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MUSICAL
PERFORMERS AND COMPOSERS AT VAUXHALL GARDENS, 1661-1859
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| Documentation of musicians is patchy, so only verifiable dates, or dates of performances (or advertised performances) have been given; it is possible that many of the names included here actually performed in other years as well. Composers have only been included if they wrote known works specifically for the gardens. Except where fuller evidence is available (e.g. for 1845) most of the secondary players are never named, so this list is by no means comprehensive. | |
| Adcock, Mr. | c.1754, First trumpet. Also played in Capel Bond's concerts in Coventry and Birmingham |
| Addison, John (c.1766-1844) | 'cellist, 1800f. |
| Allwood | Leader and conductor, 1847 |
| Anfossi, Mr. | 1826 |
| Arban, Jean-Baptiste (1825-1889) | French cornet player and conductor; he completed his studies at the Paris Conservatoire in 1845. Cornet à pistons, 1845 musical director and conductor, 1851, 1852 |
| Arne, Michael (c.1740-1786) | Composing songs, 1765 Was living in south Lambeth when he died, January 1786 |
| Arne, Thomas Augustine (1710-1778) | Composer and musical director 1745-1777. Arne, who lived very close to Vauxhall in the 1740s, had been engaged at DL in 1744 at a salary of £3 per week |
| Arnold, Samuel (1740-1802) | Composing songs, c.1767. Arnold was in charge of the music at MG in the early 1770s |
| Arthur | 1845 |
| Asbridge, Mr. | 1792 |
| Bach, John Christian (1735-1782) | Writing songs 1765-1770. He was the eighteenth child of Johann Sebastian Bach, and arrived in London in 1762 |
| Baddely | Director of the Military Band, 1842 |
| Balfe, Master (1808- 1870) | Violin prodigy, 1823. This was the Irish composer and singer, Michael William Balfe |
| Barthélemon, François Hippolite (1741-1808) | Violinist, 1770f., leader and composer 1773/4-1783 |
| Bates, William (fl.1750-1780) | Writing songs, 1767-1776 |
| Bean(s) | 1840, 1845; conductor, Brass Band, 1846, 1847 |
| Benn | 1845 |
| Bishop, Henry Rowley (1786-1855) | 1823, composed operettas, 1823.Composer and conductor, 1826, 1830-1835 |
| Blewitt, Jonathan (1782-1853) | Composing Vaudevilles, 1827. Pianoforte and organ, composer, 1828, 1829. Composer, 1836, 1838, 1839 |
| Blight, W. | Concert Band and Brass Band Leader, 1844, 1846, 1847 |
| Boyce, Dr. William (1710-1779) | Composer, 1745f. |
| Brewster, H. | composing songs, 1771/2 |
| Broad, George | Employed at DL and VG in 1806 |
| Brooks, James (1757/60-1810) (from Bath) | Leader from 1800, 1807, 1808 |
| Burney, Charles | (1726-1814) Violin and viola [nd] |
| Cantelo, Hezekiah | Trumpet, bassoon etc., c.1785f. 1792. Cantelo also performed at DL, and was in the Band of the First Regiment of Foot Guards; later he played with the Ancient Concerts and the Professional Concerts |
| Carte | 1845 |
| Carter, Charles Thomas (c.1740-1804) | Composer of comic operas and songs for Vauxhall, c.1773 |
| Case | Violin, 1841 |
| Castell, M. | 1845 |
| Catrufo, Signor | Manager, Promenade Concerts d 'Éte, 1840 |
| Cervetto, Giacobbe (1682-1783) | Cello. Reported to have performed at VG every summer until he was 98 (?1735-1780). Having arrived in London in 1728, he played in Arne's Comus in 1737, and became solo 'cellist at DL, taking over the management from Garrick. He left a fortune of £20,000 to his son James |
| Charles, Mr. | The Hungarian French horn master and clarinettist was living in Jonathan Tyers's house in 1743 |
| Chattaway, W.T. | Leader and musical director of the uniform brass band at Vauxhall and Cremorne, pre 1851 |
| Cobham, Charles (d.1819) | Violin soloist, 1808. Miss Fearon the Vauxhall singer, served her apprenticeship with Cobham , c.1811. Cobham, who had five children, also played at DL, KT, RG and PS |
