Little did he know that his group would emerge into the current 90-member Pekin Civic Chorus, presenting a biennial benefit performance. In December of 1953, the chorus gave its first performance with the Pekin Symphony Orchestra, when they presented "The Messiah", the famous Handel Oratorio. The group was known as the Pekin Orchestra & Choral Society. In 1954, the group again sang "The Messiah" i
n December and followed with two symphony concerts in January and February of 1955. However, that form of musical entertainment did not have enough appeal to the general public. The Civic Chorus board then decided to give the community a fresh sound with the presentation of "A Night With Rodgers and Hammerstein" in October of 1957. The show was an instant hit with the audience and proved to be the right direction for coming shows. Civic Chorus has given back to the community all profits from "Showtimes" since the chorus first realized a profit from their performances. The Norma I. Yock Annual Scholarship was started in 1987 and is given to the P.C.H.S. outstanding music student who is intending to pursue a career in music. In addition to the scholarship, over $186,000 has been given throughout the community to many deserving groups.
