b"Leaving a LegacyDr. Vicki Ohl, 72In the Ohl family, there was God, there was family and there was the Concert Choirin that order. As she retires from Heidelberg after 43 years teaching music and serving in academic administration, Dr. Vicki Ohl, 72, is reflecting on her personal experiences with the choir as an important value we grew up with. In her estate, Vicki has made provisions to underwrite future international travel for the Concert Choir. Her gift will be added to the Ohl Endowment, a tribute to the legacy of her parents, Dr. Ferris and Dorothy Ohl and their long-time dedication to the choir.In 1962, the Heidelberg Concert Choir took its first international tour, visiting five European countries in 3-1/2 weeks. Twelve-year-old Vicki was lucky enough to join that tour and the one that would follow in 1966.As a kid, traveling with the choir and seeing all that the students experiencedthe collaboration, punctuality, respect, the director, sheThe experience was an excellent opportunity for the students to said. Sitting in those big cathedrals and listening to that glorious musicdemonstrate the value of the discipline, hard work, civility and was magical. leadership that theyve learned as choir members. Vicki's estate gift will The international tour has been a life-changing experience for manyensure that future generations share those experiences and gain those students, including Vicki, who sang as a member under her dads batonsame skills.and was a piano accompanist during her junior and senior years. Im not leaving a legacy, just adding to one, she said.The choir toured internationally every four years from 1962-78, until the cost became prohibitive. The next European trip was in 2008 when theTo learn more about designating Heidelberg in your estate plans or choir participated in the 50th anniversary celebration of the Americanother ways to remember Heidelberg with a planned gift, contact Junior Year Program. This year, the ensemble again headed to EuropeJim Minehart, executive director of planned giving and major gifts, at in May, with performances in Prague, Budapest and Brno. 419.448.2060 or jminehar@heidelberg.edu.While abroad, the 56 members of the choir had a job equally important as singing. They represented Heidelberg University. The choir has been a great ambassador for decades for this institution, Vicki said.Summer 2019 |33"