New York · Harlem
A vocal ensemble leads an hour of gospel and spirituals, and visitors are invited to join in.
Likely to sell out. One hour of live gospel, on Wednesdays only.
The hour in four facts
Why Harlem
The Wednesday hour is a concert led by Music Director Anthony Evans and the Harlem Praise Singers. It is not a traditional church service or mass, but it takes place in a historic Black church, so visitors are asked to behave as they would in any place of worship. The hour includes traditional and contemporary gospel and spirituals, and visitors are invited to join the musical fellowship.
Harlem became a centre of Black American life in the early 1900s, when the Great Migration brought families north from the Jim Crow South. The National Park Service notes that the neighbourhood was about 70% African American by 1930, up from about 10% in 1910. Church life has long been strong in Black Harlem, and gospel grew out of the music sung in Black churches.
Spirituals are songs that emerged among enslaved people in the American South, blending African musical traditions with Christian hymns. Gospel grew out of them and out of Black church hymnody, and in Chicago in the 1930s Thomas A. Dorsey set up a gospel publishing house. The call and response and hand-clapping you hear in the room carry that line forward.
The concert runs for 60 minutes, which suits a first visit: long enough for a full programme, short enough to fit around a day in the city. Guests describe powerful voices, joyful energy and plenty of audience participation, and a few mention that the sound could be better balanced.
The hymn board
Gospel is sung, clapped and answered. These are the five sounds to listen for in any hour of gospel and spirituals.
The music director chooses the programme, so these describe the tradition rather than a set list.
A lead voice sings a line, often improvised, and the room waits for the answer. Spirituals were typically sung this way, with a leader improvising and a chorus replying.
The ensemble responds in harmony with a steady refrain. Call and response is one of the African elements that shaped spirituals, and gospel carries it on.
Hand-clapping and foot-stomping were the rhythm of early gospel singing, which was often unaccompanied. In the room, the clap is how everyone keeps time together.
Spirituals are the older songs of the enslaved that gospel grew out of. The hour includes spirituals alongside gospel, and visitors can learn about them as they go.
Visitors are invited to join the musical fellowship. Guests describe being encouraged to clap and sing along, so you do not need to be a singer to take part.
What the ticket covers
A place in a historic church for one hour of live gospel, with the singers and their music director.
The ticket includes the concert and its professional gospel singers. Anything you buy or give on the day is up to you.
Music Director Anthony Evans leads the Harlem Praise Singers, a vocal ensemble, through gospel and spirituals.
A historic Black church at 420 West 145th Street in Hamilton Heights, known for its ministry and its choirs, which opens its doors on Wednesdays for the concert.
Check in at the meeting point no later than 25 minutes before the concert begins. The meeting point is in your confirmation, and each start time is on the booking calendar.
The concert is marked wheelchair accessible. The 145th Street subway station was not on the MTA's accessible-station list when last checked, so plan the last stretch of the trip.
If plans change, a full refund is available up to a day ahead, and nothing is charged when you reserve.
The street, the church and the subway
Photographs by other people, showing the neighbourhood and its buildings, not the concert itself.
Which gospel hour
| Option | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday concert | A 60-minute concert of gospel and spirituals led by Music Director Anthony Evans and the Harlem Praise Singers, in a historic Black church on West 145th Street. Wheelchair accessible. Cancel free a day ahead if plans change; no payment is due at booking. | A first visit that fits around a day in the city. |
| Saturday concert | A one-hour Harlem Gospel Series concert at Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church, artistically directed by Craig Harris, with doors opening in the morning. Wheelchair accessible. A full refund is possible up to 24 hours ahead, and nothing is charged at booking. | Travellers who are free on a Saturday morning. |
| Sunday tour and service | A four-hour walking tour of Harlem with murals, the front of the Apollo Theater and a coffee break, ending in a Sunday church service. Guides work in five languages. Not suitable for people with mobility impairments. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours beforehand, with payment deferred. | Visitors who want a real service and some Harlem history, on foot. |
Check Wednesday dates, start times and terms on the booking page ↗
Gospel in Harlem, three ways
A Wednesday concert, a Saturday concert and a Sunday walk that ends in church: choose the hour that fits your trip.
