Sean C. Morgan
The 23rd Annual Singing Christmas Tree had a little of everything for everyone along with a new face directing the choir.
“We’ve got side acts,” Director David Dominy said. “We’ve got everything,” guitars, cello, piano, a bell choir, soloists, duets and groups.
Selections ranged from a Mozart piece to traditional Christmas carols with a couple of country songs thrown into the mix.
The Singing Christmas Tree also had Dominy joining Paul Rowton directing the choir.
Rowton has been director all 23 years, but this year, he split his duties with Dominy. The two split the numbers in the first half of the show, and Dominy directed most of the second half.
“I led most of the practices,” Dominy said. “Paul actually came up to me and asked me about it a couple years ago.
“I love it. Right at the beginning I was nervous about how the transition from Paul to me. I’m not Paul. Me being younger, I thought I might get a little more flak.”
But the choir has responded well to the change, Dominy said.
“I decided that I had done it long enough,” Rowton said. “I’ve been retired from the School District for nine years, and in the fall I don’t really feel retired. This year was wonderful.”
Rowton could go hunting, and he didn’t have to be back for practices, which start in September.
Dominy is planning on fully taking over at some point, Rowton said. Dominy is talented and will carry on the tradition.
Dominy, 24, has been involved with the tree for 15 years. He started performing as a side act to the choir then spent some time with the children’s choir.
He also performs at churches with Praise in 3-D, a family group including his father, George, and brother, Cliff. The three performed Silent Night before having a conversation with Santa Claus and leading the audience in Christmas carols.
Dominy said Rowton was planning on staying with the Singing Christmas Tree two more years, “but we’ll see.”
When Rowton started directing the Singing Christmas Tree, he never would have imagined he would be doing it 23 years later, but he tells a story from the first event to explain why.
“I didn’t come from a hugging family,” Rowton said. “We knew we were loved, but we were not a hugging family.”
The first time, the tree didn’t have a sounds system. The lights had only a switch, no dimmer.
“At the end of the first performance, I looked over, and my father was working his way from the corner.? He stepped over a couple of seats and hugged me,” Rowton said. That’s the only time his father ever hugged him.
Rowton figured that if the performance was that important to his father, it was that important to others. From then on, he said he would direct the choir as long as there were singers.
Now, he is happy to have the chance to play during the fall.
“I love to fish,” Rowton said. “But I live to hunt.”
Dominy freed him up enough he was able to go bow hunting in Wyoming and elk hunting in a snow camp.
The Singing Christmas Tree remains special to Rowton, like a big family working together. The choir is one of the few activities where little children and adults of all ages, up to the age of 92 in cone case, participate together.
The Singing Christmas Tree performances Friday, Saturday and Sunday included a solo, “Take a Walk Through Bethlehem,” by Kari Bennett; “Mary’s Little Boy Child,” “Joy to the World” and “Gettin’ Ready for Santa Claus” by the junior choir; “Oh, Holy Night” by Katherine Keenon and Alex Wilson; “The Star” by Cheri Pickett; “Carol of the Bells” and “The First Noel” by the East Linn Christian Academy Bell Choir; “The Real Christmas Star,” written and performed by David and Corinna Dominy; and “Piano and Guitar Christmas” by Bill Langdon and Keith Cantrell.
Singing Christmas Tree
Sopranos ? Laura Barrett, Kari Bennett, Patricia Bergevin, Stephanie Dodge, Corinna Dominy, Kirsten Girtman, Katie Harer, Julia Henthorne, Sherry Johnston, Della Klinkenbiel, Katherine Keenon, Kaitlin Klinkenbiel, Molly Laycock, Elizabeth Lippert, Heather Marshall, Chanaé Meyers, Chaunté Meyers, Bridget Montgomery, Clarene Myers, Debbie Parker, Cheri Pickett, Stephanie Pyle, Loren Rye, Andrea Taskinen, Zuri Van Cleave, Frances Wilson.
Tenors ? John Corbin, Roger Gilman, Bethany Jackson, Loretta Kast, Jay Kimball, Jeb Koechig, Andy McKnight, Dale Mongomery, Dale Montgomery, Linda Rowton, Alex Wilson.
Altos ? Kathy Burnett, Emily Clemens, Suzanne Dominy, Brenda Funk, Pat Hatch, Nellie Markert, Tyris Massingale, Debora Olson, Susan Olson, Debbie Scofield, Jane Strom, Victoria Thomas, Susan Thompson, Brittany Wilson, Cheryl Wilson.
Bass ? Ben Allen, Randy Burnett, Keith Cantrell, Clifford Dominy, Mason Lynn, George Dominy, Ryan Meyers, Ralph Myers, Tom Palkki, Paul Rowton Jr., Tony Steinbacher.
The choir was accompanied by Bill Langdon, Jan Barthel and Keith Scofield. Nat Graves ran sound.
2004 Junior Choir
Tia Adams, Briar Bullock, Katie Currey, Amber Doles, Sierra Fox, Dawnae Guillot, Kaylin Hagle, Livvi Hindmarsh, Kaitlin Keenon, Karlie McCubbins, Tonya McDonald, Alison McClaskey, Rachel Thomas, Kendra Whaley, Amy Anderson, Hanna Currey, Natalie Currey, Becky Fox, Steven Fox, Danyell Guillot, Seana Harer, Alyssa Holder, Cassandra King, Jillian Marvin, Miranda Morehead, Madilyn Tyler.
East Linn Academy Bell Choir
Group One ? Adam Greenwood, Megan Kolling, Simon Villaneuve, Kate Lybra, Tony Langford, Emily Hewitt, Ryan Lawyer, Isaiah Blank, Katelin Renfro, Briana Cowan, Alex Coakley.
Group Two ? Parker Hill, Brenna Vanessen, Austin Koos, Lisl Ruckert, Steven Langford, Whitley Garber, Eric Lund, Chad Linville, Maddy Tyler, Jakob Detweiler, Jonathan Beeghly.