Our Organ

Our services are often accompanied by our 19th-Century organ, skilfully played by our talented choirmaster. 

Prior to the church restoration in 1878-80, it had a 1771 Hornbuckle organ, which was
situated on a gallery on the west wall of the church (in front of the church tower).

A new organ was built for the extended and restored church by Mr Kirkland of Wakefield, at a cost of £480. It took almost a year to build and more than a month to install, ready for the church reopening in March 1880. It was housed in an oak casing designed by the church architect, James Piers St Aubyn, and consisted of three manuals and contained four complete organs: the choir, the swell, the great and the pedal organs. It is described on the National Pipe Organ Register as being of an "unusual" type.

Unfortunately, in April 1885, it needed serious remedial work as it had been damaged by the damp atmosphere of the newly extended building. The Parish Magazine of the time recorded that “The damage done by the damp is however now being entirely made good and the thorough cleaning, tuning, alterations, re-arrangements and considerable additions which have been in progress nearly a month, and which have necessitated our having a harmonium for the services and using the Tower as a vestry, will be completed and the organ with its new stops making in all 25 and 101 additional pipes, making altogether 1027, will be ready for Easter Day.”

The organ was restored once more in 1935 and again in 1955. It was cleaned and renovated again between 1970-74, then rebuilt and electrified to an improved specification in 1986, including a new console and pedal board. This restoration cost the congregation and townspeople some £35,000.

The only other works done since 1986 are a major clean after dust and dirt got into the pipes/organ following the redecorating of the north aisle in the early 1990s and some electrical upgrades to the blower (housed in the Priest's Room, above the vestry) in 2015/16.

It is currently tuned twice a year.