The upcoming “Christmas Joy Concert” at First United Methodist Church of Pasadena is designed as community outreach rather than a commercial show, free of charge to anyone who wishes to attend. The December 20 program is part of the Third@First concert series, which presents high-quality live music as a public offering supported by donors rather than ticket sales or church operating funds. Organizers describe the event as a way to welcome the wider community into a historic sanctuary in Pasadena through accessible Christmas music described as “music for the whole family” and “Carols both classic and new.”
Dr. Junko Ueno Garrett, the series artistic coordinator, says “My goal is always the highest quality music possible, offered free of charge for anyone to attend… I feel so grateful and thank the donors because it’s all supported by donations throughout the year so we can provide this great music.”
Scheduled for Saturday, December 20, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., the “Christmas Joy Concert” will take place at First United Methodist Church of Pasadena, 500 E Colorado Blvd, in the city’s Playhouse District. The program is officially open to the public without any mandatory ticket purchase and is advertised as “Free ” with a freewill offering collected to help cover costs.
The concert is part of Third@First, a donor-supported series founded in 2014 by pianist Junko Ueno Garrett and Sébastien Vallée “to provide professional-grade music to the community free of charge.” Concerts typically run from October to June on the third Saturday of each month. Curator and Director of Music Ministries Scott Lehmkuhl leads the Christmas program, drawing on his roles at Pomona College and Pasadena Pro Musica.
First United Methodist Church, founded in 1874 and now in its fourth location, serves as host and parent organization. Its 1924 sanctuary at 500 E Colorado Blvd, designed by Thomas P Barber, seats about 1,500 and is recognized as a historic resource. The congregation identifies as a “Reconciling Congregation” that is LGBTQ+ inclusive, allows same-gender weddings and highlights “Risk-Taking Mission and Extravagant Generosity” as part of its mission.
Garrett points to the building’s acoustics as central to the experience: “It’s an old church that has a history of a hundred years, with a great acoustic for any kind of music.” The church organ and music program are a core part of ministry. The series continued with online concerts during the COVID-19 pandemic and maintains its donor-only funding model, with no financial support from church resources and no direct city arts grants, even as the church receives separate public funding for its food pantry and homelessness prevention work.
Third@First Concerts. 500 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. Website: thirdatfirst.org.
