Admiral Congregational organist Keith Terhune has been playing for 55 years and he will be leading a group of very talented musicians on Oct. 25 for a fundraiser to pay for a an upgrade of the church's 1961 pipe organ.
When you think about church organs you might think about the kind that is found in many churches… a small instrument that is used to accompany the choir. But the organ at the Admiral Congregational United Church of Christ is not that. It’s WAY bigger. The Balcom and Vaughn 21 Rank Organ installed in 1961 however, has seen better days. It’s electronics are out of date and must be upgraded. The meaning of "21 rank" is that each tab on the organ has a set of pipes of a particular sound. A really large pipe organ could be 75 ranks.
So the church is holding a fundraiser to raise $20,000 (they’ve already raised $30,000) to bring the organ up to date. Musical Director Keith Terhune has been playing for 55 years, including a stint as music director and band leader for vocal group The Drifters in the 1970's.
On Oct. 25, at 3pm the fundraiser will present a group of distinguished musicians including Terhune the well known Overton Berry, Grace Holden a vocal soloist, Tracy Helming - Violin, Dorothy Shapiro-Viola, Savannah Helming- Cello, Sean Davin-Bass, Kendall Crane-Bass and Todd Crooks-Trombone.
The concert will be followed by a champagne reception and a chance to donate to the organ’s restoration fund.
The church is located at 4320 SW Hill Street (the corner of Hill and California Ave SW).
Admission to the concert is free (though seating is limited).
