‘engine shed’
A bespoke string composition AND soundscape 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, LNER, PRS Foundation, and Linlithgow String Orchestra
READ LNER PRESS RELEASE HERE
AUDIO EXAMPLES AT END OF PAGE
Hailing from Shildon, County Durham, the historic ‘Cradle of the Railways’, Deborah Shaw, harpist, pianist, vocalist composer and sonic artist, was commissioned in 2025 to create a new bespoke work to celebrate Rail 200 - an innovative soundscape, and composition for strings. After a successful premiere, the works are now available for tour. Deborah has also created an interactive outreach package available for communities and schools
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 music (Links at end of page text)
Taking inspiration from both the physical power and deep social impact of trains Deborah workedin collaboration with Tanfield Railway collecting live field recordings of George Stephenson's ‘Twizell’ locomotive, which inspired 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 (head of engineering at LNER) blending locomotive sounds with harp and strings for its premiere release. Railway Queen is a song looking at the curious lives of women’ crowned as ambassadors of the railways, and their subsequent lives.