Gathering -

55th Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering – Day 3

Provisional programe – last updated 6th April

We’re back! After three years in lockdown and online, our celebration of Northumberland’s traditional music, song, dialect, craft, dance, stories and heritage is back on the usual weekend after Easter with great activities for all the family plus special Silly Sangs for Bairns events.

Featuring leading entertainers including Anna Fancett, Archaeosoup, Ashington District Male Voice Choir, Auckland Shanty Singers, Bakewell Brothers, Ellington Colliery Band, Graham Bell, The Hedgehog’s Skin, Jim Eldon, Jim Grant, John Sadler’s Time Bandits, Megan Wisdom & Mossy Christian, The Ran Tanners, Robson’s Choice, Sandra Kerr, Steve Turner, Storytellers Street Band, Taffy Thomas MBE, Voice Male, Werca’s Folk plus Morris and Rapper teams.

Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering | Northumbriana

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

09.30 – 16.30 CRAFTS EXHIBITION + refreshments; craft competition entries, craft demos & stalls, CDs, books, posters, festival archive photos – also including special family art activities Town Hall 50p at door. Free entry for accompanied under-12’s

FUND-RAISING POSTER designed by the amazing artist Jonny Hannah specially for the Gathering – contact us for details or buy one during the weekend at the Town Hall! £12.50 by post/£10 in person

10.00 – 15.00 OUTDOOR ENTERTAINERS
Punch & Judy, music, stories, including Massed Morpeth Rant & Maypole dance Market Place, Carlisle Park, Sanderson Arcade

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

10:00 – 12:30 FAMILY ART ACTIVITY

Make dragon and fairy items with artist Elaine Porter Town Hall – free but donations requested towards materials

11.15 CHURCH SERVICE with dialect hymns & reading featuring Gathering performers
St James the Great, Newgate Street

12.00 – 14.00 MUSICIANS’ SESSION Tap & Spile, Manchester St Free

13.00 – 15.00 TOURS OF COUNCIL CHAMBER, Mayor’s Parlour, civic silver, portraits & artefacts Town Hall Free

13.30 THE SONGS OF BAGPUSS with Sandra Kerr
Town Hall Ballroom £2/£1 at door

15.30 FROM MOROCCO TO MORPETH
Ancestral Voices – stories & music with Taffy Thomas MBE, Megan Wisdom & Mossy Christian, following their recent visit to the Marrakech Storytelling Festival
Town Hall Ballroom £2/£1 at door

19.30 THE ELSIE MONOLOGUES
Pat Dunn (Coronation Street, Vera) returns on the big screen in Tom Kelly’s play as the little old lady with a secret – by popular demand after her dramatic online Gathering appearances St James Centre, Wellway £6/£4 (thanks to Morpeth Community Cinema for technical support)

55th Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering – Day 2

Provisional programme – last updated 6th April 2023

Many free events. Prices: adult / school age. Under 5s free. Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering | Northumbriana

09:00 – 16:00 Park & Ride at County Hall

09.30 – 17.00 CRAFTS EXHIBITION + refreshments; craft competition entries, craft demos & stalls, CDs, books, posters, festival archive photos Town Hall 50p at door. Free entry for accompanied under-12s

FUND-RAISING POSTER designed by the amazing artist Jonny Hannah specially for the Gathering – contact us for details or buy one during the weekend at the Town Hall! £12.50 by post/£10 in person

09.45-10:30 CHILDREN’S STORIES with Taffy Thomas MBE Library, New Leisure Centre, Gas House Lane Free

10.00– 16.00 OUTDOOR ENTERTAINERS
Punch & Judy, Ellington Colliery Band, shanty group, music, choirs, Morris and rapper teams Market Place, Carlisle Park (bandstand area & near pavilion), Arcade Free. Plus Makers’ Market in the Market Place.

