Reconditioning >> St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Glendale California

Skinner Opus 774, 3/28, circa 1929

This High-Church was in search of a rich and elegant sounding instrument. The existing organ was in need of considerable work and the decision was to try and locate an all-original E.M. Skinner of adequate size that would offer the desired stops and sound.

Opus 774 was located and purchased from St. Paul's Memorial Reformed Church in Reading PA. Fund-raising took a few years and was assisted by significant donations from both the Joseph G. Bradley and Ahmanson foundations. Foley-Baker removed the organ, completely reconditioned every component and pipe, plus physically modified it to fit St. Mark's newly created chambers.

From Reading to Glendale

Installation and tonal finishing took four months and were completed in November of 2009. Peter Richard Conte played the dedication recital on April 25, 2010. St. Mark's wonderful acoustics combined with these vintage Skinner scales makes for a most satisfying musical experience.