© Maggie Kilbey & Marcel Glover 2024
St Nicholas, Woodrising (Norfolk)
Barrel Organs in English Parish Churches
Barrel organ by Flight & Son. Label on soundboard ‘Flight & Robson’ and the paper used to cover the barrels is embossed ‘Flight &
Robson Sons, ORGAN BUILDERS to his MAJESTY, [address crossed out], LONDON.’ The organ dates from c.1832, the year in which Flight
& Robson were declared bankrupt and Flight went into partnership with his son, hence the alterations to the barrel papers.
References: Notes and Queries (17 Jun. 1922) p.477; MacDermott (1948); Boston (1959); Francis W. Steer, Woodrising Church (Norwich,
1959); Boston & Langwill (1967); Budgen (1997); Turner (2002); NPOR, D00334.
BARREL 1
Tune
Metre
1.1
CM
1.2
CM
1.3
104th
1.4
LM
1.5
CM
1.6
CM
1.7
SM
1.8
LM
1.9
SM
1.10
87.87.47.
BARREL 2
Tune
Metre
2.1
CMD
2.2
77.77.D
2.3
77.77.
2.4
65.65.
2.5
LM
2.6
10.10.10.10.
2.7
113th
2.8
PM
2.9
64.64.664.
2.10
77.77.77.
BARREL 3
SUPPLIED 1960
3.1
Rockingham
3.2
Austria
3.3
Winchester Old
3.4
Irby
3.5
Easter Hymn
3.6
Nicaea
3.7
Richmond
3.8
Crimmond
3.9
Dundee
3.10
Praise My Soul
The organ is located in the west gallery. The organ is operated from the rear and blown by the crank handle. Mahogany Gothic case with
gold painted dummy pipes (3-3-7-3-3) backed with red cloth.
Stop list: Open Diapason 8’, Stopped Diapason 8’, Principal 4’.
Restored in 1958 by John Budgen. Tunes recorded in 1995.
Three (originally four) carriage-mounted barrels x 10 tunes. Barrel 1 is labelled 5364 and was supplied with the organ, but three of the
original tunes have been repinned, possibly when the second barrel was added in 1856. Barrel 2 was supplied in 1865, and most of the
tunes were published in Hymns Ancient & Modern. Barrel 3 was supplied by John Budgen in 1960 to replace a barrel found abandoned in the
rectory garden.