Justin Holland was an important African American figure in the national US anti-slavery movement as well as being a significant figure in guitar composition and methodology. As a composer he synthesised European models and embraced popular, church and parlour songs generating a rich variety of works. A master of virtuosic variations, his arrangements are witty, elegant, and colourful, culminating in Carnival of Venice, which shows the full range of his gifts, sweeping in breadth and dazzling in effect.