For the last 12 years, First Baptist Church of Denton has given the pulpit to the church’s choir and orchestra on the last Sunday of June.

It’s a worshipful gesture that expresses thanks for freedom, and religious freedom, said music minister Keith McGee.

“It’s a big deal for us,” McGee said. “It’s a 65-voice choir and a 25-piece orchestra performing during the whole worship service.”

The church’s children’s choir performs, too. All told, more than 130 people of the church work together on the free performance.

The church calls the annual multi-media Independence Day concert “Celebrate America.”

The crux of the concert, which will be during the 9:30 and 11 a.m. worship services Sunday, is thanksgiving, McGee said.

“The service is a historical reflection. It does have a chronological order, with high energy. We start with the historical and then move into the revolutionary period, and how the country was built on freedom, then we move into the colonial Williamsburg era and then into the 1800s to the current period.”

One of the popular features of the concert has been its tradition of honoring those in the military. Servicemen and women are invited to stand and be recognized.

“These days, you don’t just have older guys standing at that part of the performance. Now, we have people who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s turned into a really meaningful part of the service,”  McGee said.

“I think we get a lot of people who visit expressly for that part of it. I don’t know how many churches recognize their servicemen this time of year,” McGee added.

During the concert, narrator John Hinchley will have a church member in full uniform for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard come to the front during a medley of military anthems.

“They come to the front and stand at attention during the songs,” McGee said. “That’s a moving part of the service, and an important part of the program. We do that every year.”

A local Boy Scout troop that meets at the church will present the Texas flag, the American flag and the Christian flag, and a large American flag will hang at the front of the sanctuary during the services.

It’s no staid worship service. McGee said the concert starts out upbeat, with streamers, confetti and buoyant music. The parishioners and guests will get a small American flag when they come in, and they can hoist and wave them during “Grand Ole Flag.” The choirs will perform familiar patriotic songs that have a touch of religiosity, such as The National Anthem and  “God Bless America.”

The concert also includes video footage of national monuments.

McGee started rehearsing his choirs and orchestra in April. Earlier than that, the music minister selects songs that eventually make for a dynamic concert, a performance that leads the congregants and visitors through an emotional journey. Usually, that means McGee hunts for arrangements that suit the pace and tone of the performance, and suit his musicians.

“You can buy pre-packaged musicals for churches,” McGee said.

“I rarely use those. I’m looking for stuff that has the familiar stuff in it, but that also has new music that’s good. I probably went through 15 different musicals. I probably pulled from four of them and pieced the rest of it together.”

Ultimately, any seasonal concert First Baptist performs is evangelical. The Independence Day concert is no different, Mc­Gee said.

“This year, the last three songs are going to focus on revival, revival for our country and personal revival,” he said.

The concert is suitable for children and adults.

LUCINDA BREEDING can be reached at 940-566-6877. Her e-mail address is cbreeding@dentonrc.com .

What: a patriotic concert

When: 9:30 and 11 a.m. Sunday

Where: First Baptist Church of Denton, 1100 Malone St.

Details: The concert is the morning worship service and is free.