>> GOOD EVENING AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON TO YOU AND YOURS.

WELCOME FORMALLY TO THE 52ND ANNUAL GOVERNOR'S CAROLIGHTING 2018 BY EXPERIENCE CAROLINA SC AND THE GARDEN CLUB OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

I AM MARY KING MORNING ANCHOR AT WIS SUNRISE OF COLUMBIA.

IT GIVES ME GREAT JOY AND GREAT HONOR TO JOIN YOU AS HOST FOR THIS 52ND ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION.

CERTAINLY A TIME HONORED TRADITION THAT KICKS OFF THE HOLIDAY SEASON HERE IN COLUMBIA.

WE HOPE THAT YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES WILL BE SHARED WITH US TONIGHT BY GETTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY SIMPLY USING THE # #GOVERNORSCAROLIGHTING 2018.

IF YOU WILL PLEASE STAND AND GIVE A HUGE WELCOME TO SOUTH CAROLINA'S FIRST FAMILY, OUR GOVERNOR, HENRY McMASTER AND FIRST LADY PEGGY McMASTER.

[APPLAUSE] [MUSIC] >> Mary: YOU MAY ALL BE SEATED.

NOW IT IS TIME TO GET THIS HOLIDAY PARTY STARTED!

IT IS A CHILLY NIGHT HERE IN THE CAPITAL CITY BUT WE ARE CERTAINLY GOING TO WARM THINGS UP WITH THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT.

WE WILL START THINGS OFF TONIGHT WITH THE ADORABLE CHILDREN'S CHOIR FOLLOWED BY RISING STAR INDIGO SOUL.

[MUSIC] [SINGING] ♪ ♪ ANGELS SINGING A LULLABY.

♪ TINY LITTLE BABY.

♪ TINY LITTLE BABY.

♪ ANGELS SONGS THAT FILL THE ♪ SKY.

♪ TINY LITTLE BABY BORN IN ♪ BETHLEHEM.

♪ TINY LITTLE BABY BORN IN A ♪ MANGER.

♪ SINGING HIGH SINGING LOW.

♪ TINY LITTLE BABY BORN IN A ♪ MANGER.

♪ BORN IN BETHLEHEM.

♪ SINGING HIGH AND SINGING ♪ LOW.

♪ TINY LITTLE BABY BORN IN A ♪ MANGER.

♪ BORN IN BETHLEHEM.

♪ SINGING JOY, JOY, JOY.

♪ SINGING PEACE, PEACE, PEACE.

♪ SINGING JOY AND PEACE AND ♪ LOVE.

♪ TINY LITTLE BABY BORN IN A ♪ MANGER.

♪ SINGING HIGH, SINGING LOW.

♪ TINY LITTLE BABY BORN IN A ♪ MANGER.

♪ BORN, BORN, BORN IN ♪ BETHLEHEM.

♪ TINY LITTLE BABY, SUCH A ♪ TINY BABY.

♪ BORN, BORN, BORN IN BETHLEHEM.

[APPLAUSE] [SINGING] ♪ ♪ SILENT NIGHT, HOLY NIGHT.

♪ ALL IS CALM AND ALL IS ♪ BRIGHT.♪ ♪ ROUND YON VIRGIN, MOTHER AND ♪ CHILD.♪ ♪ HOLY INFANT, SO TENDER AND ♪ ♪ MILD.♪ ♪ SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE, ♪ SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE.♪ ♪ SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE ♪ SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE ♪ SILENT NIGHT.

[APPLAUSE] >> Mary: ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL PERFORMANCES TO GET OUR EVENING STARTED HERE TONIGHT.

UP NEXT WE HAVE A CAROLIGHTING TRADITION AND WE WILL HEAR FROM THE SOUTHERN ENSEMBLE FOLLOWED BY COLUMBIA HIGH SCHOOL'S CONCERT CHOIR AND THE MAMARK RA GROUP.

[BELLS RINGING] [CHIMES AND BELLS] [APPLAUSE] ♪ ♪ PLUM LAW, LAW, FOLLOFA, LA, L♪ ♪ FA, LA, LA ♪ PLUM ♪ LAAAA FA, LA, LA FA, LA, LA ♪ PLUM ♪ LAAAA ♪ PLUM FA, LA, LA ♪ FA, LA, LA FA, LA, LA ♪ [APPLAUSE] [MUSIC] [HORNS, PIANO] [UPBEAT BAND MUSIC] [APPLAUSE] >> Mary: I KNOW THAT GOT YOUR TOES TAPPING TONIGHT, HOPEFULLY PROVIDING A LITTLE WARM UP ON THIS CHILLY COLUMBIA NIGHT.

IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME DOCTOR THOMAS, SENIOR MINISTER OF FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF COLUMBIA.

HE HAS A BLESSING FOR US ON THIS SPECIAL OCCASION.

JESUS, ADVENT IS A SPECIAL SEASON BECAUSE IT SPEAKS OF AN EVENT LIKE NO OTHER.

NEVER IN THE HISTORY OF HUMANKIND HAS ONE BEEN CONCEIVED IN THE MANNER THAT YOU WERE.

WE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE HEARD THE CHORUS OF ANGELS ON THE HILLS OF BETHLEHEM SAYING, GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST.

AND ON EARTH, PEACE AMONG THOSE WITH WHOM HE IS PLEASED.

WE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE OVERHEARD THE ANGELS TELLING SHEPHERDS ON THE HILLSIDE OF BETHLEHEM UNTO YOU AND I THINK YOU MEANT US.

IT IS BORN THIS DAY IN THE CITY OF DAVID, A SAVIOR WHO IS CHRIST THE LORD.

YES, BETHLEHEM THE HOUSE OF BREAD, BECAUSE WE ARE STARVING AND SPEND TOO MUCH TIME LOOKING FOR THAT WHICH IS NOT BREAD.

YOU ARE THE BREAD OF LIFE.

YOUR NAME IS WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, THE MIGHTY GOD, THE EVERLASTING FATHER.

THE PRINCE OF PEACE OF THE INCREASE OF YOUR GOVERNMENT AND PEACE THERE WILL BE NO END.

MAY THE LIGHTS OF THIS CHRISTMAS TREE REMIND US THAT YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.

AMEN.

[CHIOR SINGING] JOINED THE ♪ ♪ TRIUMPH OF THE SKIES.

♪ WITH THE ANGELIC HOST ♪ PROCLAIM, CHRIST IS BORN IN ♪ BETHLEHEM.

♪ HARK!

♪ THE HERALD ANGELS SING, ♪ GLORY TO THE NEWBORN KING!

♪ CHRIST MY HIGHEST HEAVEN ♪ ADORED.♪ ♪ CHRIST, THE EVERLASTING LORD♪ ♪ .

♪ LATE IN TIME BEHOLD HIM ♪ COME, OFFSPRING OF THE ♪ FAVORED ONE.

♪ VEILED IN FLASH, THE GODHEAD ♪ SEE, HAIL, INCARNATE DEITY.

♪ PLEASED AS MAN, WITH MEN TO ♪ DWELL, JESUS, OUR EMANUEL!

♪ HARK!

♪ THE HERALD ANGELS SING, LORI ♪ TO THE NEWBORN KING!♪ ♪ HAIL!

♪ THE HEAVEN BORN PRINCE OF ♪ PEACE!

♪ HAIL THE SON OF ♪ RIGHTEOUSNESS!

♪ LIGHT AND LIFE TO ALL HE ♪ BRINGS, RISEN WITH HEALING ♪ IN HIS WINGS.

♪ MILD HE LAYS HIS GLORY BY, ♪ BORN THAT MAN NO MORE MAY ♪ DIE.

♪ BORN TO RAISE THE SON OF THE ♪ EARTH, BORN TO GIVE THEM ♪ SECOND BIRTH.

♪ HARK!

♪ THE HERALD ANGELS SING, ♪ GLORY TO THE NEWBORN KING!

♪ ♪ [APPLAUSE] >> Mary: SUCH A BEAUTIFUL BLESSING FROM DOCTOR THOMAS FOLLOWED UP BY THAT GORGEOUS RENDITION OF HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING BY COLUMBIA'S OWN CAROLINE CAROLERS TAKING US BACK TO THE VICTORIAN ERA.

NEXT UP WE ARE BLESSED TO HEAR THE SOUNDS OF THE SOUTHERN FRANCE ENSEMBLE AGAIN FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL PERFORMANCE OF THE COLUMBIA HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR.

