and decided that the city of Virginia Beach was large enough to support a civic chorus of its own. Looking regretfully at the prohibitively large budgets necessary to put on Broadway shows, the group settled on light music and carols to launch its debut. Their first performance took place in May of 1959 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center ("The Dome") under the direction of Charles Daws and accompanied by Mrs. Ferrigno. The Virginia Beach Civic Chorus continued to perform at the Dome over the next few years, and in 1962 they presented "An Evening with Gilbert and Sullivan," complete with a staged production of Trial by Jury. That performance was directed by Charles Oliver and was accompanied by a full orchestra. Mr. Oliver took over the directorship in 1963 and the performances of the Chorus, along with its budget, continued to grow and expand. They performed in different venues as well, including local churches and high schools, presenting such ambitious works as The Merry Widow, Carousel, Showboat, and various sacred works, such as Vivaldi's "Gloria" and Brahms' "Requiem." Some highlights of the 1966 season were a four-night run of Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore and Rogers and Hammerstein's South Pacific.