Sarah E. Moffett

And I don’t mean after you’ve had one too many rounds of eggnog.

Sans eggnog, I learned that the world of Douglas Firs do sing after I showed up at First Baptist of Alexandria’s annual Living Christmas Tree production. According to the injured choir member that parked it in the pew next to us, the seven performances that took place over several days required 100 brave souls on the scaffolding (choir), 50 narcissists (actors, S.O.S. girls, a costumed Frosty, etc.), a full orchestra and approximately 300 support staff. Who knows if his numbers were right, but given that over 6000 people had attended the performances prior to the finale evening we attended, I wouldn’t be surprised.

At the opening, the Pastor, Don Davidson, observed that this was the 20th year of performances, which were a gift to the city of Alexandria as a “labor of love.” He then followed the D.C./NOVA event announcement requirement by asking everyone to please turn off their phones or put them on vibrate. Feeling his announcement was not strong enough, a persnickety little girl behind me ordered her mother in a stage whisper to “put your phone on vibrate.” Mother complied. The performance began. The 2007 Living Christmas Tree—Christmas on Track.

Ever heard 100 choir members from the world’s largest shrubbery belt out White Christmas from a lawyer’s liability nightmare of rickety scaffolding? Me either, but they were definitely singing in such a way that if the construction had collapsed, they would have all been welcomed through the pearly gates by Peter with an express pass to the choir loft.

The singing was interlaced with secular favorites, old time hymns, innovative combinations (Jingle Bells sung to every major theme in the Nutcracker was nothing if not “creative”), a light show that fixed my seizure activities and Christmas light needs for a decade, and a cheesy storyline played on the side stage about a group of strangers who find themselves stuck on a train before Christmas.

The program was rounded out with a memorable grand finale. While I’m not sure Handel ever envisioned his famed Hallelujah chorus being performed to a light show to rival the strobes of Las Vegas’s Strand, I do know he would have been proud at the chills everyone had as the last chord hung in the air and faded with the return of the lights.

In the end, I was pleasantly surprised by the concept of a Living Christmas Tree (see earlier thoughts here), and will be adding it to the list of annual Christmas activities. I will also be bringing sunglasses to future performances. 

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