Lots of high school choirs perform holiday concerts in spaces that feature Christmas trees adorned with garland, ornaments and twinkling lights. One school situated not far from Lake Michigan does it a bit differently: Its students don't sing near a tree — they are IN the tree. The Mona Shores Singing Christmas Tree wraps up its 40th year with two shows on Saturday at the Frauenthal Center in nearby Muskegon. The 67-foot-tall tree features 25,000 LED lights, 5,200 linear feet of greenery and 15 tiers on which 180 choir members stand. It has room for 220 singers. “The Singing Christmas Tree is 100% a spectacle,” said Shawn Lawton, who has directed the Mona Shores High School Choir for three decades and has overseen the show during that time. Lawton believes the tree to be the tallest of its kind in the U.S., considering “we claimed that title. And no one has fought that title. No one has said, ‘No, we’re the tallest.'” The tree has a hierarchy. Freshmen are near the bottom, sophomores and juniors take up the middle section, and seniors enjoy their perch from way up high. The very top, just underneath the star, typically is real estate reserved for the “tree angel,” a designation Lawton bestows on a student who is the heart and soul of the choir. This year’s pick is Makenzie Aney (A’-nee), a choir member who uses a wheelchair. Aney has been given a prime spot at the base of the tree and close to the front of the stage. “It makes me real happy and excited and joyful,” Aney said about earning “tree angel” status. Aney and her fellow tree singers aren't alone as they belt out 19 tunes, including “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “Noel,” and “Joy to the World.” A 50-member Mona Shores student orchestra surrounds the tree, and a small army of parents and others volunteers are there to make sure all goes smoothly. The 58-year-old Lawton is retiring at the end of the school year. His successor is Brendan Closz (CLOHS’), a Mona Shores High grad who sang in the tree and is co-directing the choir this year to help ease the transition. “Being a part of (the show) has been such a reward,” Lawton said. “And I am going to really miss that.”