Selston
St Helen

Organ

The organ at St Helen’s is said to have been originally installed in the Underwood Institute. In 1905 it was given to the church by Major T P Barber and installed in the newly constructed north aisle. It has undergone numerous changes since that time. In 1929 it was reconstructed by Roger Yates of Nottingham, and in 1937 a faculty was granted to install an electric organ blower. In 1957 it was restored and converted from a three-manual to a two-manual. In 1999 it was again refurbished and changed from pneumatic to electronic action.

Organ console Organ pipes in
the tower arch

In 2010 the organ had to be moved from its position at the end of the north aisle in order to accommodate the construction of the new extension. The organ pipes were installed in the west tower and this produces a clarity of sound not achieved when the organ was situated in the north aisle. The console was located under the second arch of the north arcade. The work was carried out by Henry Groves & Sons of Nottingham, who record it as a new organ, incorporating new and recycled pipe work. The wooden parts of the organ console, including the housing, bench and pedals, are all original and have been restored by Groves, while all of the other parts are new. The organ in its current form was first played on Sunday, 6 June 2010.

The organ has two manuals, Great and Swell. The specification of the stops are as follows:

Great Organ (8)

Swell organ (11)

Pedal Organ (6)

Couplers (8) (a coupler is a device for connecting two manuals so they both sound when only one is played).

Apart from the normal stops for each manual there are piston stops which, when pressed, select a combination of stops which are pre-set. The organ has direct electric windchests with inbuilt single-rise regulators.

In the side chapel there are two brass memorial plaques, previously attached to the organ, inscribed as follows:

This Organ is the
~~Gift of~~
T. P. BARBER ESQ & FAMILY
MAY 6th 1905

IN LOVING MEMORY OF
ARTHUR JAMES BURTON
ORGANIST OF THIS CHURCH
1940 – 1958