© Maggie Kilbey & Marcel Glover 2021-2022
Barrel Organs in English Parish Churches
St Etheldreda, West Quantoxhead (Somerset)
Improved barrel organ. Engraved
on keyframe: ‘Bevington & Sons,
LONDON.’ In 1845 the organ was
installed in the west gallery of St
Peter & St Paul, Bishop’s Hull and
in 1862 sold to St Nicholas, Kilton
for £10. The organ was transferred
to West Quantoxhead in 1981.
The organ is located towards the
west end of the south aisle. It is
operated from the rear, with the
crank handle on the right-hand
side and blowing lever on the left-
hand side: two people are needed
to play the organ. The case is painted green, and the organ has gold
painted pipes which are functional.
Restored c.1981 by Bishops of Ipswich, and again in 2006 by John
Budgen.
Three green barrels x 12 tunes in a frame. The original barrel change
mechanism still in place – the frame is moved along its axis and there is
a screw thread so any tune can be selected. The names of newer,
repinned tunes are pasted onto the badly faded original tunelist pinned
inside the case. All the new tunes, apart from the chants, were contained
in the first edition of Hymns Ancient & Modern (1861).
BARREL 3
GREEN
UNPLAYABLE
3.1
Luther’s Hymn
3.2
Unknown St Michael
3.3
Unknown Aurelia
3.4
Unknown Eventide
3.5
Unknown Hollingside
3.6
St David
3.7
Unknown Double Chant: Robinson
3.8
Unknown Double Chant: Boyce
3.9
Mount Ephraim
3.10
University
3.11
German Hymn
3.12
Unknown Single Chant: Purcell
References: Boston (1959); Boston & Langwill (1967); Musical Opinion
(Aug. 1970), p. 599; NPOR N12655.
BARREL 2
GREEN
Tune
Metre
2.1
LM
2.2
76.76.D
2.3
2.4
LM
2.5
87.87.87.
2.6
LM
2.7
886.D
2.8
CM
2.9
65.65.
2.10
104th
2.11
87.D
2.12
87.87.47.
BARREL 1
GREEN
Tune
Metre
1.1
LM
1.2
LM
1.3
LM
1.4
LM
1.5
CM
1.6
CM
1.7
CM
1.8
CM
1.9
CM
1.10
SM
1.11
SM
1.12