A word or two about the Sanctuary Organ:
The church organ is not usually given much attention on most church websites. We all know that the Sanctuary Organ plays a pivotal role in any church environment. The organ serves as a foundation for gathering our energies and unifying our worship. But we here at Garden Grove United Methodist we see our organ as being just a little bit special. For one thing, it’s big (16 feet tall, or so, not counting the organ loft). The organ is essentially part of the architecture of the church. It’s more like the Sanctuary was specifically built to house the organ rather than merely integrate with it. All in all, our church organ is something we can all take pride in and be happy that God provided us such a noteworthy instrument. So much so that others in the community have taken note of GGUMC’s organ as well.
In March of 2015, the Orange Chapter of the American Guild of Organists selected our church as their venue of choice for presenting Organist Adán Fernandez, a rising star of the organ world, in a concert that can now be remembered as a stellar performance.
Our own Organist Extraordinaire, Norberto Guinaldo has faithfully held the position of Church Organist since 1966 and celebrated 50 years of continuous service in 2016. Norberto wrote articles for the May and August 2015 church newsletter, “Expectations” explaining the some of the features and workings of the organ; they’re reprinted below.