| Co(l)linet, Mr. | Leader, Quadrille Band, 1836-1845; Flageolet, 1841; Conductor of the Orchestre de la Danse, 1842 |
| Collet, Richard (fl.1737-1767) | Leader of the band 1745-1748. Later called 'Tom' Collet |
| Collins, G. | Violin and 'cello, 1850 |
| Collins, Medora | Concertina, 1850 |
| Collins, Viotti | Violin and 'cello, 1850 |
| Collmick, Herr Adolph | Co-director, last four nights, 1849 |
| Cooke, Thomas Simpson (1782-1848) | Composing Vaudevilles, 1827. Composer, instrumentalist, singer, director and leader 1828-30 |
| Cooper, Miss Adeline | Composer, 1849 |
| Coote, Charles | Conducting his own band, 1848 |
| Corri, Natale | Composer for the Pandean Band, c.1810-1815 |
| Darmstadt Band | 1834 (The Band of the Grand Duke of Hesse and Darmstadt) |
| Davenport, C. | Co-leader, 1853 |
| David, Anton (born c.1730) | Basset Horn Trio, 1791 |
| David | 1845 |
| Day | 1845 |
| Dean, R. | Co-conductor, military band, 1849, 1850, 1852-1854, 1856, 1858, 1859 |
| Distin, Mr. | Trumpet, 1832. Distin. family perform on the Sax Horns, 1847 |
| Downe, J.L. | Flute, 1847 |
| Duke of York's Band | Performed at Vauxhall from 1790 |
| Dworschak, Mr. | Bassett Horn Trio, 1791 |
| Eichorn, Brothers | Violin, 1832. Herr Eichorn on the Basshorn |
| Eley, Mr. | 1826. Possibly the Christof Friedrich Eley who led the Duke of York's Band c.1790, and composed music for it. |
| Ellis | Co-director, last four nights, 1849 |
| Emanuel, Louis | Director and composer, 1845 |
| Engels | 1845 |
| Evans, H. | 1845 |
| Fischer, Johann Christian | (1733-1800) Oboe, 1768f |
| Fisher, Dr.John Abraham (1744-1806) |
Violin. Composing songs 1772f. ?Leader of the band after Pinto, 1770-1773. Fisher entered into a partnership with two others to purchase Vauxhall Gardens in 1779, but the acquisition did not go ahead Marsh's Journals state that Fisher has started at Vauxhall by 1769 . Marsh's Journals state that Fisher has started at Vauxhall by 1769 |
|
de Folle/de Folly |
Flute, 1841, 1845 |
| Gallot, Mr. | Violin, c.1790/'91 |
| Ganz | Director, 1842 |
| Garde Mobile | Band from Paris, 4 June 1849 |
| Gardner | 1845 |
| Giles | 1845 |
| Gillingham, Mr. | 1792 |
| Giordani, T. (c.1733-1806) | Composing songs, 1772-9 |
| Gladwin, Thomas (c.1710-c.1799) | Organist and composer, 1738-1744 |
| Godfrey, Charles | Leader, Military band, 1832, First Bassoon at DL and VG, 1834, 1836. Godfrey was bandmaster of the band of the Coldstream Guards, and a member of His Majesty's Band |
| Goodwin | 1845 |
| Griesbach, H. | 1845; joint leader, concert band, 1846; Deputy Leader, 1849. One of a large musical family of whom fourteen were employed at Court, possibly John Henry (1798-1875) |
| Griffiths | 1826, 1845 |
| Guest | 1845 |
| Hall | Joint leader, 1846 |
| Hancock | 1845. Possibly the Charles Hancock who published (1845-6) three 'preceptors' or musical instruction books, for the accordion, the flute, and the violin |
| Handel, Georg Frideric (1685-1759) | 1740, wrote Hornpipe for Vauxhall. His statue by Roubiliac erected at Vauxhall in 1738. The Dead March from Saul was played regularly at the gardens, and annually on the anniversary of the death of Jonathan Tyers on 26 June 1767. |
| Hann | 1845 |
| Hardy | 1845 |
| Harper, T. jr. | 1845. T. Harper was teaching trumpet at the Royal Academy of Music in 1838. |
| Hayward | Deputy leader, 1849 |
| Healey | 1845 |
| Hebden, John (1712-1765) | Principal 'cello and 2nd bassoon, from 1745. |
| van Heddeghem | Co-leader Concert and Quadrille Band, 1853; conductor, 1854, 1856 |
| Hill | 1845 |
| Hill, F. | 1845 |
| Holmes, Mr. | Bassoon, 1806 |
| Hook, James (1746-1827) | Became organist of Marylebone Gardens in 1769, but moved to Vauxhall as keyboard player and composer 1772- 1821; Hook wrote over two thousand songs for Vauxhall, and played organ concertos on many thousands of occasions. He was also organist at St. John's, Horsleydown, and taught in girls' schools |
