First Presbyterian Church has been active in Bakersfield for more than 120 years! The first organ "was assembled in 1958 from two theatre organs, an old church organ and a large used Moller console." In 1984 this organ was replaced by a 3-manual 44-rank Austin pipe organ. In 2007, the church formed a core committee to investigate the possibility of updating the 1984 Austin. After an extensive investigation the committee recommended, and it was approved, to "modernize" the 1984 Austin pipe organ with a new Rodgers 4-manual console. On May 23, 2007 a contract was signed with Robert Tall & Associates, Inc., San Dimas, California, Southern California representatives for Rodgers Organs.

All but one of the original Austin pipe ranks is used in this new pipe/digital combination instrument. The 43 Austin ranks are augmented by 180 digital ranks bringing the instrument to total of 223 ranks! These sounds or voices, as they are called, are spread over 4-manuals in seven divisions: Great, Swell, Choir, Solo, Antiphonal, Trumpeteria and Pedal. The Antiphonal and Trumpeteria divisions sound from the rear balcony of the sanctuary. The remaining digital divisions play in their respective pipe chambers in the front of the church. There are 16 separate speaker systems powered by five amplifiers totaling 1,600 watts of power. A state-of-the-art digital pipe interface permits the pipes to "talk" to the electronics. The console is in Colonial Finish to match the décor of the church interior.

David Demers, Director of Technical Services, Robert Tall & Associates, Inc. and his crew of experts completed the installation of the new console and electronics in January 2009. Jerry McCoy, a member of the church, completed the wiring from the pipes to the pipe-driver boards and digital interface. Dan Miller, Rodgers Product Manager and Robert Tall accomplished tonal finishing of the electronics. Dr. Tall was honored to play the Organ Dedication Recital to a capacity crowd on March 17, 2009.

Robert Petker, former Minister of Music, served as Organ Committee Chairman with members, Dr. Robert Provencio, Minister of Music, Meg Wise, Organist and Barbara Petker. Dr. Phil Dodson, prominent area musician, served as Consultant to the Committee. Dr. Jeff Chandler is the church’s Senior Pastor.

In 2009, Robert Tall & Associates, Inc. installed a 5-rank Paragon Pipe Organ Division on the south wall of the sanctuary at Hope Lutheran Church in Palm Desert, to compliment the 4-rank Ruffatti pipes they installed on the west wall in 2002. Both divisions play from the 2002 3-manual Rodgers Trillium 967 console comprising nearly 200 digital samples from world-renown organs. The beautiful sanctuary is kind to sound, the results are visually and tonally excellent.

The new ranks are: 16' Violone, 8' Harmonic Flute, 8' Pedal Principal, 4' Rohrflute 2' Piccolo. The pipes are made of polished tin with English bay mouths.

Having lead the congregation into their new building in February 2002, Reverend Carl R. Witt, Jr. continues to serve as Senior Pastor. Curtis Pierce is Organist and Music Coordinator. Mr. Pierce played a brilliant dedication concert March 2010 to an overflow capacity crowd of enthusiastic music lovers!

[hopelutheranpalmdesert.org]

The first Armenian residents began arriving in Fresno in 1871. Responding to an inquiry in 1910 from the Diocesan Office in Worcester, Massachusetts, the Fresno Parish reported that there were 5,000 Armenians in California, of whom 4,000 were in Fresno, and the balance, in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Over the years, many new parishes flourished in these areas. St. Paul Armenian Church, Fresno new church complex was started in 1976. The consecration ceremony of St. Paul Armenian Church took place on April 22, 1979. A custom 3-manual Rodgers 330 organ was installed at that time.

A new custom 3-manual Rodgers Trillium Masterpiece 958 was installed in 2009. (The original 330 organ continues to function very well and was recently installed in the sanctuary of Breath of Life Seventh-day Adventist Church in Los Angeles.) Reverend Father Arshen Avak Kahana Aivazian is the Parish Priest. Ben Krikorian, who was the organist when the first Rodgers 330 was installed in 1979, continues to serve as Parish Organist with associate, Joyce Kerkorian. Dr. Robert Tall designed the specification of the new Rodgers 958 in consultation with the organists. Every stop was carefully selected to assure the musical needs and tastes of the church were met, as well as and instrument of nearly limitless color. Full organ is grand! St. Paul's sanctuary is kind to sound, so the tonal results are very successful.

The Church of the Angels is one of California’s most historic Episcopal churches having begun in 1889. Concurrent with the building of the church was the construction and installation of a Frank Roosevelt Organ, Opus 433. The mechanical organ remains one of California’s gems; the oldest organ of its kind still operating in daily worship service.

In addition to serving its members in an active parish life, Church of the Angels is understandably one of most popular sites for weddings and other festive occasions. To better meet the needs of these events musically, several years ago church musicians began incorporating sounds from electronic keyboards together with the sounds of the pipe organ. Being installed in a very portable situation, unfortunately these units were eventually stolen. As insurance funds were made available for replacement equipment, the church purchased and installed units that would be more a permanent part of the organ. Through Robert Tall & Associates, Inc., San Dimas, they secured a 61-note classical organ MIDI keyboard, which we mounted under the one keyboard of the pipe organ for greater accessibility. (The former equipment was played from a keyboard on a stand to the right of the organist – not easy to coordinate with the pipe organ keyboard.)

A Rodgers MX200 Sound Module provides digitally sampled pipe organ sounds to the keyboard and through an amplifier powering two manual speakers mounted in the pipe chamber and an external sub-woofer. The purchase included the services of famed organist, Hector Olivera, who created custom digital pipe organ sounds that are: 1) typical of sounds from the same era as the Roosevelt pipe organ, and 2) authentic sounding samples that are realistically compatible with the pipe organ and provide additional sounds that will be useful in worship as well as the weddings and other festive events.

Installing the digital keyboard underneath the pipe organ keyboard makes use of the equipment much more "user friendly." There are 20 thumb pistons controlling 20 of the Olivera custom sounds. Please visit their website at: http://thechurchoftheangels.org

Peter Fennema is organist at Westwood United Methodist Church, a position he has held since his appointment in 2006. He is the featured performer on their annual Summer Organ Concerts Series. He received both a Bachelors and Masters Degree in organ performance from the University of Southern California. He was twice named Outstanding Graduate by the faculty of the USC School of Music.

Peter was a finalist at the American Guild of Organists (AGO) National Competition in Washington, D.C. His recording of the formidable Octaves Etude by Jeanne Demessieux has been broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio's "Pipe Dreams" program several times.

Peter purchased a Rodgers 3-Manual Allegiant 778 for his West Los Angeles residence. "I am so pleased I decided by buy a Rodgers. Beyond the pure convenience of having an organ in my home, on a daily basis I enjoy its vast tonal array and ability to play a wide variety of organ literature with authentic sound. The impressive acoustical ambience transports me to a church in France!"