A local Wearside choir will be commemorating the ‘9th June’ but it won’t be 1862 and the ‘Blaydon Races’! 

Shiney Row Male Voice Choir will be remembering one of the country’s most famous engineers who was born and worked in the region. George Stephenson, the pioneer of the railways, was born on the 9th June 1781 in Wylam, Northumberland.

The choir has been commissioned by The Cultural Spring to write and perform a new song about Stephenson and the Hetton Railway to celebrate its Bicentenary this year. The original railway line, which no longer exists, carried coal from Hetton Colliery to Staithes on the River Wear at Sunderland.

Phil Dixon, Shiney Row musical director, takes up the story: "The men are absolutely delighted that we have been asked to produce and perform a new song about such an important person from the area and a great feat of engineering. Many of our members were born, worked and still live close by.”

"Sam Jordan, one of our tenors, is already working on the new piece of music. The choir recently presented a moving new song, ‘Voices Cry’, which he had also written at a special fund-raising concert for the people of Ukraine.”

The Men of Shiney Row, who have been going through a positive resurgence since Covid, held a ‘Special Concert for the People of Ukraine’ at the end of April and have now raised over £1,700. They will shortly be releasing a new CD of the concert, with all proceeds going to the ‘Hope for All Ukraine Appeal’.

If you would like to see this popular local choir, then they will be singing with Tyneside Acapella at St. John’s Methodist Church, Ashbrooke Road, Sunderland this Saturday, 11th June in an ‘Early Summer Concert and Memorial to Falklands Veterans’. And the choir will be joined by a special guest, The Right Worshipful the Mayor of the City of Sunderland, Councillor Alison Smith with the Consort of the City of Sunderland, Mr David Smith.

You can learn more about this great community choir, who ‘Rejoice in Singing’, by checking out their Facebook page or the choir’s website, https://www.sunderlandmvc.org.uk.