| Hopkins, Edward | Leader and conductor of the Military Band, 1822. And clarinet, 1823 (paid £4 14s.6d.), 1824, 1825, 1826. Director of the Military and Scotch bands, 1829. 1835 |
| Horn, Mr. | Composing Vaudevilles, 1828 |
| Horton, Joseph | Small drum player, 1822 |
| Howard, Samuel | Writing songs, c.1765 |
| Horton, Joseph | Composer, 1828, 1834. Leader, concert band, 1831-1833, 1835, 1838; joint leader, 1846; leader, 1849 |
| Jarret(t) | Horn, 1840, 1841, 1845 |
| Jay | 1845 |
| Julien, Mons. | Director, Concert d'Éte, 1841 |
| Keating | 1840, 1845. J. Keating was teaching oboe at the Royal Academy of Music in 1838, and playing with the Philharmonic Society Orchestra in 1840 |
| Kelly | 1845 |
| Kittler, Herr | Director, Band from the Hartz Mountains, 1847 |
| Koenig | Cornet à piston, 1841 |
| Labarre | Oboe, 1841 |
| Laurent jr. | 1840, 1845 |
| Lavenu | 1845 |
| Lazarus, Henry | Clarinet, 1841. Also employed in the Duke of Devonshire's private band |
| Lee | Composer, 1836 |
| Lee, (George) Alexander (1802-1851) | Composer and musical director, 1846, 1849; conductor, 1850 |
| Lewis, I | Conductor, Yager Brass Band/Military Band 1845, 1849 |
| Loder, Mr. | 1792 |
| Mackintosh | Principal concerto player 1804. Possibly John Mackintosh, bassoonist, later one of the top players at CG and the Philharmonic Society |
| Mapleson, J.W. | Violin, 1822 |
| May | Pianist, 1848 |
| Maycock | 1840, 1845 |
| Millar, Mr. | 1st Bassoon, 1730s/'40s |
| Mori, Mr. | Leader, 1834. N. Mori was teaching violin at the Royal Academy of Music in 1838 |
| Mollenhauer Brothers | Violin soloists, 1853 |
| Mountain, Joseph | Violin, c.1790/'91, and leader 1791-1799. In 1794 he became the leader of the CG orchestra. Played with the Philharmonic Society orchestra in 1819, 1840 |
| Muller | Trumpet, 1841 |
| Musard, Mons. | Director, Promenade concerts and Bals Masqués, 1845 |
| Negri, Signor | Director, Concert d'Éte, 1846 |
| Nelson, Jacob (c.1705-1 July, 1785) | Kettle drummer 1735-1785 |
| Nicholson | 1845 |
| Norten, Mr. | 1826 |
| Paitry, Pierre Jacques | 1853, Violin tenor |
| Pandean Band | 1804f. 1818-19, 1822, 1824, 1825 |
| Parke, John (1745-1829) | Oboe 1771-1804+. Parke was appointed chamber musician to the Prince of Wales in 1783. He was also a member of the Opera orchestra in the 1760s, and played at DL in the 1770s, as well as being a member of the King's Band. In 1823, he was arrested for debt and sent to the Marshalsea prison |
| Parke, William Thomas (1761-1847) | Younger brother and student of John. Flute, oboe (from c.1779, 1818-19), violin, and composer of songs. Also first oboe at CG |
| Parkinson, Mr. | Bassoon, c.1790-1792 |
| Parry, John (1776-1851) | Composer. John Orlando Parry sang, c.1835, at many London concerts, performed on the harp and pianoforte, sang ballads, and, in 1853 was employed as an organist |
| Perry, E. | 1845 |
| Phillips, G. | Conductor, concert band, 1858; conductor, Quadrille Band, 1859 |
| Phillips, Master (c.1853- ) | Violin solo, 1859 |
| Pieltain, Dieudonné-Pascal (1754-1833) | Violinist and leader, 1783-1790/1 |
| Pigot | 1845 |
| Pinto, Thomas (d.1773 or 1783) | Violinist and leader |
| Platt, Mr. | 1826 |
| Potter, John (c.1734-1813) | Employed at Vauxhall c.1764 until 1777. Composing songs, 1765-1772 |
| Potter, Samuel | Kettle Drum and Bass Drum, 1822 |
| Pratt | 1845 |
| Price, Mr. | Concert Band Leader, 1822, 1826 |
| Pritchard, Mr. | 1826 |
| Prospère | Ophicleide, 1841 |
| Ramuset, Mons. | Flute, 1853 |
| Redl, Herr | Musical Director, 1848, 1850 |
| Reed | 1845 |
| Richardson | 1840 |
| Rooke/Rourke, William Michael | Violinist, composer and leader, concert band, 1825-1833 Royal Artillery Band: 1849 |
