First Congregational Church of Los Angeles
The church (www.fccla.org) was founded in 1867 and is the oldest Protestant church in continuous service in Los Angeles. The cathedral-style building is the church's fifth home and was completed in 1932. It was designed by Los Angeles architects James and David Allison in the Gothic revival style and built of reinforced concrete. Imbedded in the concrete are over 500 tons of steel bars.
The entire campus, including Shatto Chapel and the Seaver Building, encompasses an area of 157,000 square feet. At the apex of the church structure is a massive tower which rises to a height of 157 feet. The tower design is reminiscent of the Oxford University's Magdalen College tower.
History
Early and influential members of First Church were Henry K. W. Bent (1873), Postmaster for Los Angeles who helped found the public library and Pomona College; George D. Rowan (1877), merchant, who introduced nickels and pennies into general circulation in southern California; First Church members from Indiana who founded the city of Pasadena; Mrs. Harrison Gray Otis (1882), wife of publisher Harrison Gray Otis of the Los Angeles Times; the Elbridge Stuarts, founders of the Carnation Company; and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Roger Seaver, noted philanthropists, who later became members. Dr. Charles Leroy Lowman, founder of Orthopaedic Hospital, official hospital for the Olympics, was an active member of First Church when he enlisted the aid of his Sunday School class to form a clinic. The group became the Los Angeles Crippled Children's Society. The Rev. Dr. Lloyd Douglas, author of "The Robe" and "Magnificent Obsession" was a former First Church minister. The Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra, organized in 1897, evolved from the First Congregational Church Orchestra, organized in 1894, as performers overlapped both groups. The Los Angeles Bach Festival, established by the Church in 1934, is now in its 70th year. First Congregational Church continues to be a leader in traditional worship and cultural events for Los Angeles, and its members and friends come from all areas of the greater Los Angeles Area.
Architecture
The Sanctuary, with its graceful arches and cruciform shape, is 198 feet long and 76 feet high at the crossing. It was modeled on the worship spaces of the great cathedrals of France and England. The spaciousness, dignity and tranquility of this room is complemented by carved oak pews, doors, organ cases and chancel furniture, as well as many beautiful accoutrements given by parishioners or friends as memorials to loved ones.
The reredos, a hand-carved oak screen surrounding and supporting the altar, features the Christian symbols of the vine and grapes, and the rose. The design of our reredos is based on that of Winchester Cathedral in England. The cross dominates the reredos. Four large shields duplicate some of the carvings you may have noticed outside over the entrance of the church. Flanking the cross are six statues carved by Alois Lang of Oberammergau, Germany. The carvings on the north are of St. Mark, St. Matthew and Isaiah; on the south are St. John, St. Luke and St. Paul.
The stained glass windows were designed and executed by the Judson Studios of Los Angeles. On the east chancel wall is a beautiful slender window. It depicts the life of Christ in a series of 15 medallions and is topped by the trefoil with the traditional symbols of the Trinity-the hand of God, the Lamb of God, and the Dove-grouped about the Bible. The other two chancel windows also show scenes from Christ's life. The stained glass of the clerestory follows a plan. The windows on the north wall depict Biblical scenes from the creation to the promise of the Messiah and on the south wall, the Holy Spirit's influence from the acts of the apostles to the dream of a new world. At the west end of the nave is a large rose window called the "Te Deum Window." It portrays Christ enthroned and surrounded by kings, saints, angels, martyrs and prophets. Over the north transept balcony is the Old Testament Window; on the opposite transept wall is the Apostolic Window. Along the aisles are six small stained glass pictures of the various miracles of our Lord.
The First Church organ is the largest church pipe organ in the world consisting of 346 ranks, 265 stops, 233 voices, and over 20,000 pipes and may be heard in the Organ Concert Series offered each month, the Los Angeles Bach Festival in the Spring, the free midday organ recitals every Thursday at 12:10pm, and each Sunday morning at the 11am worship service. The mammoth size of the instrument and the skillful blending of vast tonal resources produced by different builders, coupled with a setting of Gothic magnificence create a unique opportunity for you to hear the great organists of our time playing one of the finest organs in the world today.
Shatto Chapel is named for Mrs. Clara Shatto, who gave the property for MacArthur Park and First Church in 1930. The dimensions of the chapel are said to be the same as the Mayflower. The organ is from the previous church building at Ninth and Hope Streets and was restored and enlarged by Abbot and Sieker in 1983. Also from that building are the altar piece and the large "Good Shepherd" stained glass window.
Bach Festival
The Los Angeles Bach Festival was founded in 1934 by John Smallman at First Congregational Church of Los Angeles. A Welshman who had been living in Boston, Smallman came to Los Angeles in 1918 in search of a more healthful climate for his young son. Smallman was appointed Director of Music at First Church in 1921. By means of his position at the church and as director of the Los Angeles Oratorio Society and the Smallman A Cappella Choir, he was a leader in introducing the large choral works of Bach and other master composers to Los Angeles audiences in the 1920s and 30s. Following John Smallman's death in 1937, Bruno David Ussher, the leading Los Angeles music critic, wrote:
Smallman made choral history, not only locally but nationally. Choir directors from every section of the country came to study with him and, better yet, so did public school teachers in charge of choral work. Thus the influence of this devoted servant of choral music went far. Choral music to him was a super-ritual in the service of the good, of God, and for all men.
Now in its 70th year, the Festival continues to provide the music of Bach and his contemporaries in the neo-gothic beauty of the sanctuary and chapel of First Church. As in 1934, singers of First Church's Cathedral Choir form the core of the Bach Festival Chorus and are joined by outstanding organists, vocalists, chamber ensembles, and orchestras, representing some of the finest musicians in the city. Also, the Festival continues to encourage and support young musicians and audiences by means of the Bach concerts of the LAUSD LABF High School Honor Choir, the Young People's Concerts and the Jr. Bach Festival recitals.
In the spirit of John Smallman, the Festival will continue "in the service of the good, of God, and for all people."
