Church plans special Christmas event

The First Assembly of God, in conjunction with other churches around Grand Cayman, has something spectacular planned for residents this Christmas. 

A magnificent production of the Singing Christmas Tree, with the theme “Birthday of a King”, will be staged on the grounds of the church Saturday, 26 November, and Sunday, 27 November. There will be arranged parking and thousands of chairs provided for those attending the event. People may also watch from their cars. 

The family musical event, free to the public, will feature as many as 60 live singers combining their singing talents encased in an artificial Christmas tree 21-feet-tall and decorated and designed with an elaborate computer-controlled light show synchronised to music. 

Beginning at 6pm, the tree presentation will last one and a half hours each night, while the programme features many local artists such as the Cayman National Choir, the Red Bay choir, school bands and church choirs. International singer Paula Hinds from Barbados may also make an appearance. 

The event is the result of a desire by Elsa Bobb to transform Christmas season celebrations in such a way to astound, delight, and enchant with wonderful Christmas cheer and carols. 

From a ministry point of view, it is an evangelistic theme geared to bringing families together in a family-oriented setting telling the good news of Jesus to the community, while also promoting unity and harmony during the season. 

Construction of the stage, measuring 40 feet by 30 feet and located in front of the church, will start one week before performances are scheduled to begin. Local engineers will be involved in the setting up of the stage and tree to make sure everything is rigid, braced and fitted properly in place. 

The tree will boast a shining, 6-foot star on top and could weigh as much as 16,000 pounds when filled with singers. 

Reverend Ferdinand Nicholls out of Barbados, assisting with the production, is hoping the church receives the blessing of government so it may host the singing Christmas tree each year. 

“We are seeking corporate sponsors because the show will cost a lot and the current budget will run around $84,000 to host the production,” he said.  

The structure is made of wood and steel, and it comes with the garland and decorations, cable and control system for lighting event.  

In Barbados, Mr. Nicholls said the singing Christmas tree has developed into one of the attractions listed on the tourism website, and people attend the event from all over the world.  

“We are hoping as the event in Cayman takes places each year; it will also become a tourist attraction as the production has the capacity to expand to drama through the use of dance, mime, children’s’ choir and with adding additional trees to make it bigger and more magnificent show on a larger scale,” he said. 

A singing Christmas Tree, sometimes called a Living Christmas Tree, is an artificial Christmas tree filled with singers used as part of nativity plays which first appeared in 1933 in Mississippi, according to Wikipedia. The tree is constructed of steel and wood and depending on its size, the tree may accompany between 30 to 450 singers. 

The church invites the community to share in this historical event of the Singing Christmas Tree as an annual event by supporting the event as a sponsor.