[CHIMES AND BELLS] [APPLAUSE] [CHIOR SINGING] [MUSIC] [APPLAUSE] >> Mary: WHAT A JOY IT IS TO HEAR FROM SO MANY CREATIVE INDIVIDUALS OF ALL DIFFERENT AGES HERE ON THE STATEHOUSE STEPS TONIGHT.

NOW WE HAVE A SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT INVOLVING AN ARRAY OF TALENT, THE CAROLIGHTING CHILDREN'S CHOIR WITH FLUTE ACCOMPANIMENT.

[CHIMES AND BELLS] [PIANO AND FLUTE MUSIC] [SINGING] >> Mary: NOTHING QUITE LIKE HEARING SINGING FROM CHILDREN AND THE BEAUTIFUL TRUTH.

UP NEXT ONE OF MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY SONGS, WE ARE LOOKING [HORNS AND PIANO] [UPBEAT BAND MUSIC] [APPLAUSE] >> Guest: GOOD EVENING.

I AM BILL ALAN PRESIDENT AND CEO OF EXPERIENCE COLUMBIA SC.

WE ARE HONORED TO RETURN FOR THE FIFTH YEAR IN A ROW AS THE PRESENTING SPONSOR OR THE 52ND ANNUAL GOVERNORS CAROLIGHTING 2018.

THE GOVERNORS CAROLIGHTING IS A SPECIAL EVENT FOR THE STATE PLEASE JOIN ME FOR THE MANY A PARTNERS WHO WORK FOR MONTHS TO MAKE THIS EVENT POSSIBLE.

PLEASE HOLD YOUR APPLAUSE JILLIAN.

THE CITY OF COLUMBIA'S POLICE DEPARTMENT, SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHWAY PATROL, SOUTH CAROLINA LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION, SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF PARKS RECREATION AND TOURISM, AND SCE T.V.. THANK YOU.

[APPLAUSE] NOW IT IS MY PLEASURE TO PRESENT TO YOU GOV.

HENRY McMASTER.

PLEASE STAND AND JOIN ME IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE DRUM LINE AS WE WELCOME OUR GOVERNOR TO THE PODIUM FOR A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS MESSAGE BEFORE LIGHTING THE STATE CHRISTMAS TREE.

[DRUM ROLL] >> Governor: THANK YOU.

YOU'LL BE SEATED PLEASE.

AS YOU HAVE PROVED, MAKING A JOYFUL NOISE IS GOOD FOR NOT ONLY THE SOUL BUT FOR THE BODY BECAUSE MOST OF US HAVE DRESSED UP AND ARE FREEZING TO DEATH IN THE COLUMBIA CONCERT CHOIR ARE IN SHORT SLEEVE AND ARE WARM AS TOAST!

YOU'LL THANK YOU, THAT IS BEAUTIFUL.

I APPRECIATE YOU ALL FOR BEING FOR SOUTHCAROLINA .

IT IS A SPECIAL DAY FOR A WHOLE LOT OF REASON.

I LOOK BACK AS WE LISTEN TO ALL OF THE SONGS AND THE MUSIC, A LOT OF TIME THE LYRICS CAME FROM DIFFERENT TIME AND DIFFERENT PLACES BUT IT IS GOOD FOR US AND A GOOD WAY TO EXPRESS WHAT WE BELIEVE.

IN FACT, I BELIEVE IT EXPRESSES IT BETTER THAN MOST WORD AND I WAS READING, THERE WAS A MAN NAMED CARL BOWE BERGDAHL IN SWEDEN IN 1885, WROTE A MELODY AND SOME LYRICS TRANSLATED INTO GERMAN AND THEN RUSSIAN.

IT WAS LATER SET TO A RUSSIAN MELODY.

THEN IT WAS POPULARIZED BY A NUMBER OF FOLKS INCLUDING GEORGE W SHEA AND ELVIS PRESSLEY, ALSO BY VINCE GILL AND OTHERS.

IT'S AN AMAZING GRACE WHICH WAS WRITTEN BY JOHN NEWTON BACK IN THE 1700S.

THOSE WERE THE TWO GREATEST CHRISTIAN HYMNS OF ALL TIME AND YOU WILL KNOW THE WORDS AS I RECITE THEM.

HE SAID, WHEN I THINK OF GOD, HIS SON NOT BEARING, SENT HIM TO DIE.

I SCARCE CAN TAKE IT IN.

