Barrel organ

Barrel organs that could play without the use of keys have been the subject of much controversy. When these organs were frequent in churches there were sharp differences in opinion as to their musical value, and more recently historians have argued about when they became frequent and whether or not they displaced West Gallery bands (see ‘West Gallery music’*). Mechanical organs playing from pinned barrels had been built for several centuries before their introduction into British churches in the 18th century. The first installation was probably in 1700 in King Charles the Martyr Church, Peak Forest, Derbyshire; but this church belonged to the Countess of Devonshire living at Chatsworth...