Shelland

King Charles the Martyr, Shelland (Suffolk)

Barrel Organs in English Parish Churches

Barrel organ, c.1810. The keyframe is engraved ‘H. Bryceson, 38 Longacre, London’. On 28 December 1957 it featured in the BBC radio Third Programme broadcast ‘Miserable Dumbledores’ with commentary by Canon Noel Boston. The organ is located in a small raised pew at the west end. The organ is operated from the rear and was originally blown by the crank handle. The oak Gothic case has three panels of gilt dummy pipes. Restored by N.P. Mander in 1983. Tunes recorded in 1997. Three original carriage-mounted barrels x 12 tunes. The barrel papers have Bryceson’s label and are also labelled on the end. The woodworm-damaged barrels are slightly warped, barrel 4 (not listed here) was made by John Budgen. Bryceson’s original printed instructions for operating the organ and a tunelist (partially eaten by mice) are pinned inside the case.

References: Phillips (1918); Bury Free Press (19 May 1928) p.5, (15 May 1937) p.16, (22 May 1937) p.13 & (2 Dec. 1966) p.3; Elliston (1930); Scholes (1934); MacDermott (1948); Stanley Godman, ‘Shelland Church Barrel Organ’, Musical Times (Jun. 1959) pp.348-9; Boston (1959); Country Life (15 Jul. 1965) p.175; Boston & Langwill (1967); Ord-Hume (1978); Budgen (1997); Turner (2002); NPOR, A00263.

BARREL 1

Tune

Metre

1.1

Hotham

7s.

1.2

Doncaster

113th

1.3

Easter Hymn

77.77.D

1.4

Old 100th

1.5

Haydn’s Hymn [Austria]

87.87.D

1.6

Islington

1.7

Helmsley

87.87.47.

1.8

Sicilian Mariners

87.87.47.

1.9

Falcon Street

1.10

Weston Favel

1.11

New Sabbath

1.12

Creation

112th

BARREL 2

Tune

Metre

2.1

Morning Hymn [Smart]

2.2

Kent

2.3

Portugal

2.4

Portuguese Hymn [Portugal New]

2.5

Burnham

148th

2.6

Rockingham

2.7

Hanover

104th

2.8

Manchester

2.9

New York

2.10

Wakefield [Abingdon]

2.11

Bedford

2.12

Lincoln [Oxford New]

BARREL 3

Tune

Metre

3.1

Evening Hymn

3.2

University

3.3

St David

3.4

St James

3.5

St Anne

3.6

St Stephen

3.7

Warwick

3.8

Shirland

3.9

Peckham

3.10

German Hymn

77.77.77.

3.11

[unknown]

3.12

Glory be to Thee, O Lord

Barrel Organs in English Parish Churches

King Charles the Martyr, Shelland (Suffolk)

Barrel organ, c.1810. The keyframe is engraved ‘H. Bryceson, 38 Longacre, London’. On 28 December 1957 it featured in the BBC radio Third Programme broadcast ‘Miserable Dumbledores’ with commentary by Canon Noel Boston. The organ is located in a small raised pew at the west end. The organ is operated from the rear and was originally blown by the crank handle. The oak Gothic case has three panels of gilt dummy pipes. Restored by N.P. Mander in 1983. Tunes recorded in 1997. Three original carriage-mounted barrels x 12 tunes. The barrel papers have Bryceson’s label and are also labelled on the end. The woodworm- damaged barrels are slightly warped, barrel 4 (not listed here) was made by John Budgen. Bryceson’s original printed instructions for operating the organ and a tunelist (partially eaten by mice) are pinned inside the case.