Tag: Gathering

Provisional programme – last updated 2nd April – events, venues and timings subject to change

Annual festival of Northumberland’s traditional music, song, craft, dance, dialect, stories and heritage with activities for all the family and the best of entertainers including Benny Graham, Taffy Thomas, Folkestra, Blue Hat Ceilidh Band, Graham Bell & Anne Lamb, Ellington Colliery Band, morris and rapper teams, etc.

Many free events!

Before the Gathering: Pop Up Folk Ensemble Music – for advance details and scores See website

Enquries: 01670 513308  Tickets: Morpeth TIC 01670 623455 Payments at door – cash only

Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering | Northumbriana

Many free events. Prices: adult / school age. Under 5s free.

9.30 – 16.30 CRAFTS EXHIBITION as Friday including family art activity Town Hall 50p on door, accompanied u-12s free

10:00-12:30 DRAGONS AND FAIRIES drop-in family art activity, Town Hall – free but donations towards materials welcome

10.30 – 14.30 OUTDOOR ENTERTAINERS Punch & Judy, musicians, maypole dancing  Market Place, Carlisle Park, Sanderson Arcade

10.00 – 16.00 MORPETH CASTLE OPEN DAY history, stories & music. Arranged with Landmark Trust

10.30 – 11.30 PETE SHEPHEARD on his work collecting the songs of Gypsy Traveller families  Town Hall £3/£1 on door

11.15 – 12.30 CHURCH SERVICE with dialect hymns & readings from Gathering performers St James the Great Church

11.30-12.30 FIND YOUR SEA LEGS – shanty workshop with Auckland Shanty Singers Bagpipe Museum £3/£1 at door

12.00 – 14.00 MUSICIANS’ SESSION Tap & Spile (donations)

12.30 – 13.30 WHERE IS MY BOY TONIGHT? Megan Wisdom and Mossy Christian’s show on the East Coast Fishing Industry Town Hall Ballroom £3/£1 on door

13.00 – 15.00 TOURS OF COUNCIL CHAMBER, Mayor’s Parlour, civic silver, portraits & artefacts, with the Mayor of Morpeth and councillors as your guides Town Hall free

13.30 – 15.00 DROP IN DULCIMER WORKSHOP with Nonsuch Dulcimer Club. “Come & Try” session on hammered and mountain dulcimers  Bagpipe Museum  £3/£1 on door

14.00 – 15.00 FAIRY GOLD Fairy stories and folktales with storyteller Taffy Thomas MBE Town Hall Ballroom £3/£1 on door

15.30 – 16.45 FAMILY CEILIDH with Storytellers Street Band with storytelling spots Town Hall Ballroom £3/£1 on door

Provisional programme – last updated 2nd April – events, venues and timings subject to change

Annual festival of Northumberland’s traditional music, song, craft, dance, dialect, stories and heritage with activities for all the family and the best of entertainers including Benny Graham, Taffy Thomas, Folkestra, Blue Hat Ceilidh Band, Graham Bell & Anne Lamb, Ellington Colliery Band, morris and rapper teams, etc.

Many free events!

Before the Gathering: Pop Up Folk Ensemble Music – for advance details and scores See website

Enquries: 01670 513308  Tickets: Morpeth TIC 01670 623455 Payment at doors – cash only

Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering | Northumbriana

Many free events. Prices: adult / school age. Under 5s free.

9.00-16.00 Park & Ride from County Hall

St John Ambulance at Town Hall

9.30 – 17.00  CRAFTS EXHIBITION as Friday Town Hall

9.45 CHILDREN’S STORIES Taffy Thomas  Library free

9.30 – 15.00 FARMERS’ MARKET stalls Market Place

10.00–16.00 OUTDOOR ENTERTAINERS Punch & Judy, music, shanties, Ellington Colliery Band, local morris, clog and rapper teams Market Place, Carlisle Park and Sanderson Arcade

10.00 – 16.00 MORPETH CASTLE OPEN DAY history, stories & music. Arranged with Landmark Trust Free

10.00-10.45 MEET THE NORTHUMBRIAN PIPERS Drop-in session – hear our local smallpipes Bagpipe Museum Free

10.00-10.50 POP UP FOLK ENSEMBLE Prepare for tonight’s concert spot  St Robert’s Church Hall (donations)

10.15 RING O’ BELLS

11.00 PROCESSION – performers led by medieval Lord Greystoke arrive at Town Hall and are welcomed by the Morpeth Gadgy Note: road closure and diversion 10:30-11:45

From 12.00 (approx.) CLOCK TOWER  tours

12.00– 16.00 STORYTELLER’S GARDEN Taffy Thomas MBE and guests Old Bakehouse Yard Millennium Green   Free

12.00 – 13.00 MARY’S MUSIC HALL MEMORIES Mary Hollins with a “Desert Island Discs” collection of music hall stars on 78rpm – bring any of your own 78s to play too!   St Robert’s Church Hall £3/£1

12.00 MUSICIANS’ SESSION Tap & Spile (donations)

12.00 – 15.00 SINGAROUND Joiner’s Arms (donations)

12.00 CLOG DANCE GET TOGETHER workshop and chat about clog steps learned from the old champions led by Lynette Eldon and Sue Jenkinson  Town Hall Ballroom £2/£1.50 at door or entry by competition ticket

Saturday Competitions: Passport ticket for entrants/audience £2.00/£1.50 includes free entry to Exhibition. Doors open 30 minutes before times stated below to allow entrants to register.

