La Cañada Presbyterian Church will host the “Testament of Freedom” concert on June 30 at 2 p.m., featuring patriotic music, tributes to veterans and astronauts, and songs about America’s freedoms.
The concert will include renditions of “America the Beautiful,” “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” “We Are the World,” Scott Joplin’s “The Entertainer” and “Stars and Stripes Forever.” Video and images highlighting the country will accompany the performances.
The theme of the program is built around President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and Randall Thompson’s “Testament of Freedom,” based on the writings of Thomas Jefferson.
The program will include a salute to the U.S. space program, the upcoming Summer Olympics and protest songs from the 1960s and 1970s that promoted peace and reconciliation. An “Armed Forces Salute” honoring veterans is an annual highlight.
Tyler Wright, former CEO of the YMCA of the Foothills, will emcee the event and present Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. He’ll also lead tributes to fallen astronauts and those who served in the military.
At 1:30 p.m., Jack Lantz, the church’s director of music and worship arts, will deliver a pre-concert lecture on the history and significance of the music.
The concert is free and open to the public at the church, 626 Foothill Blvd. in La Cañada Flintridge. It also will stream live at live.lacanadapc.org.
First published in the June 20 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
