Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Bringing the Christmas tree to life Shandon Baptist Church’s traditional holiday show to feature more than 200performers BY ELIZABETH GIBBONS THE GAMECOCK “The Singing Christmas Tree,” a Shandon Baptist Church holiday tradition for 18 years, features . more than 200 musicians, ac tors and dancers. One such per former is Columbia dentist Bill Flemming. Flemming has been a part of the pageant choir since the show’s opening in 1984. Flemming said: “Doing ‘The Singing Christmas Tree’ is what gets me in the holiday spirit. I see it as ser vice to the church as well as to the community, and I enjoy that.” “I’ve been to some other church pageants, and those are awesome, but I love how Shandon’s tells the story of the birth of Christ in a contemporary way. The Christmas story is presented in a nonthreatening way that can appeal to eveiyone.” RACHEL MARRINER FIRST-YEAR BUSINESS STUDENT Rachel Marriner, a first-year business student, has attended the pageant for the past four years. “I’ve been to some other church pageants, and those are awe some, but I love how Shandon’s tells the story of the birth of Christ in a con temporary way,” she said. “The Christmas story is present ed in a non threatening way that can appeal to everyone,” Marriner said. Throughout the years, “The Singing Christmas Tree” has been a successful production. Almost 200,000 people have attended the presentation during the past 17 years. In its first year, 4,200 peo ple attended the production. In re cent years, attendance for “The Singing Christmas Tree” has risen to more than 11,000. That kind of popularity has allowed the pageant to develop into one of Columbia’s largest annual musi For the past 18 years, “The Singing Christmas Tree” at Shandon Baptist Church has provided Christmas entertainment in Columbia. PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK cal events. Dave Dupree, Shandon’s min ister of music, is excited about the ♦ SINGING TREE, SEE PAGE 11 je9k where ifooi want to he lkor~_Uokltu], dS>hoppiruj. RICHLAND MALL GIFT CERTIFICATES Easy to buy easy to give, easy to love. HOLIDAY GIFT WITH PURCHASE Beginning Dec. 2, we II have an awesome gift with purchase every week til Christmas* Happy Holidays from Richland Mall! ■ ’Bring receipts in the designated amount to IheMaH Information Center to redeem H 5 *8 KEjjj White supplies last. See Mall fee details. RIGHT WHERE YOU WANT TO BE | ,, At the corner of Beltline Boulevard and Forest Drive. For more Information, call 738-2995 or visit us at www.shoprichlandmall.com Belk. Dillards, Parisian Bannoura OliveWood Barnes & Noble Booksellers Bath & Body Works Bental International the Bombay Co. The Briar Patch Calendar Club Carolina Outfitters Cingular Wireless Claires Boutique Columbia Art & Framing The Crate Dollar tree Eckerd Drugs EdCetera The EdVenture Store Ernies Cards & Gifts Express The Fine Art of Baseball Foot Locker GNC Gymboree Gymboree Play Programs Hair Cutlery Hibbett Sporting Goods Hickory Farms Koska Photography Lenscratters The Limited Mastercuts Nail Plus Neat Things * Oxford Street Pouches byTlta Rack Room Regal Cinema Rita Smith Gallery Sam Goody Sans Sugar, Sugarless Sweets Santas Closet The Shoe Dept. SunCom Sunglass Hut Talbots/Petltes/Kids A Taste of the South Things Remembered Victorias Secret Zap Electronics Zoom Copters