"A One-Man Entertainment Explosion"
Cruise Director Richard Sykes's personal website including unreleased material, blog, twitter feed and locator.
Composition
A listener's approach to writing music using chords and sound. No crotchets, no quavers. Based on Richard's onboard composition classes
April 3, 2012
Murder on the Marco Polo
Read extracts from a cruise diary written by Clive Leatherdale, Richard and many passengers during Marco Polo's Amazon cruise 2011
April 4, 2012
Music Downloads
Listen to some of Richard's own compositions and his recordings of some of the songs used in his shows
April 1, 2012
Japan
Journal Download
A pictoral journal detailing Richard's 2010 trip to Japan. Downloadable as a PDF.
Updated: April 2012
Composition
A listener's guide to songwriting
A new approach to learning the basics of music
Updated: April, 2012
Feedback
Cruise Comments
A collection of comment cards from Marco Polo's 2011/12 season
Updated: April 3rd, 2012
New My Favourite Things
Enjoy the highlights of our cruise with RIchard again and again by downloading the 'My Favourite Things' comedy song, specifically written for your holiday. Based on an idea by Welsh WIzard of Comedy, Andy Rudge, and music by Rogers and Hammerstein, these songs have proved very popular and are currently being downloaded by 30 passengers on every cruise.
To find your own 'Favourite Things', head to the Downloads button above, put your cursor on the button and follow the links through to 'Audio' and 'Compositions'.
New Features
- Brand new Twitter feed
- Wordpress Blog containing new articles and on-site archive.
- Extra Bonus Content taken from recent events
- Cruise Calendar - Looking ahead to another great year of cruising, find out where Richard's going to be... weather permitting
- Pictures from all over the world in the Photo Library
- YouTube links
- Tracks and CDs available for purchase
- Social Media links to Facebook and beyond
- A new CV
- Adobe Flash features. A clock, MP3 player and display unit. A Flash free pad-friendly layout is on the way
What's in store?
You can buy some of Richard's songs including each cruise's 'My Favourite Things' in the new online store. Try before you buy with samples and give feedback.
Who?
Richard is a Cruise Director with Cruise and Maritime Voyages. He's also a Guest Act and a Creative Director for Creation Worldwide Ltd.
During his varied career Richard has played Lionel Diamond at Alton Towers Hotel alongside Tanya Hyde, has written songs, sketches and a complete musical - 'Curtains' - performed by Woodhouse Operatic Society as their Milennium show. He's sung with charity group 'Music and the Deaf' and sung to a dinosaur's backside. He's also a published writer and presenter.
This website is for anyone interested in following his exploits and adventures and his army of loyal cruise fans. With Twitter updates and a calendar of cruise and show dates, you can track him wherever he is in the world.
Comments
Take a look at some of the comments written about Richard in this series of 'Star of the Cruise' award nominations collected during 2011 & 2012.
Top of the Ports
Presented at the Kensington Olympia Telegraph Cruise Show in 2012, here are some of Richard's favourite cruise ports.
Composition
A brief look at his approach to music; this is Richard's take on the art of composition. His popular lectures onboard ships provide a window into the often overcomplex world of music. No crotchets, no quavers... here's a guide to understanding music from a very different perspective.
