West Tennessee Youth Chorus Performs at the 2019 Christmas Tree Lighting
This photograph was taken by Matthew D'Agostino on December 5, 2019, during the pre-show of the 97th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony. Here, members of the West Tennessee Youth Chorus perform "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," accompanied by the United States Marine Band. The touring youth choir was directed by Martha Wright, who founded the group in 1996. This was the third time the West Tennessee Youth Chorus had been invited to perform at the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony; the group also performed during the Bill Clinton administration in 2000, and during the George W. Bush administration in 2004.
The lighting of the National Christmas Tree is a cherished holiday tradition in Washington, D.C., and it has always been associated with music. When President Calvin Coolidge lit the first tree in 1923, the United States Marine Band performed at the event, and the celebration attracted more than 6,000 spectators. The opening ceremony and nightly holiday concerts have annually drawn hundreds of attendees.
Photographer
Matthew D'Agostino
Date of Work
December 5, 2019
Type
Photograph
Credit
Matthew D'Agostino for the White House Historical Association
James Hoban, the original architect of the President's House, intended that the space now called the "Green Room" be used as a "Common Dining Room." An 1801 inventory revealed that first residents President John Adams and First Lady Abigail Adams actually used it as a guest bedchamber. However, the next chief executive, Thomas Jefferson, did serve meals in this room. Jefferson
The White House celebrates many holiday traditions, some of which are historic and others more recent. New arrivals to the Executive Mansion bring unique familial rituals that are often blended with time-tested White House and presidential customs. During the holiday season, the president and first lady participate in public traditions such as receiving a tree for the Blue Room, lighting
The collection of fine art at the White House has evolved and grown over time. The collection began with mostly presidential portraits, commissioned or purchased by Congress, or donated by presidential descendants. In the era before photography, some presidents invited painters to set up studios in the White House to record significant events and paint their likeness. In the late