A western Michigan community is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its beloved Christmas tree by singing.
The Mona Shores Singing Christmas Tree, which features a high school choir of 180 students and stands 15 rows high, belted out 19 holiday tunes at a Muskegon theater this week and was set to perform two more shows Saturday.
The 67 meter tall tree is decorated with 25,000 LED lights and full of greenery.
“The Singing Christmas Tree is 100% a spectacle,” said Shawn Lawton, who has directed the Mona Shores High School choir and overseen the annual show for three decades.
The tall tree-like structure has a hierarchy, with freshmen near the bottom, sophomores and juniors in the middle, and seniors above them.
The top spot, just below the star, is usually reserved for the “tree angel,” a student chosen by Lawton who is “not your best singer” but has “all the heart.”
This year’s chosen one is senior Makenzie Aney, who uses a wheelchair and performs at the base of the tree near the front of the stage.
“It makes me really happy, excited and happy,” Aney said of being selected as this year’s tree angel.
Aney and her fellow singers are not alone as they go through the “Hark! Angels Herald Sing, “Noel” and other holiday favorites. A 50-piece orchestra of Mona Shores High students surrounds the tree, and a small army of parents and other volunteers make sure everything runs smoothly, both on the ground and in the tree.
The Singing Christmas Tree has been a must-see holiday for area residents for many years. But she is increasingly attracting fans from other states and even countries, with videos of past performances available online.
“It’s become a bucket list item for a lot of people,” said Lawton, who is marking his final holiday season at the helm.
The 58-year-old retires at the end of the school year. His successor is Brendan Closz, a Mona Shores graduate who sang in the tree, as did his three brothers, and is co-directing the choir this year to help ease the transition.
“Being a part of (the show) has been such a reward,” Lawton said. “And I’m really going to miss that.”
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Image Source : nypost.com