BROOMFIELD — At 91, Larry Burt still recalls being just a child and drawn to the strange, hypnotic music produced by his church’s pipe organ.
Even now, the organ still nourishes his mind and soul. But Burt figures he’s getting too old to keep preparing music for services and special programs at The Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter.
So today, he’s stepping down as the church’s organist after a 50-year reign.
“I’ll come in and practice a bit and still be involved in the music program,” Burt said. “But it’s time to turn it over to somebody younger.
“No doubt,” he said, “I’ll miss it.”
The 300-member congregation will miss Burt as well, said the Rev. Rod Moore, who has overseen the church for two years. Moore is the ninth pastor in Burt’s tenure at Holy Comforter.
“He understands that being an organist is not being the center of things but being supportive of things,” Moore said. “He’s a very humble man but a very talented man.”
Burt’s other legacy, besides his work every Sunday, is the church’s pipe organ, the only one in Broomfield. It consists of 1,600 pipes and parts from a variety of sources that Burt has secured and pieced together over the years.
“I’m a bit of scrounger,” he said. Parts date back to the 1880s and the instrument itself — which dominates the second-floor balcony of the church — has been insured for $900,000.
“It’s a community treasure for the city and county of Broomfield,” Moore said. “And so is Burt.”
Burt was only 5 and growing up near Boulder when he became entranced by the organ music at his parents’ church. “I could see the fella up front, and I couldn’t figure out how he was making all those sounds,” Burt said. “I kept thinking to myself ‘How does he do that?’ “
Organs also played on Burt’s interest in mechanical engineering, which he pursued at the University of Colorado. He later helped build power plants for the Public Service Co.
“All those moving parts in an organ just intrigued me,” Burt said.
He began playing the organ at the church that he and his family attended in Denver — St. Michael & All Angels.
But after moving to Broomfield in December 1958, Burt’s wife, Betty, convinced him to meet with the members of Holy Comforter. At the time, they met in a basement.
He helped them build an organ for the church. When the congregation moved to a bigger building on 10th Avenue, Burt helped put together their pipe organ.
While Burt played, his wife directed the church’s choir. She died five years ago and, just recently, so did the woman who shared many of Burt’s organ duties, Mary Schafer.
“We played a lot of duets together. She was wonderful,” Burt said.
After Burt announced he was stepping down as the chief organist, the church began a national search for a replacement. Burt helped select Paul Stever, who takes over next Sunday.
Moore said Burt will help Stever settle in and, no doubt, will offer sage advice if asked.
Mostly, Burt said, he’s learned not to become the center of attention.
“I always tried not to be a distraction,” Burt said. “I just wanted to enrich the feeling of worship.”
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com
