performs 2 major concerts per season as well as guest appearances at other community events, such as Roncy Rocks and the Roncesvalles Community Tree Lighting Ceremony. Music is a mix of contemporary choral, folk tunes, and musical theatre, with a few pop tunes thrown in. Our vibe is fun and social, with a focus on community engagement and shared music making. We have a mix of seasoned choristers and novices, and there are no auditions. We value the diversity of gender, age, race, ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, education, and political perspective and are open to all. Rehearsals take place on Monday evenings 7:15 to 9:00pm at Roncesvalles United Church.
Mission
Born from a vision to bring together people who genuinely enjoy singing, gathering weekly to make music in order to build a strong community bond, and allowing anyone who wants to learn to sing in a group the power and access to do so. One of the pillars of the choir is that it is our choir, where all voices are heard (wrong notes and all!). This interactive and open approach allows choir members to have a say in elements like repertoire choices and performance opportunities and locations.
We seek to maintain our community culture and ensure the sustainability of an accessible and inclusive choir. We will achieve this by implementing a leadership team that will uphold these values and guide the choir toward growth, financially and developmentally, as its membership allows.
Vision
West Toronto Community Choir aspires to provide and sustain a welcoming environment for singers of all capabilities, engaging choir members from all races, sexual orientations, gender identities, creeds, and abilities. We value the enjoyment of singing together, providing a safe and supportive space to learn and grow musical ability, and sharing with the community.
Values
The WTCC is committed to looking forward and around itself, in order to grow in a sustainable way, and also in a way that welcomes and engages a choir membership that looks like the West Toronto community we serve. We believe that our choir has room for all levels of musical ability, and are committed to preserving this accessibility. WTCC was built on a foundation of community belonging, compassion, and acceptance of one another, and will be guided by these values as we continue to flourish.
Our Creative Team
Taylor Strande, Artistic Director
Taylor Strande, co-founder and Artistic Director of WTCC, holds a Bachelor of Music degree from University of Toronto, and an Artist Diploma from Glenn Gould School.
Taylor brings extensive experience as an operatic performer, music educator, and lifelong chorister to her work with community ensembles. As a performer, Taylor has appeared in a wide range of operatic and concert repertoire, and she remains deeply connected to the choral tradition through years of ensemble singing. Her teaching background spans private instruction, group music education, and choral leadership, with a strong focus on expressive and inclusive musical spaces. Taylor also holds a Master of Clinical Science degree and is a speech-language pathologist with a focus on voice disorders: she brings this knowledge of healthy voice production and vocal development to her direction.
Taylor is passionate about building accessible, welcoming, and artistically ambitious community choirs. Her programming emphasizes musical growth, vocal wellness, collaboration, and the joy of collective music-making, creating spaces where singers of diverse backgrounds and experience levels can thrive.
Sarah Townsend, General Manager
Hailing from the beautiful province of Nova Scotia, Sarah Townsend brings her maritime roots and deep love of community to her role as General Manager of WTCC which she co-founded with her wife, Taylor Strande. Growing up on Canada’s East Coast, she developed a lifelong passion for Canadian folk music, inspired by the rich storytelling traditions and close-knit spirit that define the region.
Sarah spent countless hours throughout her childhood and youth immersed in ensemble singing. From her local children’s choir to summer choir camp and the Nova Scotia Youth Choir, music was both a creative outlet and a place of belonging. These formative experiences instilled in her a deep appreciation for the power of choral music to build confidence, foster connection, and create lasting community impact.
Sarah leans on both her Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Social Work degrees from Western University to cultivate a welcoming and vibrant musical environment as General Manager. She is passionate about creating a space where singers of all intersecting identities and backgrounds can come together each week to share in the joy of ensemble music-making. For Sarah, this choir is more than a musical group, it is a continuation of the community spirit that shaped her, and a meaningful way to give that same gift of connection and song to others.
Marjorie Wiens, Pianist
Marjorie Wiens is enjoying retirement after teaching private piano for many years. During her musical career she has accompanied numerous school choirs in the TDSB in addition to playing for community choirs, including the Toronto Children’s Choir. She has also been involved as an accompanist for workshops, voice studios and singing exams. Marjorie was honoured to sing in the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir for many years and cherishes the memories and enjoyment of singing together as a community. She is currently playing for the Islington United Church Choir and is delighted to be the accompanist for the West Toronto Community Choir!
Our Board of Directors
Carol Lee Smith, Chair
Heather Johnston, Vice-Chair
Jennet Lees, Secretary
Donna Gall, Treasurer
Shahana Kar, Member-At-Large