N.B. NO CLOG DANCE COMPETITIONS – postponed to 2025 – see 12.00 slot for a get-together of dancers and public

• 13.30 NORTHUMBRIAN PIPES & LOWLAND/ BORDER/HALF-LONG PIPES Chantry Bagpipe Museum
• 13.30 SPEAKING AND WRITING: dialect, stories, results of pre-judged writing classes St Robert’s Church Hall
• 14.00 BANDS, ACCORDIONS, FIDDLES, OTHER INSTRUMENTS, DUETS St. George’s Church (ground floor)
• 15.00  SINGING Town Hall Ballroom

13.30 – 14:30 FAMILY SHOW including Silly Sangs with Cath and Paddy, Phil Hogg, Storytellers Street Band Venue Town Hall Ballroom £3/£1

16.00 – 18.00 SLOW & STEADY tunes session led by BITS NE for beginners and intermediate players  White Swan (donations)

16.00 WILLIAM SHIELD: Northumbrian Fiddler and Piper Presentation by Amélie Addison with Stewart Hardy (fiddle) Chantry Bagpipe Museum £5/£2 by ticket

18.30 – 20.30 WINNERS’ CONCERT Special guest singer Benny Graham. Pop Up Folk Ensemble plus winners of the 2023 open class music, song and reciting competitions  MC Peter Armstrong Town Hall Ballroom £9/£5 by ticket

20.00 MUSICIANS’ SESSION Tap & Spile (donations)

20.00 NORTHUMBRIAN PIPING SESSION led by Rob Say  Conservative Club, Newgate St (donations)

20.30 BARN DANCE with The Blue Hat Ceilidh Band & guests. Bring own drinks; no stilettos! St George’s Church Hall £9/£5 by ticket

Provisional programme – last updated 2nd April – events, venues and timings subject to change

Annual festival of Northumberland’s traditional music, song, craft, dance, dialect, stories and heritage with activities for all the family and the best of entertainers including Benny Graham, Taffy Thomas, Folkestra, Blue Hat Ceilidh Band, Graham Bell & Anne Lamb, Ellington Colliery Band, morris and rapper teams, etc.

Many free events!

Before the Gathering: Pop Up Folk Ensemble Music – for advance details and scores See website

Enquries: 01670 513308  Tickets: Morpeth TIC 01670 623455  payment on door is cash conly

Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering | Northumbriana

Many free events. Prices: adult / school age. Under 5s free.

Thursday 4th April:

17:30 – 19:00 Art and Craft Competition Entries to be submitted at the Town Hall

Friday 5th April:

During today performers will visit local care homes

9.30 – 17.00 CRAFTS EXHIBITION + refreshments; display of craft competition entries (received Thur. 4th April 5.30 pm – 7 pm), craft demos & stalls, CDs, books, posters, festival archive photos Town Hall 50p on door, accompanied u-12’s free

HOW TO DRAW CELTIC KNOTWORK – family art activity from late morning onwards. Town Hall – free

10.00– 16.00 OUTDOOR ENTERTAINERS Punch & Judy, music, song, history on the Market Place, and in the Sanderson Arcade Free

10.00 onwards DANCE WORKSHOPS Town Hall Ballroom £3/£1 at door per session

• 10.00-11.00 Circle Dance
• 11.30-12.30 Clog Dance (bring flat shoes)
• 13.00-14.30 Historic from 15th – 18th Centuries
• 15.30-16.30 Longsword

11.00-12.00 FIND YOUR SEA LEGS – shanty workshop with Auckland Shanty Singers  Bagpipe Museum £3/£1 at door

12.30-13.30 QUIET INSTRUMENTS session in G/D/C for allcomers with Roy Hugman (mouthie) Bagpipe Museum  free

14.00 OFFICIAL OPENING of Gathering Town Hall

14.00-15.00 DULCIMER SESSION Sing & play-along (any instrument) with Ken and Sandie Hudson – slow and steady tune & song arrangements for guitar, hammered and Appalachian mountain dulcimers Chantry Bagpipe Museum £3/£1 at door

15.30 JAMIE ALLAN Chris Ormston & Matt Seattle on the life & music of the legendary piper Chantry Bagpipe Museum £5/£2 by ticket

16.30 STORIES FOR FAMILIES Taffy Thomas  Library free

19.30 – 21.45 GALA CONCERT including Folkestra youth ensemble, piper Andy May, singers Anne Lamb and  Graham Bell, Young Pipers Group MC David Wilson Methodist Church £12/£6 by ticket

20.00 SINGAROUND with Ed and Sam  Black & Grey Coach House  fee (donations welcome)

20.00 MUSICIANS’ Session with Gathering regulars  Tap & Spile  free (donations welcome)