Music is a universal holiday tradition. In Pekin, that tradition includes the annual Christmastime performance of the Pekin Friends in Harmony. For 20 years, this homegrown musical ensemble has enriched the season for thousands, while making a financial impact on local charities and inspiring the next generation of musicians.

This year, the Pekin Friends in Harmony will present “Sing of a Merry Christmas” Dec. 12 and 13 at the F. M. Peterson Theater, Pekin Community High School (PCHS). What started as a group of friends who wanted to sing together and give back to the community has become a red-letter date on the local holiday calendar.

Debbie Mahoney, the current president and producer for Friends in Harmony, said the group was formed in 2005 when members of the Pekin Civic Chorus (herself included) wanted to perform more often than the Civic Chorus was performing at that time.

“We didn’t particularly have a plan other than we wanted to go places and sing for anybody that would hire us,” she said. “The first year we sang, we just went around and did gigs.”

It went over well. That first year, Mahoney said the group gave $2,000 back to the community “just for running around and singing.”

The next year, they settled on doing one Christmas show staged at Washington Intermediate School. The group grew from 16 to 32 members and eventually made the F. M. Peterson Theater its permanent home. 2025 marks the group’s 20th anniversary but 19th show — the 2020 edition was cancelled by COVID.

Mahoney said the group’s 32 members are a “nice, manageable number” and it has remained that size for a number of years. At least 10 current members were there at the very beginning, volunteering their time and talents now for two decades. New members are auditioned only when there is an opening. All of the singers are from Pekin and the surrounding communities.

“When there is an opening, we welcome new members who add new voices and new sounds,” Mahoney said.

Aside from a few nursing home gigs and other small performances, the annual Christmas shows are the Friends’ main performances. One exception to that schedule was in 2013 when Friends singers combined with the Grace United Methodist Church’s choir and took a show on the road to Italy. Highlights included singing at the Vatican and cathedrals across Italy.

Putting together what Mahoney calls “a show, not a concert” takes a considerable amount of time and effort. Members kick off each season with a get-together in August, then begin rehearsing once a week until October. A second evening is then added up until show time in December. There is also a great deal of planning and organizing outside of rehearsals.

Mahoney is the show’s producer. She works closely with Director Kaleigh Christ to select music and determine the show order. They listen to arrangements of hundreds of classic holiday tunes to find just the right mix of nostalgia, energy, and modern perspectives. 

“I usually listen to about 500 songs a year,” she laughed. “We like to say that we do traditional songs that everyone loves, but with new and different arrangements. You could get ‘Oh Holy Night’ in a way you’ve never heard it before.”

Choreographer Liz Waldschmidt works with singers on dance numbers. Another indispensable volunteer is accompanist Val Springborn. 

“We have had several directors over the years, but Val has been our only accompanist,” Mahoney said. “She has stuck with us through thick and thin, and we can’t thank her enough for all she does to keep us going.”

Until recently, Mahoney’s husband, Jerry, and her friend, Kathie Bernet, built all the sets, from hanging chandeliers to 10-foot stained glass windows, light-up stars, and every imaginable color and size Christmas tree. Lee Oltmann recently joined the set-building crew.

Friends in Harmony is unique in its use of a 15-piece orchestra for accompaniment. Made up of musicians from throughout the region, the orchestra heightens the experience for the audience and for the singers, Mahoney said. “Christmas music just lends itself to the beautiful orchestration.”

Financial support for the Friends in Harmony comes from the donations of individual patrons and from an extensive list of business and community sponsors. Patrons give annually and receive tickets to the show and recognition in the program booklet. Sponsors receive advertising in the program and “our adoration,” Mahoney said. There are also in-kind donations of materials like cardboard for set construction from Kriegsmann’s Warehouse.

Over the years, Friends in Harmony has shared about $92,500 with local and area organizations. For the first 10 years, Mahoney said donations were made exclusively to United Way. Funds have also gone to the Pekin Union Mission, Children’s Advocacy Center, House of Hope, Salvation Army, Pekin Lions Club, Pekin Park Foundation, and others. In recent years, funds have been donated to the theater, instrumental music, and choral music departments at Pekin Community High School. Grace Methodist Church also receives an annual donation as a thank-you for making the church available for rehearsals.

Last year, District 108 music teachers were given the opportunity to apply for grants to use for music education in their schools. Eight grants of up to $800 went to educators for the purchase of two glockenspiels, a wireless microphone system, hand drums, a tabano drum, rhythm sticks, ukuleles, two violas, and music education materials.

“We’re doing what we can to keep music alive in this community,” Mahoney said. “There’s a lot of competition out there, so we’re trying to keep music going.”

Tickets for “Sing of a Merry Christmas” are $15. For the first time this year, tickets are available online at pekinfriendsinharmony.com. Tickets can also be purchased from chorus members, by calling 309-346-1896, and at Steger’s Furniture. Learn more about the organization at the email above and follow on Facebook at facebook.com/FriendsinHarmonyPekin.