Sharing the Gift of Music!

The Oconomowoc Community Choir (OCC) has been sharing the gift of music in the Lake Country area for more than 30 years. With 80 members representing multiple generations, the choir performs several concerts throughout the year, and is also a mainstay feature in Oconomowoc’s Christmas Parade and Memorial Day Tribute, the Oconomowoc Festival of the Arts, and other events.

The choir’s passion is to promote harmony through the joy of sharing in song. Another important part of the nonprofit organization’s mission is to provide scholarships for area high school seniors pursuing careers in music.

For the first time, the OCC applied for and received a grant from the Oconomowoc Area Foundation for the purpose of providing scholarships to middle and high school students participating in the OCC wishing to pursue music lessons. The grant truly embodies the OAF’s mission to help develop youth and enrich the community culturally.

During the OAF’s Annual Celebration and Grants Announcements at the Golden Mast on Oct. 27, more than 20 members of the OCC shared their joy and the gift of music as they performed the National Anthem and other songs for nearly 200 guests. OCC Artistic Director Tracy Garon and several student members of the choir also spoke about the importance of participating in the community choir and what the “How Can I Keep from Singing’ Grant from the OAF means to them.

Nature Hill Intermediate School 8th grader, Ethan Burns accompanied by Tracy Garon on piano even performed Maribeth Bush’s favorite song “The Impossible Dream” as a surprise for our retiring Foundation Coordinator.

“During our upcoming Holiday Concert, we will also announce our first set of scholarship recipients through the OAF ‘How Can I Keep from Singing’ Grant for middle and high school student members of the Oconomowoc Community Choir who are seeking music enrichment opportunities. We are incredibly grateful to the OAF to be able to present this opportunity!” said Garon during the event.

OCC Holiday Concert

The Oconomowoc Community Choir presents its holiday concert “Sing We Now of Christmas” at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, at First Congregational UCC of Oconomowoc, located at 815 S. Concord Rd.

Under the direction of Tracy Garon and accompanied by Tammy Tissicino on piano, the choir will be joined by several instrumentalists from the community and the First Congregational UCC Intergenerational Handbell Choir under the direction of Karl Kay.

Concert selections will feature Christmas favorites including “The First Noel,” “Ding Dong Merrily on High,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” and Dan Forrest’s incredible Christmas Anthem “When Stars Shone Down.”

Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at the door or reserved for will call by emailing oconcommunitychoir@gmail.com. In the spirit of giving and the season, $2 of each ticket will be donated to the Oconomowoc Food Pantry. For more info about the OCC, visit oconomowoccommunitychoir.com.