The immensely successful tenor John Braham (1777?-1856) of whom it was said: 'there is no tenor like Braham in Italy' (The Harmonico, 1832) is seen here as Henry Bertram singing the patriotic song 'Scots Wha Hae', written by Robert Burns in 1793 to a traditional Scottish folk tune. It was featured in the revival of the opera Guy Mannering that opened at the Haymarket Theatre on Wednesday 13th September 1820, starring Mrs Garrick as Lucy Bertram and John Liston as Dominie Sampson.

Guy Mannering, the story that followed the fortunes of the son of Lord Ellangowan, Harry Bertram, who was kidnapped by smugglers aged five, was adapted by the playwright Daniel Terry from the original best-selling 1815 novel Guy Mannering, or the Astrologer by Sir Walter Scott. With music by John Bishop it was originally performed at Covent Garden Theatre, 12 March 1816. Although the title on this print notes that it showed Mr. Braham: 'as he appeared on the Haymarket boards' on Friday 22nd September 1820, its first performance at the Haymarket Theatre was on Wednesday 13th September when the playbill noted songs it featured composed by John Braham.

Short and swarthy, John Braham, the son of John and Esther Abrahams, was born in London and studied with the tenor Michael Leoni, and later with Venanzio Rauzzini. He made his first appearance at Covent Garden Theatre as an eleven-year old on 21 April 1787 billed as Braham, a version of his real name Abrahams. By 1796 when he appeared at the King's Theatre, Braham was England's leading tenor. His reputation as a singer was enhanced by a successful continental tour from 1797 until 1801 with the famous soprano Nancy Storace with whom he had a long relationship and with whom he performed in Paris to an audience that included Napoleon and Josephine, and with whom he met Horatio Nelson and Emma Hamilton in Leghorn in 1799. Praised for his virtuoso technique, clear enunciation and dramatic interpretation of music, his acting was often forgiven for the quality of his singing, Sir Walter Scott once remarking that 'Braham was a beast of an actor but an angel of a singer'.

In 1835 Braham built the St. James's Theatre that opened on 14th December 1835 and where three works by his friend Charles Dickens were staged, including The Strange Gentleman, and The Village Coquettes in which Braham took part, but the expenses of theatre ownership cost Braham his savings and his plans for retirement.