A cherished singing Christmas tree is celebrating its 40th anniversary in a community in western Michigan, according to MUSKEGON, Mich. (AP).
Standing 15 rows tall and including a 180-student high school choir, the Mona Shores Singing Christmas Tree performed 19 holiday songs at a Muskegon theater this week and was scheduled to do two more concerts on Saturday. Loads of greenery and 25,000 LED lights cover the 67-foot (20-meter) tall tree.
Shawn Lawton, who has been in charge of the annual performance for thirty years and has coached the Mona Shores High School Choir, declared that the Singing Christmas Tree is unquestionably a spectacle.
Freshmen are near the bottom of the tall, tree-shaped building, sophomores and juniors are in the middle, and seniors are above them.
The tree angel, a student selected by Lawton who is not your best vocalist but has all the heart, usually gets the very top, directly beneath the star.
Makenzie Aney, a choir member who is this year’s “Tree Angel” sings with other students, standing in a 67-foot-tall structure, as part of the annual Mona Shores Singing Christmas Tree show Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Muskegon, Mich. (AP Photo/Mike Householder)
Image courtesy of Mike Householder/Associated Press
Senior Makenzie Aney, who plays toward the front of the stage at the base of the tree and uses a wheelchair, is this year’s selection.
“Being chosen as this year’s tree angel makes me really happy, excited, and joyful,” Aney remarked.
As they gallop through Hark, Aney and her fellow singers are not alone! Holiday favorites like Noel and The Herald Angels Sing. A tiny army of parents and other volunteers ensures everything runs well both on the ground and in the tree, while a 50-member student orchestra from Mona Shores High surrounds the tree.
For many years, locals have considered the Singing Christmas Tree to be a must-see during the holidays. However, with videos of previous performances available online, it is attracting more and more followers from other states and even other nations.
According to Lawton, who is celebrating his last holiday season as the performance’s director, it has become a bucket list item for many individuals.
At the conclusion of the academic year, the 58-year-old will retire. In order to facilitate the transfer, his replacement, Brendan Closz, a Mona Shores alumnus who sang in the tree alongside his three siblings, is co-directing the choir this year.
According to Lawton, participating in the show has been a huge reward. And that is something I will truly miss.
The Associated Press, 2024. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. It is prohibited to publish, broadcast, rewrite, or redistribute this content without authorization.
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