the Baptist by Sir Ninian Comper. The statue commissioned by Canon Sampson might never have been sculpted, for Comper was initially reluctant to undertake this commission, only relenting at the behest of his son, whom Comper then used as the model. There is a ring of eight bells which were cast in 1869 by John Warner & Sons, two service bells and a dumb (practice) bell. The bells have been retuned and rehung in a new bell frame constructed by voluntary labour. They were rung for the first time on Easter Sunday 2003 after a silence of ten years. Images Incumbents 1871–1880 Rev J.C.Reade 1880–1884 Rev J.Lindsay 1884–1892 Fr F.H.Chevenix Trench 1892–1895 Fr P.N. Clark 1895–1896 Fr H.N.Thompson 1896–1925 Fr Ralph T.Brockman 1925–1937 Fr Thomas Brancker 1937–1946 Fr W.H.Tayler 1946–1994 Rev Canon Frank Sampson MA 1994–2010 Rev Dr Canon Paul Nener BM BCh FRCS 2010 – 2020 Rev Canon Simon J.P. Fisher MA 2021 - Fr Nicholas Johnson SSC Fr Nicholas Johnson was instituted, collated and installed as vicar on 24 June 2021, the feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist. Music Organists Claude Ridley 1871–1882 William Faulkes (organist-composer) 1882 – 1886 R.Cooper ARCO 1896–1900 Ernest Welsh ARCO 1900–1903 Mr Tubb (senior) 1903–1933 C.F. Holt 1935–1953 Edward Tubb 1953–1956 C.F. Holt 1956–1966 David James (Assistant Organist 1966 then Organist from 1973 to 1982) Keith Simpson BA (Hons) Dip HE 1982-1996 David Scott-Thomas 1996-1998 Clive Arnold 2000–2009 John Peace BA LRAM ARCO 2009–2017 Nathaniel Hood BA 2017-2019 Daniel Mansfield BA(Hons), HonFTCSM, MISM 2019- The Organ The fine instrument at St John's was built by William Hill and Son of London, and installed in 1867 and was installed in St John's in time for the consecration in 1871. Hill organs have a distinctive voice, perhaps due to William Hill's study of continental organ styles, characterised by a bright, singing tone, with fiery reeds and brilliant upper work. in 1895, some additions were made: the Bassoon on the Choir organ, and string tone pipes on the Swell organ, installed in a miniature swell box behind the main box. The tubular-pneumatic key and stop actions would also appear to date from 1895. There is evidence that for a certain period, a detached console was installed in the Lady Chapel. However, in 1905, it was decided revert to the original (and current) position within the organ case, possibly due to mechanical problems. Essential