MUSKEGON, Mich. (AP) 鈥� A western Michigan community is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its beloved singing Christmas tree.
The , which features a 180-student high school choir and stands 15 rows tall, belted out 19 holiday tunes at a Muskegon theater this week and was set to perform two more shows on Saturday. The 67-foot-tall (20-meter-tall) tree is adorned with 25,000 LED lights and loads of greenery.
鈥淭he Singing Christmas Tree is 100% a spectacle,鈥� said Shawn Lawton, who has directed the Mona Shores High School Choir and overseen the annual show for three decades.
The towering tree-shaped structure has a hierarchy, with freshmen near the bottom, sophomores and juniors in the middle and seniors above them.
The very top, just underneath the star, typically is reserved for the 鈥渢ree angel," a student chosen by Lawton who 鈥渋s not your top singer" but has 鈥渁ll the heart."
This year's pick is senior Makenzie Aney, who uses a wheelchair and performs at the base of the tree, close to the front of the stage.
鈥淚t makes me real happy and excited and joyful,鈥� Aney said of being selected this year's tree angel.
Aney and her fellow singers aren't alone as they run through "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," 鈥淣oel,鈥� and other holiday favorites. A 50-member Mona Shores High student orchestra surrounds the tree and a small army of parents and other volunteers makes sure all goes smoothly, both on the ground and in the tree.
The Singing Christmas Tree has been a holiday must-see for area residents for many years. But it increasingly draws fans from other states and even countries, with videos of past performances viewable online.
鈥淚t's become a bucket list item for a lot of people,鈥� said Lawton, who is marking his final holiday season in charge of the performance.
The 58-year-old is retiring 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.
鈥淏eing a part of (the show) has been such a reward,鈥� Lawton said. 鈥淎nd I am going to really miss that.鈥�
Mike Householder, The Associated Press
