‘the engine shed’
(working title)
A bespoke soundscape and string composition to celebrate the Rail 200 centenary through sound and music from Co. Durham born Shildon Composer DeboRah Shaw
‘CELEBRATING WOMEN IN MUSIC / WOMEN IN STEAM’
Supported by Making Music, PRS Foundation, and Linlithgow String Orchestra
PREMIERE LINLITHGOW STRING ORCHESTRA 9th November 2025 Tickets HERE
Engine Shed has now been funded for touring in 2025 sponsered by S&D Railway 26 / Rail 200. This will include dates at the Locomotive Museum Shildon, Tanfield Railway, Victoria Railway Tunnel:-
DATES 21st November Victoria Railway Tunnel Newcastle Tickets HERE
29th November 2025 Locomotive Museum Shildon (FREE CONCERT)
LISTEN TO WORK IN PROGRESS SOUND BOARD
LISTEN HERE
Hailing from Shildon, County Durham, the historic ‘Cradle of the Railways’, Deborah Shaw, harpist, pianist, vocalist composer and sonic artist, will create a new bespoke work to celebrate Rail 200 - an innovative soundscape, and composition for strings. The works will compliment each other and be available for live performance / installation.
The work has been developed onsite at Tanfield Railway, and in partnership with Linlithgow String Orchestra, supported by Making Music Adopt a Composer Scheme and PRS Foundation.
The work will actively engage the conductor, whom will use a whistle, and some hand signals used by train guards to communicate.
the music
Taking inspiration from both the physical power and deep social impact of trains Deborah is working in collaboration with Tanfield Railway collecting live field recordings of George Stephenson's ‘Twizell’ locomotive, which will inspire the sound work and string composition ‘to capture the breath, hiss, and heartbeat of steam in motion, the rhythmic undulation of a moving engine, and the textures and timbres of the steam age:- purring pistons, sighing valves, and the mechanical sounds of locomotion.’
This suite of music blends folklore, history, and railways: Mind the Faeries in my Kailpatch fuses Scottish myth with Linlithgow’s first railway, exploring the balance between nature and technology; Flying Scotsman celebrates LNER’s iconic locomotive; Gandy Men echoes the blues of African American track workers; and Coal Dust on Powdered Lips honours women in rail—from unseen domestic roles to pioneers like Elsie Winterton (1st Signalling Engineer) and leaders such as Linda Bain (heaf of engineering at LNER) blending locomotive sounds with harp and strings for its premiere release.
Blending sounds stories and oral histories collected in collaboration with SHILDON residents who worked on the railways or in Shildon Wagon Works. The work also looks into women’s roles in railways and music over the years:-