Barnston

St Andrew, Barnston (Essex)

Barrel Organs in English Parish Churches

Barrel organ by Bevington & Son, c.1838. The original tunelists for barrels 1 and 2 were headed ‘BEVINGTON & SON, 12 Greek Street, Soho Square’ where they worked from 1838 to 1841. Barrel 3 is labelled ‘New Barrel 1842’. Barrel 4 was supplied by the organ builder John Rayment Rust of Chelmsford in 1865. The original tunelist for barrel 5 was headed ‘1875 New Barrel by Bevington’. None of the original tunelists survive.

References: Chelmsford Chronicle (28 Apr. 1916) p.5; (24 Aug. 1928) p.4; (3 Jan. 1930) p.7; (23 May 1931) p.3; (20 Sep. 1935) p.10 & (27 Jun. 1941) p.2; Elliston (1920); Hughes (1955); The Times (23 Jan. 1957) p.3; Boston & Langwill (1967); Roger Booty, ‘Barrel Organ Redivivus 3: Barnston Parish Church’, The Music Box, vol. 8 no.1 (Spring 1977) pp.28-30; Turner (2002); NPOR, H00937.

BARREL 1 GREEN

Tune

Metre

1.1

Double Chant: Dupuis

1.2

Double Chant: Jones

1.3

Savoy [Old 100th]

1.4

Portuguese Hymn [Portugal New]

1.5

Truro

1.6

St Anne

1.7

Stella [Devizes]

1.8

Sheldon [New York]

1.9

Bishopthorpe

1.10

Shirland

1.11

Hanover

104th

1.12

Easter Hymn

BARREL 2 GREEN

Tune

2.1

[unknown voluntary, unplayable]

2.2

[unknown voluntary, unplayable]

2.3

[unknown voluntary, unplayable]

BARREL 3 GREEN

Tune

Metre

3.1

German Hymn

7s.

3.2

St Stephen

3.3

Warwick

3.4

Salem

3.5

Wimborne

3.6

Horsley

88.88.0

3.7

Falcon Street

3.8

Cranbrook

3.9

Gray’s

3.10

Mount Pleasant

3.11

Double Chant: Mornington

3.12

Double Chant: Goodenough

BARREL 4 GREEN

Tune

Metre

4.1

Eventide

10.10.10.10.

4.2

Benediction [Corinth]

87.87.D

4.3

Hursley

4.4

Innocents

77.77.

4.5

St Matthias

88.88.88.

4.6

Magdalen College

886.

4.7

St George’s Windsor

77.77.D

4.8

Redhead No. 76 [Petra]

77.77.77.

4.9

Quam Dilecta

66.66.

4.10

Stuttgart

87.D

4.11

Redhead No. 47 [St Prisca]

77.77.

4.12

Mendelssohn

7s.

BARREL 5 GREEN

Tune

Metre

5.1

Melcombe

5.2

St Michael

5.3

Dix

77.77.77.

5.4

Nicaea

11.12.12.10.

5.5

Capetown

77.75.

5.6

St Alphege

76.76.

5.7

Culbach

77.77.

5.8

St Peter

5.9

St Philip

7s.

5.10

Troyte’s Chant No. 1

88.84.

5.11

Hollingside

77.77.D

5.12

Dr Dykes [St Bees]

77.77.

The organ is located in the west gallery. It is operated from the rear, blown by pedal independent of the barrel mechanism, therefore the barrel can be held in position for accompanying chant without loss of wind pressure. The Gothic case has three panels of gilded pipes. Restored by Michael Young of Dunmow in 2012. Tunes recorded in 2022. Five very dark green carriage-mounted barrels. Barrel 2 is pinned in a spiral with three voluntaries. Most of the tunes pinned on barrels 4 and 5 were published in Hymns Ancient and Modern (1861). Photos: M. Kilbey and M. Glover.