Following his work on Avatar: Fire and Ash and Wicked: For Good, the acclaimed composer joins a Fred. Olsen cruise to create a new music score inspired by life at sea
When I was young, my grandparents moved from our hometown in South Yorkshire to Bridlington, and the east coast became the backdrop for our time together – a formative period of my childhood spent by the sea, with family I loved but now lived many miles away from. As a kid, being at the seaside was a joy, but there was a weight to leaving; since I wasn’t in charge of the car or calendar, I never really knew when I would see my grandparents next.
Even as I grew into a moody teenager, more interested in video games and questionable fashion choices, I looked forward to being with my grandparents by the sea in Bridlington. The sea breeze and the sight of the waves are still inseparable from the feeling of having my grandparents at my side.
When I visit the coast today, I am flooded with feelings of warmth and nostalgia; worries wash away, and I am a child again. The coast, to me, reminds me of my love for my grandparents.
I still live in South Yorkshire, but I’m about to head out to sea on a Fred. Olsen cruise to Norway, tasked with composing a soundtrack that captures the entire journey – from boarding, to moving with the waves, to seeing the Northern Lights. I’ll be inspired by the sights and sounds around me, while carrying my own memories of the coast to the piano keys.
I have loved music since my teenage years, have composed professionally for the last decade, and now Fred. Olsen has given me a challenge I never expected. As I prepare to set sail, absorbing the views from the deck and returning to a piano aboard the ship, I will pinch myself and remember I get to do this for work. When the trip is over and I have finished composing the music, I’ll take a trip to Bridlington to tell my grandparents all about it.
For more information about going on a cruise with Fred. Olsen, visit fredolsencruises.com.
