An a cappella quartet from Clemmons will be among those serenading visitors to this year's lighting of the National Christmas Tree.
The quartet, Carolers of Christmas Past, has been selected to be part of the preshow entertainment at the lighting ceremony, which will be next Thursday in Washington.
"We'll be singing for a full hour before the show to entertain people as they arrive," group member Jennifer Jordan said.
The group -- Jordan, Nate Pendley, Dennis Ramsey and Lisa Ramsey -- was formed in 2001, and it performs in traditional Dickens-era garb. Jordan is the group's costumer. "I did some serious research on costuming from that time period," she said. "We've tried to stay as true to the actual costuming of the mid-1800s as possible."
Carolers of Christmas Past performs 10 or more times each holiday season, mostly at corporate events and private parties. It has a repertoire of more than 70 songs, from traditional hymns to more-recent favorites, such as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Santa Baby."
They have performed at NorthCarolina's governor's mansion, the Dickens of a Christmas Festival in Roanoke, and various local venues. This is the singers' second time performing at the Ellipse, where the National Christmas Tree is displayed, but their first time to be part of the lighting ceremony.
The National Park Foundation organizes the ceremony. In choosing musicians, it looks for "something that will add to the overall color and character of the event," said Mark Shields, a spokesman for the foundation.
Nine musical acts are selected to perform for guests as they arrive and prepare for the lighting ceremony.
"It helps build the spirit of the moment," Shields added.
"We think it's an amazing honor to be chosen," Jordan said. "This is a huge national event. We've been told there could be 10,000 people there."
The main entertainment at the ceremony will include entertainers Sheryl Crow, Common and Celtic Woman. The ceremony is being taped and highlights (not including the preshow) will be broadcast Dec. 20 on UNC TV. The lighting ceremony will be streamed on the Internet at www.thenationaltree.org starting at 5 p.m. next Thursday Dec. 3.
In Winston-Salem, Carolers of Christmas Past will perform Dec. 5 at Reynolda Village from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. as part of the "Holiday Stroll," and Dec. 22 at the Millennium Center.
tclodfelter@wsjournal.com.
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