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Sneinton
St Stephen

Organ

The organ dates from 1872 when it was originally set into the chancel of the 1839 church. It was first used on 19th September 1872 when it was played by Mr H S Irons, assistant organist of Chester Cathedral, later organist at Southwell Minster. The organ costs £450 and was built by Brindley and Foster. The previous instrument was sold on 1st March to West Bridgford Church for the sum of £44. It was described as ‘small and ornamental’ and was originally housed in the west end gallery before being moved into the ‘Quire’. In 1847 Mr William Henry Willcockson, a local banker, was the organist.

The 1901 organ above the Lady Chapel screen

The console in its present location

In 1901, the then organist Mr C F Hole, proposed a scheme costing £350 to move the 1872 organ and console from the chancel to a new position above the screen dividing the Lady Chapel from the nave. The cost was kept to a minimum by the church users carrying out much of the work. A green and gold panelled Gothic style screen was constructed topped with the organ pipes, almost filling the arch. The access to the console necessitated the organist ascending a narrow iron spiral staircase through a door set in the corner of the South vestry. The rather low entrance leading from the top of the stairs onto the walkway over the screen to the organ can still be seen but is blocked by a substantial piece of timber.

At the time of the move the church was lit by gas. It is reported that ‘the organist was nearly suffocated by the rising fumes’ so the console had to be lowered to its present position to the right hand side at the front of the Lady Chapel screen. The consequent patching of the organ screen is evidence of the move.

The instrument was rebuilt and enlarged as part of the move from the chancel, this work being carried out by Cousans and Sons of Lincoln. The specification listed at the 1901 re-opening was:

Currently the console is housed in a plain oak case said to have been designed by Bodely (?) A plate attached to the console bears the name of a local organ builder E Wragg and Sons and is of the style of the 1920s/1930s, possibly a date when the organ was again repaired. Currently the organ is not in use having been declared unsuitable for playing and beyond economic repair.

The small organ

A smaller organ is used for services. This is located under the arch of the North transept and is on loan to the church from Mr David Bloodworth. It is a much older instrument than its more permanent companion having been built between 1820 and 1850 by Samuel Parsons of Bloomsbury Square London. It is known that at one time it was located in a church at Toddington (just off the M1 motorway), before being bought to Nottingham where it has seen service at All Souls’ Church Radford and St Mary’s in the Lace Market before its current resting place. It has a plain case which has been painted white.

A grand piano is also used in the church.