The Williamsport Civic Chorus is one of this area’s oldest and most venerable musical organizations. They have been around for almost 80 years, and it will continue its fine musical tradition with its latest offering — its spring concert titled, “Jazzin’ with the WCC,” which features some of the biggest jazz hits of the ’40s and 1950s. It will be held on Sunday, April 30, at 3 p.m. in the Clerestory Room at the Pajama Factory at 1307 Park Avenue in Williamsport.
“The Chorus is excitedly preparing for our Spring concert, ‘Jazzin’ with the WCC,’” Tina Swisher, a member of the WCC, told Webb Weekly. “We will also be accompanied by the Dave Miller Jazz Trio, featuring Dave Miller on keyboards, Bobby Leidhecker on percussion, and Bruce Bozyk on bass guitar.
Miller is a versatile singer, arranger, and musician with over 40 year of local music instruction and several tours abroad with military bands. Leidhecker co-leads the Williamsport City Jazz Orchestra and is the principal timpanist with the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra.
Bozyk, a former member of the U.S. Navy Band, plays with several local rock, R&B, and big band ensembles — you can catch him every Thursday night at the Stonehouse Pizza Jazz night!”
Swisher said the Williamsport Civic Chorus is a community chorus built around the idea that regular people like to sing together and find particular joy in bringing great music to the larger community. They have trained musicians among them — but they also have people from every walk of life, including nurses, beauticians, civil servants, teachers, and lots of retirees! The Chorus consists of anywhere from 60 to 75 members at any given time, and they don’t require auditions to join.
Their director is Mike Connor, who teaches chorus and band at the high school level and is a highly trained and sought-after tenor soloist. The WCC has sung with the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Uptown Music Collective and the Essence of Joy gospel group. After singing the National Anthem with them for several years now, I guess you can say they have a regular gig with both the Crosscutters and the Little League World Series.
Tickets for the concert are available online at http://www.williamsportcivicchorus.org at a discount ($8 for students and seniors; $10 general admission, children under 12, as well as patron ticket holders, attend free). Discounted tickets are also available at Otto’s Bookstore and R.M. Sides Family Music in downtown Williamsport. Tickets sold at the door are $10 and $12, respectively.
