William Shield Festival | Morpeth’s Merrie Musicke

Events List

Friday 16th October | 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm

A LIVE Lit & Phil Event | £8

William Shield  | Image source copyright free

Friday 16th October | 7pm

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.

A Celebration of Music from Vanbrugh’s Time

Sir John Vanbrugh (1664-1726) was one of England’s greatest Baroque architects and dramatists, whose legacy includes Seaton Delaval Hall and Blenheim Palace. Bennett Hogg has put together an entertaining and varied programme of music from the period just before the time of Shield. Instrumental numbers with harpsichord contrast folk melodies with music from other genres. This programme was first performed at this year’s Morpeth Gathering to great acclaim.

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)