bannister played in the first productions of several of his friend william shield's operas, from his early success "the flitch of bacon" at the little theatre, haymarket (as captain wilson) in 1778, through many of his later covent garden successes. he was the first mr belville in shield's "rosina" (text by mrs brooke) in 1782–83, in which mrs bannister also appeared: his song "her mouth, when a smile" stuck in his personal repertoire. in 1783 he was captain fitzroy in shield's "the poor soldier". in 1784 "robin hood" (text: macnally) gave mrs bannister an air "the nightingale" with oboe obbligato for parke jnr., and to charles bannister the song "as burns the charger" with trumpet accompaniment. bannister and 'jack' johnstone's duet "how sweet in the woodlands" was richly encored. parke recalled bannister singing in shield's "fontainbleau, or, our way in france" in 1784, and how he and johnstone sang duets at a dinner held by shield soon afterwards. bannister was also in first performances of shield's "the farmer" (1787), "the highland reel" (1788) "the crusade" and "the czar" (both 1790), and "the woodman" (1791), in the latter with both johnstone and incledon.