Event will be instrument of celebration
Public event will sing praises of the Northumbrian Small Pipes and their part in regional culture. Tony Henderson reports
Enthusiasts are to stage tribute to England’s only regional musical instrument – the Northumbrian Small Pipes.
The free event on Wednesday (May 14) will celebrate the cultural significance of the pipes and will feature talks from experts and live performance.
Held in Northumbria University’s Great Hall, the event also builds on the growing cultural collaboration between the university and North East Museums.
Small Pipes – Big History will include a talk by local piper and historian Richard Heard on the tradition of small piping in North Shields, as well as live musical performances by acclaimed piper Andy May.
Dr Amélie Addison, lecturer in music at Northumbria University, will give a presentation about Gateshead-born composer and Master of the King’s Music, William Shield, and his connection to regional folk music.
Shield, who lived from 1748 to 1829, was born in Swalwell and was apprenticed to a shipbuilder in South Shields, but also studied music under Newcastle composer Charles Avison.
He became a violinist in Newcastle's subscription concerts and later principal violinist at Covent Garden, now the Royal Opera House. In 1817 he was appointed Master of the King’s Music, and is buried in Westminster Abbey.
A cross was erected to honour Shield in 1891 at Whickham Church, and in 2009, Gateshead Council erected a memorial to him in Swalwell.
Anne Moore, curator of the Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum – which has recently joined North East Museums – will also talk on the William Alfred Cocks’ collection of bagpipes, housed in Morpeth.
The collection, which now belongs to the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle, contains over 120 sets of pipes from across Europe, including notable instruments belonging to the Thomas Bewick family, a miniature set made for Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House and a French musette once played at the court of King Louis XIV.
Northumbria University’s Dr Rachael Durkin, associate professor of history and music, will also discuss the Jeremy Montagu collection of global musical instruments, held by the university.
The Montagu Collection was compiled by conductor, curator and scholar Jeremy Montagu over more than 50 years, and includes rare examples of instruments from diverse communities, from the 12th century to the present.
Following his death in 2020, the collection of more than 2,700 instruments was donated to Northumbria by Arts Council England’s Acceptance in Lieu scheme. through Dr Durkin – a founding member of the university’s music degree programme and a colleague of Jeremy Montagu.
She said: of the celebratory event: “This marks an important moment for the music collections of Northumbria University and North East Museums. Music plays an intrinsic role in society and cultural identity, and the Northumbrian Small Pipes are no exception.
“Collaborating to celebrate an iconic instrument, and its unique sound, is an exciting way to showcase the richness of the expertise and our music collections to the public.”
Bill Griffiths, head of programmes and collections at North East Museums, said: “We are constantly finding new and exciting ways to work with Northumbria University and after North East Museums took on the management of Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum, collaborating on an event around the Northumbrian Small Pipes made sense.
“It is set to be a wonderful event with an interesting mix of live music and insightful presentations.”
Although the first record of the Northumbrian Small Pipes dates from the late 17th century, the pipes in their present form were developed in North Shields during the first half of the 19th century, by Robert Reid and then his son James.
In the 20th Century the town was home to important modern pipe makers and players, and there is still a tradition of piping and pipe-making in North Shields today.
This event will acknowledge the North Shields 800 festival, celebrating 800 years since the founding of the township.
Small Pipes – Big History runs from 6pm–8pm in the Great Hall of Northumbria University’s Sutherland Building, College Street, Newcastle Entrance is free, and booking is not required.