St Nicholas DEREHAM organ is a comprehensive 30 stop three manual instrument with mechanical action to the manuals and direct electric to the pedal stops. Parts of the organ proudly date back to the organ built by Father Smith for Rougham Hall circa 1690 and which was erected in a west gallery at Dereham in 1785.

Each subsequent rebuilding has enhanced the character of the organ: firstly that by Joseph Hart in 1827; then that by William Hill & Son in 1875 when the organ was moved to the south side of the central tower.

Bower & Company rebuilt the organ in 1995 when the organ was moved into the North transept, the organ case completed on all sides and the chair organ added to contain the Father Smith pipework, stopped diapason (which is the organists dream – controllable when required and beautiful in its tone - that it happens to be Bernard Smith merely a bonus), wood principal and wood fifteenth supplemented by the Principal (the façade pipes) and the Gemshorn 2 giving a slightly bigger chorus. The chimney flute 4 is the Richard Bower companion to the stopped diapason, bright, perky and full of chiff when the action is articulated. We also added the Trombone and the Pedal Principal which is in the side facade facing the Lantern tower and matching the front facade.

Joseph Hart’s pipework is nearly all still present in the great chorus but his Sesquialtra is now the basis of the Chair organ Cornet and his open diapason, complete with gold leaf on the former facade was used by Hill as the swell open diapason. The great mixture is Bower & Company as is the bottom octave of the swell bassoon which is otherwise Hill’s Oboe and the Cremona a revoicing of Hill’s Clarinet.

Much of the trumpet is an early stop, by a John Holmes of Norwich around 1800; it has been respected and reset by each following rebuild including that by Bower & Company; the stop is a joy, bright and English classical but turning rich in combination with the Hill open diapason which is moderately substantial. The great gamba is tapered and a subtle Hill gem, almost a small diapason with character.