LGFL Resource: History of Black Londoners
(Thanks to David Mason LGFL)
LGfL has been given by the City of London a website about the life and experiences of George Bridgetower. This site was produced for the City of London’s 2007 commemoration of the abolition of slavery and celebrates the extraordinary achievements of this Polish-born Black Londoner.
George Bridgetower was born in Poland on 29th February, 1780. His father, Frederich Bridgetower came from Africa and his mother, Ann Bridgetower, from Germany. As a young man Bridgetower showed extraordinary musical talent and made his professional debut in Paris at the age of nine when he played a violin concerto by the Italian composer Giovanni Giornovichi.
The following year he moved to London. The Prince of Wales (the future George IV) was very impressed with Bridgetower and paid his father £25 to become his guardian. The Prince of Wales employed leading musicians to teach Bridgetower musical theory. He also arranged for him to give concerts as a solo violinist at the Convent Garden, Drury Lane and Haymarket theatres. For the next 14 years Bridgetower held the post of first violinist in the Prince of Wales’s private orchestra that performed at his home in London and at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.
In 1802 Bridgetower went on a concert tour of Germany and Austria. In May 1803 he met Ludwig von Beethoven who was immensely impressed by his abilities and described him as “a very able virtuoso and an absolute master of the instrument.” Bridgewater obtained a degree of Bachelor of Music at Cambridge University in June 1811. He composed very little work but continued to perform in Europe for many years.
George Bridgetower died in Peckham, London, on 20th February, 1860.
This website and resource pack takes a close look at George Bridgetower and his relationship with Beethoven. It also examines other artists, writers and musicians who were working at the same time as Bridgetower, with a special focus on their relationship to the anti-slavery movement.
The website and pack are designed to be used by teachers of Citizenship, as well as History, Art, English, Religious Studies and PSHE. In each section, you will find an information sheet to share with pupils, as well as a range of suggested activities to support their learning. Rather than containing whole lesson plans, the pack offers a range of suggestions that you can mix and match as you like, or use to supplement other activities. This website provides many supporting materials, including all activity-related music and video clips, copies of images and worksheets. There is also an interview with Julian Joseph, who composed the jazz opera, Bridgetower - A Fable of 1807, with libretto by Mike Phillips, for City of London Festival’s bicentennial commemoration of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, and toured by English Touring Opera.
The site is at http://bridgetower.lgfl.org.uk/index.html and is also in the content menus for KS2 and 3 History and Music
