Thursday, October 22, 2026

Lake Avenue Church to Celebrate 250 Years of American Song in Concert

[photo credit: Lake Avenue Church]

The 4 p.m. performance in the church’s Worship Center will draw on different strands of American music, from show tunes and hymns to orchestral works and gospel songs. The event is presented by the church’s Worship & the Arts ministry and is scheduled to end at 5:30 p.m. 

A 100-voice choir will anchor the program, according to Bob Sloat. An Irving Berlin medley will include “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” “Blue Skies,” “Always” and “God Bless America.” 

The announced classical selections include Aaron Copland’s arrangement of “At the River” and “Hoe-Down” from his ballet “Rodeo.” Alice Parker’s “Hark I Hear the Harps Eternal” and “America the Beautiful” are also on the program, Sloat wrote. 

A gospel medley will bring together “Old Time Religion,” “Down by the Riverside,” “Standin’ in the Need of Prayer” and “Do Lord.” The lineup also includes a handbell choir, orchestra selections, soloists and an audience sing-along, according to the newsletter. 

Another featured instrument will be Lake Avenue Church’s 7,000-pipe Casavant organ. The Los Angeles Conservancy says the organ sits above the curved chancel and was a focus of the sanctuary’s acoustic design. The fan-shaped Worship Center blends features of a concert hall and a church sanctuary. 

Admission is free, but one organizer cautioned that attendees should arrive early because the parking lot may get full quickly. 

The church stands at 393 N. Lake Ave., just north of the Foothill Freeway. Metro’s A Line serves nearby Lake Station. The church says on-campus parking is limited. Its directions also identify the Gateway Plaza structure at 300 N. Lake Ave. for Sunday services and large events, although the published Sunday shuttle schedule ends at 1 p.m. 

More information is available through Lake Avenue Church’s event calendar or by calling its main office at (626) 844-4700. 

NEED TO KNOW — Event: America Sings! When: Sunday, Oct. 25. Time: 4 to 5:30 p.m. Cost: Free. Where: Lake Avenue Church Worship Center, 393 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena. Parking: On-campus spaces are limited; Gateway Plaza, 300 N. Lake Ave., is listed for large events, but the regular Sunday shuttle ends at 1 p.m. For more, call (626) 844-4700 or visit https://lakeave.org/events.