an unusual number, five, six, eight, ten or at the most twelve would be typical: in 2008 only three rings of sixteen exist in the world. Organ The Guild of the Holy Cross at St. Martin's Church provided for an organist before the Reformation. The church was presumably without an organ from the English Civil War as the churchwardens accounts read: An organ was duly erected by 1725 and the case was by Thomas Swarbrick. This organ was removed or replaced in 1822. The case was then transferred to St. Alphege's Church, Solihull by Rev Charles Curtis who was Rector of St. Martin's and Rector of St. Alphege, Solihull. In 1822 a new organ was installed by Thomas Elliot The organ was extended in 1855 by William Hill who provided pedal pipes of 2 octaves and 2 notes. He also revoiced the reeds and open diapason in the swell, and extended the swell organ to tenor c, enclosing it in a new Venetian swell-box. This organ was rebuilt by John Banfield & Son in 1875 and renovated and enlarged to 3 manuals and 40 stops by Banfield in 1883. In 1906 this was sold to St John's Church, Deritend. The current pipe organ is by Harrison & Harrison and dates from 1906. Originally it was a three manual instrument on the north side of the chancel but in 1955 it was re-built as a four manual organ and moved to the north transept by John Compton. The opening recital was given by George Thalben-Ball on 30 March 1955. The specification of the organ can be found at the National Pipe Organ Register. Since around 2004, St Martin's has abandoned the use of the organ for the Sunday 11.00am Service (now called The Crossing service; a Music in Worship Group leads the Service). It is still played at the Sunday 9.30am Holy Communion and for 6.00pm Choral Services. Organists Barnabas Gunn 1740 – 1753 (jointly with St. Philip's) Richard Hobbs 1753 – 1771 (From St Martin's Church, Leicester) Joseph Harris 1771 – 1802 (formerly organist of St Laurence Church, Ludlow) William Bodell Taylor James Stimpson 1851 – 1857 Walter Brooks 1857 – 1900 (formerly organist of St. Mary's Church, Atherstone) Williamson John Reynolds 1900 – 1920 (formerly organist of St Michael, Cornhill, afterwards organist of Church of the Holy Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon) Richard Wassell 1920 – 1942 (afterwards organist of St. Alphege's