William Shield

Full biography William Shield

William Shield was an English composer, violinist, and violist, born on March 5, 1748, and died on January 25, 1829. He had a successful career as a composer during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He earned the respect of famed composers Haydn and Beethoven, who admired his music.

Shield began his career composing music for public performances in Newcastle, where he was born. In 1773, he moved to London and became a prolific composer of songs, operas, and pantomimes. His appointment at Covent Garden marked the beginning of a successful period in his career, where he wrote a string of successful operas and pantomimes. The afterpieces he composed were particularly popular, such as "Rosina."

One of Shield's most notable contributions to music was his use of a melody later famous for "Auld Lang Syne." Although the poem was written by Robert Burns in 1788, Shield used a similar tune in his opera "Rosina," which was first performed in 1782 , six years before Burns wrote the poem. Shield's version of the melody is considered to be the first recorded use of the tune that we now know as "Auld Lang Syne."

Some of Shield's best-known works include "The Plough Boy," "The Thorn," and "The Lock Keeper." He was also known for his composition of chamber music, such as his string quartets and violin sonatas. Shield is buried in the south cloister of Westminster Abbey, London, alongside fellow musicians such as Henry Purcell and George Frideric Handel.

Overall, William Shield was an accomplished composer who made significant contributions to music during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His music, including his use of the melody that would later become "Auld Lang Syne," continues to be celebrated and enjoyed by many today.