A 60-minute concert of gospel and spirituals led by Music Director Anthony Evans and the Harlem Praise Singers, in a historic Black church on West 145th Street. Wheelchair accessible. Cancel free a day ahead if plans change; no payment is due at booking.
Check open dates ↗A one-hour Harlem Gospel Series concert at Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church, artistically directed by Craig Harris, with doors opening in the morning. Wheelchair accessible. A full refund is possible up to 24 hours ahead, and nothing is charged at booking.
Check open dates ↗A four-hour walking tour of Harlem with murals, the front of the Apollo Theater and a coffee break, ending in a Sunday church service. Guides work in five languages. Not suitable for people with mobility impairments. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours beforehand, with payment deferred.
Check open dates ↗More things to do in New York
Before your Wednesday
The concert is at 420 West 145th Street in Hamilton Heights. The closest subway stop is 145th Street on the A, B, C and D lines, at St. Nicholas Avenue, and the church is a short walk west. Your confirmation shows the exact meeting point.
Reach the meeting point 25 minutes ahead of the start time at the latest. Allow for subway delays, and read your confirmation the night before.
The concert takes place on Wednesdays. Pick a date and the calendar lists the start time. Cancelling is free a day ahead, and nothing is charged until later.
Neat, comfortable clothes and shoes you can walk in suit the day. The Sunday church-service tour bans sandals and flip-flops, which is a sensible standard for any church visit.
Treat the hour as you would a service: silence your phone and put cameras away unless you are invited to use them. Harlem churches that welcome visitors often restrict photos during worship.
Guests mention a collection during the hour. Giving is your choice, and small notes are easier than a card.
Notes on gospel in Harlem
Wednesday concert, Saturday concert or Sunday service tour: what each Harlem gospel option includes, who it suits and how to choose between them.
Read the guide → Plan your visitHow to reach the Wednesday gospel concert in Harlem by subway, when to arrive, what to wear, whether to bring cash and what to do nearby.
Read the guide → The musicWhere gospel comes from: the spirituals of enslaved people, the Black church, Thomas Dorsey and what those roots sound like in a Harlem concert.
Read the guide → The neighbourhoodA short history of Harlem, from a Dutch farming village to a centre of Black American life, and why churches and their choirs sit at the heart of it.
Read the guide → On the dayWhat it means to be invited to join a gospel hour in Harlem: clapping, call and response, singing along and how to take part without feeling awkward.
Read the guide → Before and afterThe neighbourhood around West 145th Street: a landmark historic district, Alexander Hamilton's house and how to link them to a Wednesday gospel hour.
Read the guide →FAQ
No. It is a one-hour concert of gospel and spirituals in a historic Black church, described as not a traditional church service or mass. Visitors are invited to join the musical fellowship. It is still a place of worship, so behave as you would at any service.
The concert runs on Wednesdays and lasts 60 minutes. Each date on the calendar lists its own start time, and you should meet the group no later than 25 minutes before it begins.
At 420 West 145th Street, in the Hamilton Heights part of Harlem, a short walk from the 145th Street subway station on the A, B, C and D lines. Your confirmation shows the exact meeting point.
Professional gospel singers, led by Music Director Anthony Evans and the Harlem Praise Singers, a vocal ensemble. The hour includes traditional and contemporary gospel and spirituals.
No. Visitors are invited to join the musical fellowship, and joining in can be as simple as clapping. Guests of many nationalities describe being welcomed.
Yes, up to 24 hours before the concert, and you get a full refund. Nothing is charged when you reserve.
The concert is marked wheelchair accessible. The 145th Street subway station was not on the MTA's accessible-station list when last checked, so plan a taxi or ride-hail for the last stretch if you need step-free travel.
A little cash if you want to give, since guests mention a collection. Keep your phone silent and away, and don't take photos unless you are invited to. Wear neat, comfortable clothes.
From price for one adult. The final amount, in your currency, is shown at checkout before you confirm.