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.