Bernard Johnson (1 December 1868 – 16 May 1935) FRCO was an organist and composer based in
Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...
. He was appointed City Organist for Nottingham in 1910.
Life
Johnson was born in
South Pickenham
South Pickenham is a small village and civil parish in the Breckland district of mid Norfolk, East Anglia, England. It has an area of 758 hectares (2.93 square miles) and it had a population of 101 in 40 households at the 2001 census.
This had d ...
, Norfolk on 1 December 1868. He educated at
Selwyn College, Cambridge
Selwyn College, Cambridge (formally Selwyn College in the University of Cambridge) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1882 by the Selwyn Memorial Committee in memory of George Augustus Selwyn (18 ...
, where he graduated in 1889.
Johnson was awarded FRCO in 1891, and Mus. Bac. in 1897. When at Cambridge he studied music under
Dr. George Mursell Garrett, organist to the university.
While in Leeds, Johnson sang in the festival choir under Sir Arthur Sullivan; he was conductor of a well-known male voice choir, whose unaccompanied performances were greatly admired. He was also largely instrumental in establishing a society of the local professional musicians. Johnson was very active in the formation of the Leeds Municipal Concerts, which was held in the Town Hall on Saturday evenings.
Johnson founded the Bridlington Amateur Operatic Society.
Johnson died in
Horning
Horning is an ancient village and parish in the English county of Norfolk.
It covers an area of 11 km2 and had a population of 1,033 in the 2001 census. Horning parish lies on the northern bank of the River Bure south of the River Thurne ...
on 16 May 1935.
Appointments
*Organist and Music Master at the
Framlingham College
Framlingham College is a public school (independent day and boarding school) in the town of Framlingham, near Woodbridge, Suffolk, England. Together with its preparatory school and nursery at Brandeston Hall, it serves pupils from 3 to 18 yea ...
, Suffolk 1889 – 1891
*Organist and Assistant Master at
Leeds Grammar School
Leeds Grammar School was an independent school founded 1552 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Originally a male-only school, in August 2005 it merged with Leeds Girls' High School to form The Grammar School at Leeds. The two schools physically ...
1891 – 1904.
*Organist at
Bridlington Priory
Priory Church of St Mary, Bridlington, , commonly known as Bridlington Priory Church is a parish church in Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, in the Diocese of York. It is on the site of an Augustinian priory founded in 1113 which w ...
1904 – 1909
*Organist at
Albert Hall, Nottingham
The Albert Hall is a conference and concert venue situated close to the centre of the city of Nottingham in England.
History
The original Albert Hall was started in 1873 as a Nottingham Temperance Hall. Watson Fothergill, a local architect ...
1909 – 1934
[Nottingham Evening Post – Tuesday 9 October 1934]
Compositions
As a composer, Mr. Johnson produced a large number of works.
*some twenty pieces for the organ, among which his ''Concert Overture'' and ''Sonata di Camera'' were the most popular.
*part-songs, notably a series for female voices.
*an orchestral suite, ''Faerie''
*an opera, ''A Petticoat Princess''
*choral songs ''The Brooklet'' (unison) and ''The Tide Rises'' (SATB), the set (four numbers) of solo songs ''A Fairy Ring''
*sacred cantata for solo quartet, chorus and organ, ''Ecce Homo''.
*organ works ''Andante Con Moto'' in B Minor, ''Aubade'' in D Flat, ''Canzonet'' in E
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Bernard
1868 births
1935 deaths
English organists
British male organists
English composers
Alumni of Selwyn College, Cambridge
Fellows of the Royal College of Organists
Presidents of the Independent Society of Musicians