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This year, the Mona Shores community is celebrating the 40th anniversary of this wonderful tradition.
The 67 feet tall towering tree structure features 15 rows of singers. (Photo Credit: X)
The holiday season is here and a one-of-a-kind tradition in the US has recently grabbed the attention. For four decades, the Mona Shores High School Choir in West Michigan has wowed audiences as America’s Tallest Singing Christmas Tree. This special event has become of one the most cherished holiday highlight in the country. This year, the Mona Shores community is celebrating the 40th anniversary of this wonderful tradition.
The towering tree, which stands 67 feet tall and features 15 rows of singers, hosted its annual performance this week at a Muskegon theatre, according to the Associated Press. With 25,000 LED lights and greenery, the tree becomes a dazzling backdrop for the 180-member choir. The tree belted out 19 holiday classics including Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and Noel. It is surrounded by a 50-member orchestra made up of Mona Shores High students.
“The Singing Christmas Tree is 100% a spectacle,” Shawn Lawton, who has directed the show for 30 years, told AP. For this tree-shaped structure, freshmen take their places at the bottom of the tree while sophomores, juniors and seniors stand in the higher rows. The very top spot, just underneath the star, is reserved for the “tree angel,” a role given to a specially chosen student.
The most beautiful time of the year! The 40th performance of the Singing Xmas Tree! A special day for you Shawn Lawton! Thank you for all of the memories! 🌲⚓️💙🎼 pic.twitter.com/48e6PoBsdT— Jennifer Bustard (@MSHSPRIDE) December 8, 2024
This year, senior Makenzie Aney, who uses a wheelchair, was chosen for the role.
“It makes me real happy and excited and joyful,” Aney said after being selected as this year’s tree angel.
Over the years, the Singing Christmas Tree has grown from a local favourite to a global sensation. As videos of past performances gain attention online, especially during the holiday season, the event has attracted fans from around the world.
“It’s become a bucket list item for a lot of people,” said Lawton, who is directing the show for the final time this year.
Lawton, who has led the Mona Shores choir for three decades, is set to retire at the end of the school year. Taking his place will be Brendan Closz, a Mona Shores graduate who once performed in the tree alongside his brothers.
The idea for America’s Tallest Singing Christmas Tree came from choir parent Dave Anderson, who suggested it to director Guy (Skip) Frizzell after watching a similar production in California. Inspired by the concept, the Mona Shores Choir Association decided to bring it to life by raising funds to create a unique steel tree structure.
The 67-foot-tall tree, designed by Millard Heath in Texas, first appeared in 1985 at St. Francis de Sales Church in Norton Shores.
