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Transcribed into ABC Music Notation for The Village Music
Project by Mike Hicken, Ruairidh Greig, Anne Wride, Steve
Mansfield, Robert Watkins and Simon Wilson.
John Johnson published the very important eight volume series of
Choice Collection of Favorite Country Dances (total 1600 tunes and
dances). The first two volumes had been printed for Daniel Wright,
the younger, being the two volumes of his (Wright's) Compleat
Collection of Celebrated Country Dances (total 400 tunes and
dances). However, the address on Daniel Wright's books are the
Harp and Crown, which is Johnson's address. The dates for Wright,
which may only be Kidson's best guess, are usually given as Vol 1
1740 and Vol 2 1742. Johnson's own series then continues on from
there, being dated Vol 3 1744, Vol 4 1748, Vol 5 1750, vol 6 1751,
Vol 7 1756, Vol 8 1758.
At some point Johnson evidently succeeded in selling out of the
Wright volumes, and he re-engraved and republished them under his
own name, again as Volumes 1 & 2, with some changes. This is
said by Kidson to have been around 1750. Johnson sometimes dated
his collections on the frontispiece, which might confirm this, but
without seeing the relevant pages I cannot confirm this date.
JOHNSON; Choice Collection of Favorite (200) Country Dances.
Vol.1; London: perhaps after c1750?; Similar but not identical to
the earlier Wright's Complete Collection of (200) Celebrated
Country Dances. Vol. 1, whose stock Johnson seems to have
acquired.
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JOHNSON; Choice Collection of Favorite (200) Country Dances.
Vol.2; London: perhaps after c1750?; Similar but not identical to
the earlier Wright's Complete Collection of (200) Celebrated
Country Dances. Vol. 2, whose stock Johnson seems to have
acquired.
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JOHNSON; Choice Collection of Favorite (200) Country Dances.
Vol.3; London: 1744;
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JOHNSON; Choice Collection of Favorite (200) Country Dances.
Vol.4 ; London: 1748;
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JOHNSON; Choice Collection of Favorite (200) Country Dances. Vol.5
; London: 1750;
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JOHNSON; Choice Collection of Favorite (200) Country Dances. Vol.6
; London: 1751;
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JOHNSON; Choice Collection of Favorite (200) Country Dances. Vol.7
; London: 1756; I haven't located a copy. If you have one,
can I have a copy to transcribe plz?
JOHNSON; Choice Collection of Favorite (200) Country Dances.
Vol.8 ; London: 1758;
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From Kidson's British Music Publishers
Johnson,
John. At the Harp and Crown, facing Bow Church, Cheapside. A
publisher of many important works. He was probably in business
about, or prior to 1740, and may have then, or earlier,
transferred to Cheapside the trade carried on by Daniel Wright,
junior, in St. Paul's Church Yard. One is led to this conclusion
by the fact that trace of Wright is lost at that period, and
that one of Johnson's earliest publications is entitled
"Wright's Country Dances," in two volumes, with a preface signed
D. Wright, who was doubtless the Daniel Wright in question, and
from the early character of the engraving it appears likely that
the books are from plates originally issued by him. Besides
yearly sets of twenty four Country Dances, and volumes of two
hundred of the same, Johnson issued a higher class of music,
generally particularly well engraved, and printed on stout paper
of good quality. In 1760, when Charles Dibdin first came to
London he got employment here as a harpsichord tuner. About 1762
there are indications that John Johnson had died, and that he
was succeeded by his widow, for the name, Mrs. Johnson, is
appended to one or more pieces of music which have this engraved
date. In 1763, however, the old name, John Johnson, is resumed,
whether by reason of a son of the same Christian name holding
the shop, or from the retention of the old name, I am unable to
say, but John Johnson for the second time remains on the
imprints till 1765 or 1766. In 1766 or 1767 James Longman &
Co. opened a music shop at 26, Cheapside, which did not face Bow
Church, but was nearer St. Paul's, between Old Change and Friday
Street, and it remained for many years in the hands of the firm
and their successors. James Longman and his partners seem to
have obtained the right to use Johnson's sign, the Harp and
Crown, though it appears as if Robert Bremner had got most of
the plates, for in the list of Bremner's publications purchased
by Preston in 1789, many are easily identified. Longmans' used
the imprint Harp and Crown, 26, Cheapside for some years, but in
due course changed the sign to The Apollo. Meanwhile, Mrs.
Johnson did not abandon the premises facing Bow Church, which
now bore the number 10, Cheapside, though there is no mention of
the Harp and Crown ; I cannot trace any of her issues later than
1771.
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