ON THE CROSS, MY BURDEN GLADLY BEARING, HE BLED AND DIED TO TAKE AWAY MY SIN.

THEN THINGS MY SOUL, MY SAVIOR, GOD TO THE, HOW GREAT THOU ART, HOW GREAT THOU ART.

I DON'T KNOW OF ANY WORDS THAT ANYONE HAS COME UP WITH IN ANY LANGUAGE THAT SAYS IT ANY BETTER THAN THAT.

AND WE CAN COME UP TO OUR TIME, YOU REMEMBER SOME OF YOU, A GROUP CALLED THE BIRDS, THEY SING A SONG AND THEY POPULARIZED IT, IT WAS AN INTERNATIONAL HIT IN 1965.

IT WAS WRITTEN BY PETE SEEGER IN 1950.

IT HIT THE AIRWAVES IN 1965 AND IT SAYS, TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON AND A TIME TO EVERY PURPOSE UNTO HEAVEN WHO DO REMEMBER THE GREAT SONG TURN, TURN, TURN?

WELL THAT SONG ACTUALLY GOES BACK FARTHER THAN THAT BECAUSE YOU REMEMBER FROM READING THE THIRD CHAPTER OF THE BOARD OF ECCLESIASTES, IT WAS KING SOLOMON, THE TEACHER THAT WROTE THOSE WORDS BETWEEN 2200 AND 2500 YEARS AGO.

THAT BRINGS US ON A TO THE THOUGHT, MY FINAL THOUGHT FOR YOU, IS THIS.

THESE MUSIC AND WORDS HAVE BEEN WITH US.

GOD HAS BEEN WITH US FROM OUR BEGINNING AND WILL BE WITH US FOREVER.

MUSIC, LIKEWISE HAS BLESSED OUR LIVES AND GIVEN EXPRESSION TO OUR LIVES FROM OUR BEGINNING.

AND, FOR THE LAST 2018 YEARS, JESUS HAS BEEN WITH US AND HE WILL BE WITH US FOREVER DID I SAY A AND WE ALL SAY, GLORY BE TOO GOD AND GOD BLESS THE GREAT STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

THANK YOU.

[APPLAUSE] >> Governor: AND PEGGY, FIRST LADY PEGGY.

STRAIGHT FROM SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA.

[APPLAUSE] >> Governor: SOUTH CAROLINA STATE DRUM LINE, IF YOU WILL COUNT IT DOWN FOR US, AND WE WILL TURN ON THE TREE.

ARE YOU READY?

10, NINE, EIGHT, SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE.

[CHEERING] >> Governor: OKAY.

[MUSIC] ♪ ♪ OH HAPPY DAY.

♪ OH, HAPPY DAY.

♪ WHEN JESUS WATCHED, WHEN ♪ JESUS WATCHED.

♪ HE WASHED MY SINS AWAY.

♪ OH HAPPY DAY.

♪ OH HAPPY DAY.♪ ♪ OH HAPPY DAY.

♪ WHEN JESUS WASHED WHEN JESUS ♪ WASHED, WHEN JESUS WASHED HE ♪ ♪ WASHED MY SINS AWAY.

♪ OH, HAPPY DAY.

♪ [CLAPPING] HE TAUGHT ME HOW ♪ TO PRAY, AND HE TAUGHT ME ♪ ♪ HOW TO LIVE.♪ ♪ LIVE IN REJOICE.♪ ♪ EVERY DAY.

♪ EVERY DAY.

♪ OH, EVERY DAY.♪ ♪ OH HAPPY DAY.♪ ♪ WHEN JESUS WASHED, WHEN ♪ ♪ JESUS WASHED, OH, WHEN HE ♪ ♪ WASHED, HE WASHED MY SINS ♪ ♪ AWAY.

♪ OH HAPPY DAY.

♪ I AM TALKING ABOUT A HAPPY ♪ DAY.♪ ♪ HE TAUGHT ME HOW TO WATCH, ♪ WATCH AND PRAY.

♪ AND, HE TAUGHT ME HOW TO ♪ LIVE REJOICING.♪ ♪ EVERY DAY.

♪ AND LIVE EVERY DAY.♪ ♪ EVERY DAY.

♪ OH, HAPPY DAY.♪ ♪ OH HAPPY DAY.

♪ OH HAPPY DAY.

♪ OH, IT WAS A HAPPY DAY.

