William Shield Festival | Love, Lullabies and Longing in the Days of William Shield

Events List

Friday 16th October | 1:00 pm to 2:15 pm

A LIVE Lit & Phil Event | £8

William Shield  | Image source copyright free

Friday 16th October | 1pm

Community Music Whickham & Swalwell and the Lit and Phil are proud to announce the 2026 William Shield Festival, an annual series of musical concerts to celebrate the life and times of this great, but often overlooked, local musician of yesteryear.
William Shield was born in Swalwell in 1748 and rose to the position of Master of the King’s Musick and was principal violinist at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. He is buried at Westminster Abbey. Events to celebrate the life and times of this local lad done good will take place in Swalwell (Shield’s birthplace), Newcastle upon Tyne and Whitley Bay.

 

Dive into the romance and tunes of William Shield’s era with love songs, lullabies, and heartfelt longing with Austin Gunn and John Treherne

Love, Lullabies and Longing in the Days of William Shield

Austin Gunn, tenor, with John Treherne, piano

Austin Gunn is a prominent British tenor, vocal tutor, director and member of the professorial staff at Trinity Laban Conservatoire, London. He has performed extensively with major opera companies, orchestras and festivals throughout the UK and internationally. He directs Rocket Opera, which has contributed greatly to the William Shield Festival through its revivals of lost Shield operatic masterpieces. Today’s recital features music by Miss Mellish, Henry Harrington, Charles Dibdin, William Shield and others.

For details of the whole festival including the Operas please download the leaflet here

The William Shield festival is grateful to Mr A. England for his unfailing support.

A LIVE Lit & Phil Event | £8

(If you would like to book for this event, please click the link provided)