ORGAN, BELLS and CLOCK
God is the light that illuminates the darkness.

The Organ

St John’s has a fine 3-manual organ by Walker, originally built in 1966, which has a comprehensive range of reeds and foundation stops. The church has very good acoustics and has a strong musical tradition.

St John’s has a total of 9 bells; 8 bells operated by two Ellacombe Chimes frames and an individual 9^th bell operated by rope and conventional pulling.

The 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th and 8^th bells were hung between September and November 1868 and the 1^st, 2^nd 6^th and 7^th in 1878 and were cast and installed by a Loughborough firm, believed to be John Taylor & Co.  The 8^th bell is the heaviest weighing 19 cwts 2qrs 24 lbs.

The 1^st – 8^th bells, in the key of F, are dedicated to various saints:

1^st bell:  St Agnes & St Helen

2^nd bell: St John & St Julia

3^rd bell: St Clement & St Valentine

4^th bell: St James, St Aloysius & St Norbert

5^th bell: St Joseph, St John the Evangelist & St Ester

6^th bell: St John & St Joseph

7^th bell:  St Helen & St Elizabeth

8^th bell: Blessed Virgin Mary & St Anne

Each of these bells is inscribed with the words “Orate pro nobis” (Pray for us), which accords the Litany of the Saints, a formal prayer of the Roman Catholic Church.

There is no record information detailing the origins, dates of casting or hanging of the 9^th bell although we know it is inscribed “Long Live Pius IX, Pope and King”.  Pius IX was head of the Catholic Church from 1846-1878 (the longest-reigning verifiable pope), and so it is assumed that this 9^th bell was hung post-1878.  This bell is independently operated by swinging from a single rope located to the rear of the church, with the ringer afforded visibility to the Sanctuary and Altar.  It is for this reason that this 9^th bell was traditionally used during Mass at the Elevation of the consecrated bread and wine and at the Blessing at Benediction.

The 1^st – 8^th bells are operated by two Ellacombe chiming apparatuses located approximately half way up the bell tower and situated one level below the level of the bells.  One frame is normal apparatus and the other is with wood-headed hammers for muffled ringing.  Two chimers could work alternately and chime half-muffled if desired.

Until recently the bells at St John’s were chimed infrequently but over the last year and with other forms of church music unable to be performed due to the pandemic, chiming has taken place each Sunday.  This has been met with a very positive response from parishioners and visitors alike.

Sources:  Keltek Trust, St John the Evangelist Parish Archive

The Clock

The outside clock was made and installed in 1868. Noted for its accurate time keeping, it was reputed to have been used to dispatch the trains in the days before the station was enlarged.

Below is the mechanism which drives the clock: