ON THE TOWN:Church organ project reaches crescendo

The Holy Family Church Centennial Organ Project came to a dramatic crescendo Friday night as the four-manual Rodgers Trillium Masterpiece-series organ was dedicated during a concert in the church.

The organ is dedicated to the late Richard E. Charles by his widow and Holy Family Church parishioner Ruth Charles. Dick Charles was founder of the Charles Music Store in Glendale. Ruth Charles presented the original donation that was matched by Holy Family parishioners.

The organ was custom-designed by Robert Tall of Robert Tall and Associates in consultation with Holy Family Musical Director Christian Marcoe. The organ features the latest in digital technology with samples taken from the world’s most famous pipe organs.

The installation actually placed two organ consoles in the sanctuary. One organ console was installed in the choir loft and an additional three-manual Trillium organ console was installed in the chancel area of the church near the altar, which allows an organist to remotely play the four-manual organ from the chancel location.

Frederick Swann, organist emeritus of the Crystal Cathedral, performed the debut concert, playing half the musical selections at the remote location and the other half in the loft.

Ruth Charles said the donation in her husband’s name was fitting because he was a great supporter of the arts. As a gift, he had installed the sound systems at both Glendale churches, Incarnation Catholic Church and Holy Family, about 30 or 35 years ago.

Representing Holy Family at the dedication concert were church pastor Father Joseph Shea, Father Marcos Gonzalez, Father Martin Joseph, a student priest and Brad Thomas, assistant to Father Shea.

Major donors attending were Jim and Mary Garlock, Clara Santillo, Bonnie Wood, Michelle Keitley, Catalina Thoele, Matthew Schmidt, Jeff and Laura Kopczyski and Foster and Becky Dennis.

David Demers, chief financial officer for Robert Tall, was also there. Representatives from Rodgers Instruments of Hillsboro, Ore., attending were Dewey Kuhn, marketing and sales; Dan Miller, product specialist; Roy Hanson, product support manager; Richard Anderson, West Coast account manager; and Jennifer Brandlon, marketing manager.

Also attending were Chas Dewsbury of Dewsbury Design of Colorado Springs, Colo., which completed the pipe work and cabinetry; organist Tony Fenelon from Melbourne, Australia; and Paul Salamunovich, director emeritus of the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

Mary Alice O’Connor was called the Fairy Godmother of Burbank Saturday morning during the grand opening festivities for the new family center that bears her name.

Burbank Mayor Todd Campbell touted the many organizations that have benefited from O’Connor’s participation since she moved to town in 1944, especially the Family Service Agency, of which she has been a member for more than 50 years.

“You have waved your magic wand and have made an eternal impact on our community,” Campbell said.

The Fairy Godmother reference was appropriate because her late husband, Kendall O’Connor, was a member of the animation team at the Walt Disney Studio starting in 1935 and worked on more than 100 shorts and 15 feature films.

Kendall O’Connor created the early drawings of Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother in the likeness of his wife, envisioning how she would look when she became older, said J.P. O’Connor, the couple’s daughter.

Joining O’Connor at the event were members of her family, including daughter and son-in-law J.P. O’Connor and Cotton Thompson of Burbank; son and daughter-in-law John and Tamara O’Connor, and their children, Paige and Kendall, of Glendale; and cousins Paul and Merle Kreibich.