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Until the mid-18th century, music in churches would have been created by a small band of musicians, accompanied by a choir. But over the next 100 years, this way of life altered thanks to the rising popularity of harmoniums, organs and barrel organs (which could play a selection of pre-chosen melodies without the need for someone with musical aptitude).This is exactly the scenario faced by the characters of Thomas Hardy’s Under the Greenwood Tree, published in 1872. One character, Michael Mail, laments: “People don’t care much about us now! I’ve been thinking we must be almost the last left in the county of the old string players? Barrel-organs, and the things next door to ’em that you blow wi’ your foot, have come in terribly of late years.”Situated in Hardy’s county of Dorset is Saint Martin’s church, Lillington. It has a barrel-and-finger organ (a barrel organ with a keyboard) dating from 1850, donated in 1996 to replace the ageing harmonium. The organ was just one of the features recorded by a group of A BARREL-AND-FINGER ORGAN WAS AMONG THE MANY INTRIGUINGITEMS FOUND BY VOLUNTEERS WORKING IN ST MARTIN’S CHURCH, LILLINGTONHISTORY IN THE ROUNDvolunteers from Sherborne DFAS when creating a Church Record – a detailed analysis of the church and its contents. Also of interest was the Bishop’s transcript of 1592–1594, which records the baptism of Sir Walter Raleigh’s son.It was held in Lillington because Queen Elizabeth was angry with Sir Walter Raleigh for secretly marrying her one-time Maid of Honour, Elizabeth “ YOU HAVE GIVEN A GREAT GIFT – A LIVING HISTORY” CHURCHWARDENS, ST MARTIN'SThrockmorton, without her permission.Churchwardens Mark Ashley Millar and Ann Williams wrote to the Church Recorders, saying: “You have given a great gift, something money cannot buy – a living history.” 11 A barrel-and-finger organ can play pre-chosen melodies 54PROJECTSThe Arts Society ReviewSummer 2017