Roker Pier inspires musical composition
SUNDERLAND UNIVERSITY STUDENT PENS TRACK FOR SUMMER CONCERT
A music student at the University of Sunderland has taken inspiration from Roker Pier for a special composition.
Lawrence Chiu, who is also a playing member of Sunderland Symphony Orchestra (SSO), has written a special composition for the orchestra which will receive its premiere performance at the SSO summer concert on Saturday, July 7.
The piece, entitled Roker Pier, is inspired by the Sunderland coastline and Lawrence says he has written the musical composition to capture the different moods of the sea and weather at Roker Pier, from peaceful calm to rough seas and gales.
Paul Judson, the musical director of the SSO, said: “This musical composition by Lawrence contains some very interesting musical modern harmonies.
“The premiere of Roker Pier is a most apt inclusion for this year’s summer concert, which enjoys a nautical theme, entitled ‘Music of Sea’, which heralds the start of the festivities for the arrival of the Tall Ships Race this year which starts in Sunderland.”
Lawrence Chiu, comes from Kota Kinabalu, another city by the sea in Malaysia.
The 24-year-old came to the University of Sunderland in September 2017 to study for his final year of his BSc(Hons) degree in music and has enjoyed playing piccolo and flute in the Sunderland Symphony Orchestra.
David Mills, chairperson of the orchestral society, says he is highly appreciative of Lawrence’s contribution over the past year and that he will be leaving a lasting legacy for the orchestra with this interesting musical interpretation of Roker Pier.
Saturday’s concert will have a seafaring theme to coincide with the Tall Ships Races.
The music programme features many aspects of life at sea: battles (The Middy – naval battle of Jutland), pirates (of the Caribbean), fairy tales (Scheherazade and Sinbad), romance and trading (The Onedin Line theme), as well as popular music such as Rod Stewart’s Sailing.
The concert takes place in West Park Church, Stockton Road, at 7.30pm. Tickets are £8.