A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Johnson, Robert
JOHNSON, Robert, an ecclesiastic who flourished in the middle of the 16th century, was composer of motets, part-songs and virginal pieces. Burney says 'He was one of the first of our church composers who disposed their parts with intelligence and design. In writing upon a plainsong (moving in slow notes of equal length), which was so much practised in those times, he discovers considerable art and ingenuity, as also in the manner of treating subjects of fugue and imitation.' His part-song 'Defiled is my name' is printed in the Appendix to Hawkins's History and his motet, 'Sabbatum Maria,' and an Almain from Queen Elizabeth's Virginal Book in Burney's History. Two of his motets are contained in Add. MSS. 5059 and 11,586, British Museum. He was the composer of the part-song 'Tye the mare, Tom boy,' the words of which are printed in Bitson's 'Ancient Songs, 1790, p. 130.
Another Robert Johnson, a lutenist and composer, possibly a relative of the above-named, was in January 1573–4 a retainer in the household of Sir Thomas Kytson, of Hengrave Hall, Suffolk. In April 1575, being still in Sir Thomas's service, he assisted at the grand entertainment given by the Earl of Leicester to Queen Elizabeth at Kenilworth. He subsequently came to London, but at what precise date cannot be ascertained, and became a composer for the theatres. In 1610 he composed the music for Middleton's tragi-comedy, 'The Witch,' printed in Rimbault's 'Ancient Vocal Music of England.' In 1611 he was in the service of Prince Henry, at an annual salary of £40. In 1612 he composed music for Shakspere's 'Tempest,' and in 1617 songs for Beaumont and Fletcher's 'Valentinian' and 'The Mad Lover.' (See Add. MS. 11,608, Brit. Mus.) In 1621 he wrote music for Ben Jonson's 'Masque of the Gipsies,' some of the songs of which are contained in a MS. volume in the Music School, Oxford. He was one of the contributors to Leighton's 'Teares or Lamentacions,' 1614. A beautiful ballad by him, 'As I walked forth one summer's day,' is also printed in Rimbault's 'Ancient Vocal Music of England.' His name occurs Dec. 20, 1625, in a privy seal exempting the King's musicians from payment of subsidies.