Our Story

The Ottumwa Area Community Chorus was formed in 2013. The first director of the chorus was Tom Shadonix, and he directed the chorus in a variety of successful and well-received performances between 2013 and early 2016.

In 2016, Dr. Christine Bergan was appointed as the new director of OACC. Prior to 2016, OACC was a chorus for adults only. After Dr. Bergan became director, she actively recruited and formed the Ottumwa Area Community Children’s Chorus, while continuing the development and growth of the Adult Chorus. Between the years of 2016 and 2024, a total of 50+ performance opportunities were made available to any and all interested singer. These included annual full length fall concerts, hosting biennial regional “Messiah Sing Along” concerts, multiple collaborative performances (with other fine arts performing groups including the Southeast Iowa Symphony, American Gothic Performing Arts Festival summer productions, Ottumwa Municipal Band, etc.).

In one of our full length fall concerts (pre-COVID), there were 37 adults in the adult chorus and 34 children in the children’s chorus, for a total of 71 singers when the two choruses were combined for a few of the selected songs. In that fall concert, singers ranged from age 5 to 85 (between the two choruses).