Behind the Scenes (and Back in Time) with our Carillon!
One of the most popular questions we get asked is— “Does your tower have a bell?”
The answer? Yes! 64 to be exact— you just can’t see any of them. Since 1957, the Neighborhood Church has been home to a Maas-Rowe Carillon. The Carillon is a musical instrument that utilizes miniature bells to produce authentic sounds that are amplified millions of times before being projected through speakers housed in the tower. The Carillon can be heard both inside the Sanctuary and across Malaga Cove, as a warm musical welcome to all to join us for Worship.
Several years ago, our Carillon fell into disrepair. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Carillon sat quiet and idle, in need of repairs. The instrument was now over 60 years old and most of those involved in its installation had moved on or passed away.
In November 2022, Niva Oghigian noticed that the Carillon was still not functional. She set to work coordinating a team to repair the Carillon— making phone calls, tracking down the original manufacturer, and shepherding the project through to completion. Niva is a longtime member, sings in the Choir, recently led our Membership Ministry and just last month received the Good Shepherd Award. It is no surprise then, that within seven months, the Carillon bells were once again tolling across the Pacific Ocean.
A special thanks to a great team whose patience and perseverance got our Carillon up and running again:
Becky Ogle, our Organist Emerita. Becky knew the history of the carillon and, importantly, how to play it!
Doug Falzetti, our Facilities Manager, had already rewired the tower and knew where the electronic connections were located. He also thankfully does not have a fear of small or dark spaces!
Paul Rowe, the owner of Maas-Rowe and son of one of the original Carillon designers worked tenaciously and put in extra effort to get the Carillon operational again.
And of course— a very, very big thank you to Niva, whose love for our Church and dedication to its musical heritage helped return the gift of the Carillon to our Church family.
We asked our dedicated Historian, Fran Bock, to share some insights on the Carillon and its place in the history of our Church. Here’s what she had to say—
Listening to the serene beauty of the repaired Maas-Rowe Carillon played by Becky Ogle during the business meeting while I was seated in the beautiful sanctuary again, I was reminded of the unifying role for our congregation and the community this instrument has played in our lives since it was dedicated at a special 5 o’clock Sunday service in the sanctuary on September 22, 1957. This dedication service was hosted by our church organist and carillonneur, Mildred Kammeyer and led by Reverend Richard A. Dawson. During the concert, Del Roper, described as one of the nation’s foremost carilloneurs, demonstrated the beauty and versatility of the 64- chime, symphonic carillon with the two-manual console which was located next to the organ in the sanctuary. An article in the Palos Verdes News explained that the chimes could be amplified both within the church and through the eight prosectors installed in the bell tower. Their sound would be transmitted by 120 watts of power to be heard over an expected distance of about three miles. This carillon was a gift from Mr. and Mrs. George Fackts as a memorial to their four parents. The year 1957 offered many opportunities to celebrate together with shared accomplishments and plans starting with the twentieth anniversary of the first worship service on February 14, 1937, in the Malaga Cove School Auditorium, the memorial gift of the Cross and Crown stained-glass window in the back of the sanctuary, the completion of Dennis Smith Sunday School Building and with almost 900 families participating in our church- sponsored events and over 650 children attending Sunday School offered during two morning services. The carillon was featured in the printed program at the beginning of the Service of Dedication for Dennis Smith Hall on January 12, 1958. And now, once again, the carillon offers its gentle musical invitation to all who want to join together in worship and service of God.