Black Watch to see in the New Year with a magical Cruise Ship Horn Concert in Funchal

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ 804-guest Black Watch will be taking part in a very special Cruise Ship Horn Concert in Funchal, Madeira, tonight (31st December 2015), to see in the New Year!

Black Watch will be visiting the ‘Garden Island’ of Madeira, as part of her 16-night ‘Canaries Christmas & Funchal Fireworks’ cruise, which left Liverpool on 20th December 2015, and will also be taking in the city’s spectacular fireworks display on New Year’s Eve, which is one of the best in the world.

Organised by the Madeira Regional Government, through the Regional Secretariat of Economy, Tourism and Culture, this Cruise Ship Horn Concert will take place in Funchal Bay at 11pm on New Year’s Eve. Lasting around ten minutes, it is centred on a musical score, entitled ‘2015 Cruise Ships Horn Symphony’, specially composed by Francisco Loreto for the nine cruise ships that will be berthed in Funchal on 31st December 2015, which includes Fred. Olsen’s Black Watch.

This musical extravaganza will utilise each vessel’s whistle, which has its own frequency and tuning, equivalent to musical notes. A local composer will stand at Funchal harbour’s tower and, through radio connection to all the ships’ Bridges, will direct a crew musician on each of the nine cruise ships with the rhythm beat, in order to synchronise all the ships’ whistles with the score.

Raquel França, Chief of Staff of the Madeira Regional Government, said:

“This kind of cruise ship concert is very unique on a global scale and takes place three years after a world debut in Madeira. It is meant to be a very special moment while saying farewell to the year in a singular way, both for ship passengers moored at the port and anchored in the bay, and for the thousands of tourists and residents who, almost everywhere in the city and while waiting for the St. Sylvester fireworks, will be presented with moments of magic in one of the most emblematic nights of the Region.”

Black Watch’s Master, Captain Mikael Degerlund, said:

“As Captain of the elegant Black Watch, I am very proud to be part of this magical Cruise Ship Horn Concert, and I am sure that our guests are going to love it.”

From Funchal, Black Watch will continue on her return voyage to Liverpool, where she will arrive back on 5th January 2016.