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He commenced a long association with the Parish of St
Lawrence in Sydney, when his daughter, Eliza Webster Johnson, was baptised in the temporary church in July 1841. The first record of Johnson's musical activities in the parish is of payments to him by the St Lawrence Parochial Association in April
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Two years after his marriage, together with John
Kinloch (1795–1870), he built Australia's first “finger” organ, which still stands in St Matthew's, Windsor. The partnership with Kinloch did not last long, and he built a number of organs under his own name from the mid-1840s, including organs for:
51:(1812–1866) - who became a barrister and a Member of the NSW Legislative Council. Johnson arrived in Sydney, with his brother James, in January 1836 and immediately advertised himself as a professor of music and tuner of organs and piano-fortes.
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noted: "Those who remember his exertions in relation to choral music at St James's will be not be slow to admit that his efforts have had a large influence in promoting that efficiency which now commonly characterises the 'Service of Song'."
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A collection of psalm tunes (comprising the best compositions in general use, harmonized for four voices, with an arrangement for the organ or piano forte edited by W. J. Johnson, organist and Choir Master of Christ Church,
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had built at Soho Square, London, in 1844 (it was subsequently destroyed by fire in 1905). Throughout the early part of this period, Johnson was also an active member of the Sydney Choral
Society.
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Several members of his family came out to New South Wales from the early 1830s including his father and mother, and his brothers James
Johnson (1803–1860) - who was also a talented musician - and
526:"A collection of psalm tunes [music] : Comprising the best compositions in general use, harmonized for four voices, with an arrangement for the organ or piano forte"
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1843 “for his trouble in instructing the
Parochial School Children in Sacred music.” He became the parish organist from about 1844 until his death in 1866. When the new
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Johnson was born in London, the son of a watchmaker, Richard
Johnson (1774–1844) and Elizabeth Phillips (1780–1861). It is said that his grand-uncle was Rev
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Graeme D Rushworth, Historic Organs of New South Wales: The
Instruments, Their Makers and Players 1791-1940 (Hale & Iremonger, 1988) p 73.
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Graeme D Rushworth, Historic Organs of New South Wales: The
Instruments, Their Makers and Players 1791-1940 (Hale & Iremonger, 1988) p 71.
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512:"Fancy ball polka [music] : Performed by the band of Her Majesty's XIth Regiment, at the Mayor's Fancy dress ball"
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19:(1811–1866) was an English-born organist, conductor, composer, organ builder and music publisher based in Sydney.
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St
Lawrence Parochial Association, Minute Book, 3 April 1843, p 18 (Christ Church St Laurence Archives).
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Johnson was also known as a composer. At least two of his popular works survive in published form:
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The Sydney Choral
Society (in the St James’ Infant School-room in Castlereagh Street), in 1846
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Historic Organs of New South Wales: The Instruments, Their Makers and Players 1791-1940
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Johnson became insolvent in 1848. He ceased manufacturing organs after this date.
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In 1838, together with his brother, James, he became joint organist at
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and, in the early 1860s, transcribed “Nearer to Thee” for pianoforte.
158:‘Johnson Brothers of Sydney’, Australharmony (University of Sydney)
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was opened for worship in 1845, Johnson installed the organ which
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39:(1753–1827), the first Church of England chaplain in Sydney.
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In 1838, he married Eliza Harris Tompson (1817–1879) at
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275:"THE ORGAN OF ST. ANDREW'S TEMPORARY CHURCH"
90:St Mary's Anglican Church, Balmain, in 1848.
71:St Andrew's temporary church, Sydney (while
385:. No. 64. 16 June 1848. p. 757
84:W H Aldis, a Sydney tobacconist, in 1845
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154:(Hale & Iremonger, 1988) p 63 - 74.
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26:William Jonathan Johnson (1811–1866)
498:"The Chusan polka [music]"
382:New South Wales Government Gazette
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79:Pitt Street Congregational Church
540:"Nearer to thee [music]"
75:was under construction), in 1844
570:Australian classical organists
348:. 18 September 1846. p. 2
233:"SUPREME COURT.—(CIVIL SIDE.)"
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575:Australian conductors (music)
413:. 23 February 1838. p. 3
311:. 7 February 1846. p. 32
283:. 30 November 1844. p. 2
177:"OBITUARY. MR. F. H. JOHNSON"
241:. 24 October 1840. p. 2
213:. 11 January 1836. p. 3
585:19th-century male musicians
441:. 5 October 1866. p. 4
433:"The Sydney Morning Herald"
185:. 21 April 1931. p. 13
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580:Australian male composers
475:The Sydney Morning Herald
438:The Sydney Morning Herald
345:The Sydney Morning Herald
280:The Sydney Morning Herald
182:The Sydney Morning Herald
137:He also edited, in 1854,
117:Christ Church St Laurence
478:. 9 June 1857. p. 4
133:Fancy Ball Polka (1853)
470:"SYDNEY CHORAL SOCIETY"
130:The Chusan Polka (1852)
49:Robert Ebenezer Johnson
590:19th-century organists
261:"St Matthew's Windsor"
101:. His obituary in the
99:St James’, King Street
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103:Sydney Morning Herald
73:St Andrew's Cathedral
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150:Graeme D Rushworth,
56:St Matthew's Windsor
43:Arrival in Australia
486:– via Trove.
449:– via Trove.
421:– via Trove.
393:– via Trove.
356:– via Trove.
319:– via Trove.
291:– via Trove.
249:– via Trove.
221:– via Trove.
193:– via Trove.
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405:"MULTUM IN PARVO"
210:The Sydney Herald
81:, Sydney, in 1845
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565:1866 deaths
560:1811 births
121:G M Holdich
554:Categories
163:References
31:Early life
482:14 July
445:14 July
417:14 July
389:14 July
352:14 July
315:14 July
303:"Music"
287:14 July
245:14 July
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140:Sydney)
62:Career
484:2020
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
