   william shield (5 march 1748 â 25 january 1829) was an english composer, violinist and violist who was born in swalwell near gateshead, the son of william shield and his wife, mary, nÃ©e cash. thumb|william shield ==life and musical career== shield was first taught music by his father but, after both he and his mother died while shield was still a child, he was apprenticed to a ship-builder in south shields, continuing however to study music with charles avison in newcastle upon tyne. he became a noted violinist in newcastle's subscription concerts before moving to scarborough to lead a theatre orchestra. in 1772, he was appointed by felice giardini to play violin in the opera at covent garden (now the royal opera house), and from 1773 he was principal violist there. on 21 february 1776 he was in durham, where he attended the meeting of the city's masonic lodge at the marquis of granby tavern. the lodge minutes indicate that he was by this date already a member of the st. john's lodge in newcastle. he later also became a member of the sunderland phoenix lodge. details of the frequency of shield's attendance at these north-east lodges is not yet clear, but can only have been occasional, given his career in london.see simon fleming, 'harmony and brotherly love: musicians and freemasonry in 18th-century durham city', the musical times, 2008 (autumn), 69â80, at p. 78. shield also worked as a composer for covent garden and, in that capacity, he met joseph haydn. in 1817, he was appointed master of the king's musick. like haydn, not to mention several other composers of his time, shield was a great plunderer of folk tunes (in his case mostly from his native northumbria). shield's compositions include a large number of operas and other stage works.for an extended listing of shield's operas see margaret ross griffel, operas in english: a dictionary revised edition (scarecrow press, 2012), p. 748 ff. read here.for discussions of his partnerships with various librettists, see theodore fenner, opera in london: views of the press, 1785-1830 (siu press, 1994), passim. view here these included one on robin hood (1785, text by macnally), as well as instrumental music, but he is principally known for his english light opera rosina (1781). it was intended to be used as a light afterpiece to a more "serious" work sung in ital
1748_births 1829_deaths Burials_at_Westminster_Abbey English_classical_composers English_violinists English_violists Masters_of_the_Queen\'s_Music Opera_composers People_from_Gateshead