London North Eastern Railway (LNER) is sponsoring a performance by the Linlithgow String Orchestra of the world premiere of a new music composition called Engine Shed to celebrate Railway 200, which marks 200 years of the modern railway.

Linlithgow String Orchestra will perform Engine Shed, composed by Deborah Shaw, at a free public concert on Sunday, 9th November, in the historic St. Michael’s Parish Church at Linlithgow in Scotland.

The concert also celebrates ten years since the founding of the orchestra, and 90 years of the charity Making Music, which, along with its ‘Adopt a Music Creator’ programme, is also supporting the project.

The concert is free and starts at 7 pm on Sunday, 9th November. Tickets can be obtained from the orchestra’s website at https://linlithgowstringorchestra.uk/concert-tickets.

Deborah Shaw was born in Shildon, which is located on the original route of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, a central feature of this year’s Railway 200 events.

Engine Shed explores the history of Scotland’s railways through music, amplifying often unheard voices, and exploring the sounds of railways while reimagining stories of trains, industry, and identity.

Making Music commissioned the piece through its ‘Adopt a Music Creator’ initiative in collaboration with the Linlithgow String Orchestra and their musical director Bill Jones, with mentorship from composer Ailie Robertson.

Last year, London North Eastern Railway’s Customer and Community Investment Fund received 470 applications for sponsorship within a few months of its inauguration.

One such beneficiary was LNER FC, based at the LNER Sports and Social Club in Wembley, North London.

“The piece incorporates snippets of archival recordings and field sounds from the steam engine ‘Twizell’ which was built by Robert Stephenson & Company and is now lovingly cared for by the Tanfield Railway. Orchestral cues are directed with authentic LNER guards whistles and traditional railway hand signals. This new composition is so much more than a celebration of trains, I wanted my work to shine a light on the underrepresented voices in both rail and music, from women and marginalised workers to African American railroad traditions.”

Deborah Shaw