Abstract
The English composer William Shield (1748-1829) owed much of his success to an affinity for folk music which led him to produce hundreds of arrangements of 'national airs', mostly within the scores of popular theatre productions. This article draws on Shield's own published scores and treatises, contemporary reviews of his works, and rare manuscript sources to explain how his early encounters with traditional tunes shaped his compositional approach throughout his career. It also explores why and how the most popular of Shield's composed melodies were so readily reabsorbed into the oral tradition that first inspired them.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 27-51 |
Number of pages | 25 |
Journal | Folk Music Journal |
Volume | 11 |
Issue number | 5 |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2020 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Music
- Folk music
- History
- Eighteenth Century
- Theatre
- Manuscripts
- Northumberland