♪ IT WAS A HAPPY DAY.♪ ♪ OH MY LORD A HAPPY DAY.

♪ OH HAPPY DAY.♪ ♪ WHEN I GET TO HEAVEN, I AM ♪ GOING TO SPREAD THE NEWS.♪ ♪ I AM GOING TO SING AND SHOUT♪ ♪ .

♪ OH, HAPPY DAY.

♪ OH, HAPPY DAY!

♪ HAPPY DAY!

♪ OH, HAPPY DAY!

♪ HAPPY DAY!

♪ IT WAS A HAPPY DAY!

♪ OH, HAPPY DAY!

♪ OH, HAPPY DAY!

[APPLAUSE] >> Mary: WHAT A HAPPY DAY INDEED!

THAT IS SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE MY FRIENDS.

THAT IS GOOD NEWS!

DOESN'T THE TREE LOOK FANTASTIC?

AND, WORDS OUR INCREDIBLE PERFORMERS WONDERFUL TONIGHT?

LET'S GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.

[APPLAUSE] >> Mary: ONE OF MY FAMILY'S FAVORITE BIBLE VERSE IS THIS TIME OF YEAR IS SECOND CORINTHIANS 9:15.

THANKS BE TOO GOD FOR HIS INDESCRIBABLE GIFT.

WE HEARD FROM DOCTOR THOMAS EARLIER AND HE SHARED ABOUT THE MERIT ROLE THAT IS CHRISTMAS.

WE GOT TO LIVE THAT MIRACLE HERE.

MY FAMILY, I AM SO GRATEFUL ARE HERE TONIGHT FROM OUR HOME, TO YOURS, I PRAY THAT YOUR CHRISTMAS IS FILLED WITH JOY AND SO MUCH LOVE, AND BEING ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THAT LOVE THAT IS THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SEASON .

THANK BE TOO GOD FOR HIS UNDESCRIBABLE GIFT OF HIS SON, JESUS.

AMEN TO THAT.

YES.

[APPLAUSE] THIS TIME FOR MY FRIENDS AT HOME WHO ARE SINGING ALONG AND WATCHING WITH US AND OUR FRIENDS IN THE AUDIENCE WE WILL HAVE SOME OF THE PERFORMANCE UP ONE MORE TIME.

IT WOULDN'T BE RIGHT IF WE WEREN'T ABLE TO SING ONE CHRISTMAS CAROL TOGETHER.

IF YOU OPEN YOUR PROGRAMS, AND AND WITH US, WE ARE GOING TO SING WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS.♪ ♪ WE WISH YOU A MERRY ♪ CHRISTMAS.

♪ WE WISH YOU A MERRY ♪ CHRISTMAS.

♪ AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.

♪ GOOD TIDINGS WE BRING YOU ♪ AND YOUR KIN.

♪ THE TIDINGS FOR CHRISTMAS ♪ AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.

♪ OH, BRING US A MERRY ♪ CHRISTMAS.

♪ WE WISH YOU A MERRY ♪ CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW ♪ YEAR.

♪ [APPLAUSE] ♪ >> Mary: WE HAVE HAD SO MANY ♪ WONDERFUL TREAT TONIGHT AND ♪ WE, OBVIOUSLY HAVE MORE TO ♪ CONTINUE.

♪ SOME, WE WANT TO THANK OUR ♪ LOVELY TALENT ONE MORE TIME WHILE WE ARE STANDING GIVE THEM ALL ONE MORE BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE.

[APPLAUSE] I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR BRAVING THE COLD AND STAYING OUT THERE WITH US TONIGHT AND STAYING WITH US THROUGH THIS.

I HOPE YOU GET A CHANCE TO TAKE SOME WONDERFUL PICTURES BY THAT TREAT WITH YOUR FAMILY BEFORE YOU HEAD OUT TONIGHT .

FOR THOSE OF YOU WATCHING AT HOME YOU KNOW YOU WILL HAVE TO MAKE YOUR WAY DOWN TO THE STATEHOUSE SOMETIME THIS HOLIDAY SEASON TO TAKE PICTURES AS WELL.

THANK YOU FOR KICKING OFF THE HOLIDAY SEASON AND OUR BELOVED STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

WE HOPE EVERYONE HAS A WONDERFUL NIGHT AND A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS SEASON.

[APPLAUSE]