| Sarjant, James | Trumpet, c.1790/'91 |
| Savoyards | 1781 (French and Venetian Ballads), 1804f. |
| Sayner | 1840 |
| Schmidt, Mr. | Bugle Horn, 1803, trumpet, toc.1807. Trumpeter to H.R.H. Prince of Wales Scotch Band: 1825 |
| Sedgwick, Mr. | Concertina, 1837-1839, 1844 |
| Sedlatzek, Sig. | Flute Concerto, 1834 |
| Severn, C. | 1845 |
| Shaw, Thomas | 1773. c.1790-1793. Leader, 1816 |
| Smart, Sir George | Pianoforte, 1828 |
| Smethergell, William (1751-1836) | Principal Viola. |
| Smithies | 1845; conductor of the Hon. Artillery Company Band, 1853 |
| Snow, Valentine (d.1770) | Trumpet, 1745f. Snow was Sergeant Trumpeter to the King from 1753 |
| Sommer, Herr | Musical director, 1853 |
| Spagnoletti, Signor | Leader, 1826. Spagnoletti was teaching at the Royal Academy of Music in 1823 |
| Springer, Mr. | (born near Prague in 1760) Bassett Horn Trio, 1791 |
| Stansbury, G. | Leader and Conductor, 1836, 1837 |
| Stephens | 1845 |
| Streather | 1840; joint leader, concert band, 1846 |
| Stretten | 1845 |
| Swiss Band | 1828 |
| Tayler, R. | Leader, Pandean Band, 1822, 1824 |
| Taylor, Mr. | Director of Music, 1822, 1823 |
| Thirlwall | 1845 |
| Tully, C. | Horn Soloist, 1824, 1826. Played horn in the Philharmonic Society Orchestra, 1819. |
| Varalli Signori | ('The Calabrian Brothers') On two harps, 1834 |
| Vincent, Richard (c.1701-1783) | Oboe, 1735f; leader of the band in 1755. For more than thirty years principal oboe at CG |
| Wagstaff, Mr. | Leader, concert band, 1823. Played violin with the Philharmonic Society orchestra, 1819, 1840 |
| Wallace/Wallis | Director, Band of the Surrey Yeomanry, 1837; Quadrille Band 1838; Military Band, 1839 |
| Ware, Mr. F. (c.1775- ) | Leader, 1814, 1815, 1818-19, 1821. Played viola with the Philharmonic Society Orchestra in 1819 |
| Watson, Mr. | Organ, 1821, 1822, 1823, 1824, 1825 |
| Westlak | 1845 |
| Westrop, T. | 1845 |
| Wetton, Mr. | 1826 |
| Wild, Mr. | ?In charge of the music, 1787 [Morning Chronicle, 18 May 1787] |
| Wilkins | 1845 |
| Willey | Leader and conductor, 1845 |
| Winterbottom | 1845 |
| Worgan, James (1715-1753) | Organ and 'cello, 1737-1751 |
| Worgan, Dr. John (1724-1790) | Organ and composer 1751-1761, composing only, 1770-1774 |
| Yates, W. | Writing songs, 1764 |

Thomas Augustine Arne
VAUXHALL GARDENS 1661-1859
Musicians

The Farewel to Vaux Hall c. 1740, by B. Cole

The Orchestra in 1765
| KEY | |
| 1st perf.. | First year of performing as a soloist at Vauxhall............. |
| Burney memoirs | Slava Klima, Garry Bowers, and Kerry S. Grant, Memoirs of Dr. Charles Burney 1726-.1769 (Lincoln and London: University.of Nebraska Press, 1988 ) |
| CG | Covent Garden |
| DL. | Drury Lane |
| KT | King's Theatre |
| Last Night .. | The night Vauxhall closed for ever on.Monday 25 July, 1859 |
| Manning & Bray | Manning, Revd. Owen, and Bray, William, The History and Antiquities of the.County of Surrey, Vol. III of 3 (London: White, Cochrane & Co.,1804-14), p.489f. |
| MG | Marylebone Gardens |
| Minet | The Vauxhall Gardens archive at the Minet Library in Lambeth |
| Parke... | William Thomas Parke, Musical Memoirs, 2 vols. London 1830 |
| PS | Philharmonic Society |
| RG | Ranelagh Gardens |
| Vauxhall Papers | Bunn, Alfred [ed], The Vauxhall Papers, 17 Parts (London: John Andrews & John .Mitchell, July-August 1841) Illustrated by.Alfred Forrester (pseud. Crowquill) |
| VG | .Vauxhall Gardens |
| Walford.. | Walford, Edward, Old and New London: A .Narrative of its History, its People and its Places .Vol. IV (London: Cassell Petter & Galpin, .n.d. ..1873-8), pp.447-467 |
| Much
additional information from: S. Sadie [ed], The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, 4 Vols. (London,Macmillan, 1992) |
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