Former Weardalian arranges music to celebrate 200 th anniversary of the railway
A Musician and composer who lived for many years in Ireshopeburn has arranged music played at an
event to celebrate the 200 th anniversary of the birth of the passenger railway.
Steve Robson, who led Stanhope Silver Band for many years teamed up the quintet, Queen
Victoria’s Consort (QVC), who performed at the weekend at Hopetown in Darlington and The
Locomotion in Shildon. One member of the group, Jeremy West, lives in Stanhope and is a former
member of Stanhope Silver Band.
The band played music that was performed on the very first passenger train journey from
Stockton to Darlington in September 1825. Unfortunately, the original scores of the tunes played has
been lost but a list of them survived. That is when Steve Robson became involved and arranged the
original music to be played by the quintet of musicians who play period instruments.
A video was made back in 2024 after the “Friends of the Stockton and Darlington Railway”
provided Queen Victoria’s Consort with the list of titles of the music known to have been played, and
funds to research and make new musical arrangements for their 5 members, and to make video
recordings. The idea was to share the video with as many people as is possible. So here is a link to
allow Weardale Gazette Readers to check out the video.
https://www.queenvictoriasconsort.co.uk/stocktondarlington.html Steve and QVC hope that you
enjoy this little piece of history.
The group was eager to play the music “LIVE” during the 200th Anniversary year, and completed
a very detailed grant application proposing a tour to County Durham, to the “Continuo Foundation”.
The bid was successful and further funding was provided by the friends of The Stockton and
Darlington Railway, and the Northern Regional Brass Band Trust, and QVC were able to plan a 3 day
tour. QVC are hugely grateful to everyone who made the tour possible.
So it was that Steve, his wife, Michelle and their eldest daughter, Sophie, were in the gathering of
visitors to the Locomotion where the Gazette was also in attendance, watching as the band
performed the programme of tunes beginning with Rule Britannia. Some titles of the music played in
1825 turned out to be pieces that will be unfamiliar to most people.
A vocal score of “Hail Star of Brunswick” by Samuel Webbe (1740 – 1816) was found in a book of
“Glees, Catches and Rounds” published with the support of HRH The Prince of Wales in 1800. “Old
Towler” is a hunting Song composed by “William Shield” who in 1817 was appointed as “Master of
the King’s Musick”. Other tunes however were more familiar. “The Keel Row”, “Auld Lang Syne”
and “Scots Wha Hae”. popular folk music of the day, all needed to be “Arranged” to suit the
instruments of QVC.
Listeners in the big shed at Locomotion, made an appreciative audience, as more and more
visitors gathered around to watch and listen. This included some from Weardale too who just
happened to be there.
As a replica Locomotion No 1 was giving rides to passengers outside on the very line used on that
first journey, the music drifted towards them through the doors of the museum, which contains
many old trains including that No 1 designed and built by George Stephenson.
The musicians were Robert Vanryne, Jeremy West, Sue Addison Andrew Kershaw and Tim Hawes.
Jeremy was educated at the University of Durham and Guildhall School of Music, Jeremy and
specialises in historic brass, most notably renaissance Cornett and Victorian alto horn. Often
regarded as a ‘pioneer’ of the Cornett, he is a founder member of His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts –
the leading ensemble of its kind, now over 40 years old – and Principal Wind Player with the Gabrielli
Consort and Players for their early repertoire.
He has more than 60 recordings to his credit and concert performances have taken him to 38
countries across five continents. Since 1991 Jeremy has run Christopher Monk Instruments for the
research, development and reconstruction of all members of the Cornett and Serpent families.
Steve Robson, who now lives in Lancashire, has a long pedigree of involvement in music. Apart
from leading our local band as conductor, he also led the junior band in the same way, teaching
youngsters how to play instruments and read music. He has led and conducted other bands too and
is a respected composer in his own right.
Steve has spent a lifetime in music, and has been delighted over recent years to work on many
varied projects with Bands around the country, and is thrilled to have worked on several projects
with QVC. Most recently, in June, he arranged “Miner’s Ballads”, and wonderful Song Cycle by the
talented Sunderland Musician Barry Hyde, to be performed in Redhill’s, Durham, by Barry, on the
piano, and the Durham Miner’s Association Band. This was part of the annual Durham Brass
Festival.
He also arranged four more pieces of music, which help tell the story of how railway’s moved
beyond the UK and onto the continent, and around the world. Music by Johann Strauss, Antonin
Dvorak, Luigi Denza, and Tommy Armstrong, The Pitman Poet”. These pieces were all performed
several times over the three-day Railway Tour.
Steve’s daughter, Sophie, said after the performance that she – and her siblings, Milly and Seb –
are extremely proud of him and his achievements.
Andy, from the Queen Victoria’s Consort, explained to the audience about the instruments being
played that day – not easy ones to master by present-day standards – including the one Jeremy was
playing, which was an original saxhorn made by Aldophe Sax, who would later develop the
saxophone, which was also named after him.
The performance was so much more than an excellent musical recital, it was a history lesson and
not only of the instruments the band played but also of the fact that music was played on that
inaugural journey 200 years ago when the world witnessed the very first passenger rail journey on a
steam train.
It was a rare insight into the past and an exquisite performance made possible by a man forever to
be associated with Weardale and music. Pure joy.
Steve sends greetings to gazette readers and would like to invite anyone who wishes to hear some of
the music he has worked on in recent years to send him an e mail to
or call him on 07731485791. He has several links to recordings of his music which can be freely
viewed, which he would be thrilled to share with anyone who is interested.
