London: 1837-38

Frank Johnson's Band in London (1837-38)

Frank Johnson’s visit to London with his fellow musicians took place during a period of intense social questioning about Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade. Slavery had legally been abolished, but what remained was a system of forced apprenticeship in which formerly enslaved people in Britain’s colonies were still not free under a system of ‘apprenticeship’ under terrible living conditions. At the same time, Victorian Britain was the permanent home of significant numbers of Black African-descended people, who lived freely across different levels of society. Global Black histories encompass complex, intertwined narratives that intersect with multiple geographical locations in ways that are not always clearly addressed. Great Britain and the United States of America are just two elements in these vast narratives.

Contextualising Johnson’s presence through the lens of Black British history has been an inspiring journey, and one that was central to my fellowship at the Library Company of Philadelphia in 2022. In examining some of the gaps in scholarship, and the reasons for them, I’ve begun to revisit some familiar locations, viewing them in a new light as I tie these threads together.

The earliest parts of my own journey were captured as part of my BBC Radio Three audio documentary Frank Johnson, Queen Victoria and the Black Brass Band (2022).

Arrival and First Performances

On or around the 25th November 1837, Frank Johnson arrived in Liverpool on the ship Philadelphia. He was with four other musicians from his band: William Appo, Aaron Connor, Edmund Roland, and James Seymour.
The group travelled to London and stayed at the Hotel de Commerce on Leicester Street, just off the still popular central area of Leicester Square.
In early December, posters were printed announcing “Great Novelty!! The American Minstrels! First Time in Europe, Self-Taught Men of Colour!” with each band member’s name listed. Styled as ‘American Minstrels’, the musicians debuted at The Argyll Rooms on Regent Street on Wednesday 13th December 1837, with regular performances scheduled on subsequent Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Reviews appeared in newspapers such as The Morning Advertiser in the following days. Critics’ responses ranged from fairly positive to completely dismissive of the men’s talents. This did not deter the musicians though, and they continued to perform in London over the next few months.

Theatres and Promenades

By January 1838, the musicians could be found performing in theatres around London, including The Royal Surrey Theatre (formerly The Royal Circus) on Blackfriars Road. This type of entertainment would have been familiar to them from their time working at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia.

During this period, Johnson came into contact with ‘promenade concerts’ as popularised by the entrepreneurial French composer and promoter, Philippe Musard. Although not the originator of this format, Musard was one of its proponents in presenting music as accessible entertainment. Lavish environments, sometimes in the open air, were built as concert settings and audiences were encouraged to walk around and socialise during performances. Composers writing for promenade concerts would often experiment with sound and visual effects such as gunshot and lighting to enhance themes represented in the music.
At the time of the Johnson tour, a different French musician had recently announced his own concerts that were to be ‘in the style of Musard’. Auguste Pilati had previously been a member of Musard’s orchestra, and in December 1837, announced plans for his own promenade concerts. to take place in January 1838. Various mishaps and delays meant that Pilati’s projects were less successful than hoped. However, they still provided enough inspiration for Johnson, who decided to visit Musard in Paris later that month and see the original for himself.

Inspirational Meetings

Frank Johnson is also thought to have met with two well-known figures during his time in London; Johann Strauss I (1804-49) and the newly ascended Queen Victoria (1819-1901).

Johann Strauss and his orchestra arrived in London on April 12th 1838 on their first visit to England. Initially lodging in Fleet Street, Strauss moved to the Hotel de Commerce, where Johnson and his band had also been staying. It is entirely possible that the two groups of musicians met at or near the hotel during their respective tours.
There have been suggestions of a gifts or exchanges of music between the two musicians following a possible meeting, but this has been difficult to prove. What is known, though, is that Johnson’s performances following this tour were hugely influenced by Strauss’ flamboyant compositional and performance style.
Contemporary newspaper articles reported the supposed presentation of a silver bugle to Johnson by Queen Victoria. However, scant records were kept of meetings with Queen Victoria and the silver bugle itself (assuming it ever existed) appears to have been lost. This lack of evidence makes this story difficult to confirm one way or the other.

Coming Home

Following the European tour, Johnson’s admiration of Strauss was apparent in his work as a composer and performer. On their journey back to the USA, Johnson spent time arranging the music he had supposedly obtained directly from his Austrian counterpart. In his own compositions, he also began incorporating whistles, bird song, sirens and other unusual sounds into his music. Johnson also composed the Victoria Gallop in honour of the new Queen and completed a final version of his Voice Quadrilles.

Johnson was also inspired by the creativity and showmanship of Philip Musard, which Johnson demonstrated through his continued refinement and development of promenade concerts to loyal audiences at Saratoga Springs.
Long before their departure to Europe, Johnson was beginning to be recognised as a brilliant musician and entertainer – as were the other musicians he worked with. The collective experience and knowledge acquired on this journey inspired them all to reach new levels of creativity. Through a sense of fearlessness and an urge to push musical boundaries, their popularity continued to soar across the country. Several musicians within their circle became celebrated composers and bandleaders in their own right but the popularity of Johnson’s band reach such heights that even after Johnson’s death in 1844, they continued to perform in his name for many years afterwards.

References

Earliest known photograph of the Queen, here with her eldest daughter, Princess Victoria, c. 1845 (1845). Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Queen_Victoria&oldid=1189336205#/media/File:Queen_Victoria_the_Princess_Royal_Victoria_c1844-5.png (Accessed: 11 December 2023).
‘Frank Johnson, Queen Victoria and the Black Brass Band’ (2022) Sunday Feature. BBC Radio 3. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001cgh2 (Accessed: 11 December 2023).
Johann Strauss I, 1837 (1837). Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johann_Strauss_I&oldid=1181807793#/media/File:Johann_Strauss_I_(1).jpg (Accessed: 11 December 2023).
Johnson, F. (1837) Great Novelty!! The American Minstrels! [Poster].
Johnson, F. (1839) Johnson’s Celebrated Victoria Gallop.
Johnson, F. (1840a) Johnson’s celebrated and much admired Voice Quadrilles. G. W. Hewitt.
Johnson, F. (1840b) Johnson’s celebrated and much admired Voice Quadrilles.
Jones, C.K. (2006) Francis Johnson (1792-1844): Chronicle of a Black Musician in Early Nineteenth-century Philadelphia. Associated University Press.