Hundreds of Volunteers Join in Annual ‘Singing Christmas Tree’ Event
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
December 8, 2013 | Read Time: 2 minutes
With the need to coordinate a dizzying array of moving parts—a 350-voice choir, a live orchestra, special lighting effects, and an Elvis impersonator—preparations for Portland’s Singing Christmas Tree begin months in advance. The centerpiece of the nonprofit extravaganza is, well, a singing Christmas tree. The concert includes more than 150 singers standing on a specially designed 30-foot-high, 13-level structure as they perform secular and sacred Christmas music.
The event has become a holiday tradition for many Oregon residents, says Wes Walterman, the organization’s director.
“Our goal is to bring a smile to their face and a skip to their step and for them to realize, ‘Wow, maybe it’s more than just Santa Claus and Rudolph. Maybe there’s more meaning to Christmas than what I’ve felt all these years,’” he says.
Portland’s Singing Christmas Tree was first presented in 1962 by a local church. Over time the production grew, and in the 1980s a nonprofit was formed to stage the performances. This year the choir includes representatives from 126 churches across the Portland metropolitan area, as well as local residents who don’t attend church.
“We welcome anybody into our cast,” says Mr. Walterman. “The only thing we ask is that they can hold a tune.”
Weekly rehearsals start in late August. Cast members, who are all volunteers, pay dues to help cover the cost of their music and costume rentals. This year the organization also invited choirs from seven local high schools to sing, one at each performance. The project will donate $1,500 to each school’s music program.
Ticket sales cover about 60 percent of the $1-million cost of presenting the performances in a downtown concert hall. The rest of the money comes from individuals, corporate sponsors, and special events, including an annual auction and golf tournament.
Mr. Walterman says that putting the show together is a year-round endeavor. Planning for next year’s production began well before this year’s first performance. “I’ve already been listening to music for the last month for next year,” he says.