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

10.00 – 10.50 POP-UP FOLK ENSEMBLE Prepare for a spot in tonight’s concert
St Robert’s Hall, Oldgate Donations invited

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

10.30 – 10.55 RING O’ BELLS from Clock Tower followed by Tower opening at 13.00

11.00 PROCESSION welcomed by the GADGY at the Town Hall [Note: 10:30-11:45 Roads closed to traffic – Newgate St, Market Place, Bridge St – diversions in place]

11.30 – 15.00 STORYTELLERS’ GARDEN
Hear stories in the secret garden Old Bakehouse Yard Millennium Green Free

11.45 – 12.45 NONSUCH DULCIMER CLUB
Come and try plucked and hammered dulcimers. Chantry Bagpipe Museum. Free

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

12.00 CLOG DANCING Town Hall
13.00 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, Oldgate
14.00 BANDS, ACCORDIONS, FIDDLES, OTHER INSTRUMENTS, DUETS St. George’s URC Church (ground floor)
15.30 SINGING Town Hall Ballroom

12.00 MUSICIANS’ SESSION led by Andy Seagroat & Pete James in memory of Ken Meadows Tap & Spile

12.00 – 15:00 SINGAROUND led by Sam Dodds of Tyne Folk at the Joiners Arms Free – donations invited

13.00 – 15.00 CLOCK TOWER open: try your hand at chiming with Morpeth Clock Tower Bellringers

14.00 – 15.00 FAMILY SHOW including Silly Sangs from The Bakewell Brothers and Ashington & District Male Voice Choir – in memory of Olly Wilson Methodist Church, Howard Rd (to be confirmed) £2/£1 at door

c16.00 – 16.45 SESSION for pipers & dulcimers Chantry Bagpipe Museum

18.30 – 20.30 WINNERS’ CONCERT Special guest singer & songwriter Graham Bell, Pop-up Folk Ensemble & 2019’s open class winners MC Peter Armstrong Town Hall Ballroom £9/£5

20.00 MUSICIANS’ SESSION Tap & Spile, Manchester St. Free

20.30 BARN DANCE with The Hedgehog’s Skin & guests. Bring own drinks; no stilettos! St George’s URC Church Hall £9/£5

55th Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering – Day 1

14th – 16th April 2023 Programme – details subject to confirmation last updated 6th April

Many free events. Prices: adult / school age. Under 5s free. Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering | Northumbriana

Before the Gathering:
Dance Workshops Learn the Morpeth Rant for Sunday’s massed dance. Contact Elizabeth Lawson by email: havemaypolewilltravel@outlook.com

Pop-Up Folk Ensemble Music: Download scores/audio in advance from Phoenix Folk for Saturday’s events: website www.phoenixfolk.co.uk/morpeth

FUND-RAISING POSTER designed by the amazing artist Jonny Hannah specially for the Gathering – contact us for details or buy one during the weekend at the Town Hall! £12.50 by post/£10 in person

Thursday 13th April:

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

Friday 14th April:

During the day, performers will visit local Care Homes

10.00– 16.00 OUTDOOR ENTERTAINERS – Punch & Judy, music, stories on Market Place and in Sanderson Arcade. Free. Full schedule of activities to be posted on the day.

10.00 NORTHUMBRIAN SMALL PIPES TASTER DAY in Chantry Bagpipe Museum
instruments provided- advance booking & payment required – contact the Gathering Office (see below)

10.00 onwards DANCE WORKSHOPS (all to be confirmed)

10:00-11:00 Historic
11:30-12:00 Clog
13:00-14:00 Longsword
14:30-15:30 Barn Dance

Town Hall £2/£1 per session

14.00 OFFICIAL OPENING of Gathering by Mayor Cllr Alison Byard, Town Hall

15.30 FRIDAY AFTERNOON CONCERT Steve Turner (songs & concertina) and Ken & Sandie Hudson (songs, dulcimer & guitar) Chantry Bagpipe Museum £4/£3 child

16.30 STORYTELLING FOR FAMILIES with Anna Fancett Library, New Leisure Centre, Gas House Lane Free

19.30 – 22.00 WERCA’S FOLK WITH VOICE MALE
The two choirs mark Werca’s Folk’s 25th birthday – postponed from 2020!
Methodist Church, Howard Rd £12/£6 child

20.00 onwards MUSICIANS’ SESSION Tap & Spile Free