Let’s continue the theme of weird Christmas traditions. Yesterday was the mysterious Christmas tree of Arizona, while today is the singing Christmas tree of Muskegon. Yes, that’s right. Every year this small Michigan city celebrates the holidays with three-hundred singers from the Mona Shores High School Choir standing on 15 rows of tiers on a 67-foot tall steel structure shaped like a tree. Of course the giant Christmas tree is decorated with greenery, bows, garlands, and thousands of lights.
The production of the tree, including the program, sheet music, sound, and lighting, costs an estimated $20,000. Approaching its 30th anniversary next year, the performance runs about two hours with no intermission and features holiday music such as chamber choir, orchestra, processional and contemporary popular, with Hebrew and African pieces sprinkled in. I know people like to complain about buying and decorating a Christmas tree (and cleaning up all those needles that fall off) but can you imagine if you had a singing one made of human beings? Could you please stop singing “The First Noel”? I’m trying to frickin’ sleep!
