MEET OUR ORGANIST

 

   Music is an important ministry at SPPC and today I'm pleased to introduce our new organist, Larry Skaggs.  Larry is well-known in Victoria music circles for his thirty-five years as principal cellist with the Victoria Symphony.  What isn't well known is that he's also an organist.
    Larry trained in California, earning a BA and MA in music performance.  As an undergraduate, he minored in organ performance and served as organist at a Dutch Reformed church in Sacramento.  More recently, he  earned a second Master's degree in conducting from Bard College, N.Y.  While in New York, he accompanied and directed a church choir at Grace Bible Church in Reinbeck.
      He still plays cello with the DieMahler String Quartet and does the occasional solo gig.  We were privileged to hear him play a prelude on that instrument before he accepted the post of organist.
       Larry and his wife, Elizabeth have been very involved with the Saanichton Bible Fellowship and are keen encouragers of interchurch cooperation in the work of Christ.
     In May, while Michael Denton was still our music director, Larry worked with the choir and played a service so the transition from Michael to Larry has been seamless and simple.   Larry is very enthusiastic about the new-to-us, Wurlitzer organ in the sanctuary and spends a lot of time practicing the instrument.  
    Larry brings a deep spirit of faith to this work and prays that music will be a blessing to both the choir and the congregation in our worship. We are delighted to welcome him to the organ bench, the choir and our community at SPPC.