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Next Gathering: 9th to 11th April 2010
At this stage details are provisional. Full confirmed details will be posted on the website in due course.
Annual festival of Northumberland’s music and traditions held the weekend after Easter in the historic market town of Morpeth, 14 miles north of Newcastle upon Tyne. A jam-packed 3-day extravaganza with plenty of fun for all the family.
Concerts, street shows, barn dance, stories, dialect, crafts, exhibition, workshops, children’s events, history, drama, literature, tours, pub sessions, competitions, storyteller’s garden, bellringing, talks, orienteering and Saturday morning pageant featuring the magnificent giant figure of piper Jamie Allan.
2010’s special theme has a farming flavour, including Northern Historic recreating a peasants’ revolt and celebrations of the great inventor Rastrick.
Highlights:
All 3 days: Crafts Exhibition from 9.30 am with stalls, workshops and refreshments (Town Hall)
Friday 9th April:
Daytime: storytelling, craft/music workshops and concerts including:
11.00 OFFICIAL OPENING of Gathering (Town Hall Exhibition)
11.00 – 4.00 HAUTBOIS with 19th century rural music, RENT A PEASANT with early animal breeds plus PROFESSOR GRUENMENSCH with Punch and Judy (Market Place) Free
7.30 GALA CONCERT including music of the Shepherds (Methodist Church)
Saturday 10th April (10-4 Park & Ride at County Hall)
A full day of indoor and outdoor entertainment, workshops, competitions, concerts and dancing including Rent and Peasant in the Park, plus:
11.00 PAGEANT Border piper, flags, Lord Greystoke’s return from Otterburn, welcomed to Town Hall by Morpeth Gadgy. Musicians, dance groups, street theatre shows.
During this time (10.45 - 11.45 am) Market Place & town centre from Chantry roundabout to Manchester St.closed to traffic. Alternative routes via Dark Lane/ Dacre St./ Manchester Street.
1.00 COMPETITIONS for singing, dialect, instruments, clog dance (various venues)
2.00 FREE FAMILY SHOWS (Methodist Church)
3.00 BATTLE RE-ENACTMENT with Northern Historic (Park Bandstand area)
6.30 WINNERS’ CONCERT last year’s champions and guest Jim Bainbridge (Bagpipe Museum)
8.00 BARN DANCE (St George’s Church Hall)
Sunday 11th April
Concerts, church services, tours, talks, outdoor entertainment, including
1.30 FAMILY CONCERT 2009 junior winners (Town Hall)
Afternoon TOURS OF OLD COUNCIL CHAMBER, Mayor’s Parlour, Civic Silver (Town Hall) Free
3.00 BATTLE details as Saturday
7.30 CONCERT
Above details are provisional. Full confirmed details will be posted on the website in due course.
Colour programmes and tickets will be available from 1st March, or sooner if possible, at Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum, Bridge Street, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1PD (tel. 01670 500717) and Morpeth Chantry Tourist Information Centre tel. (01670 500700; fax 01670 500710).
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