John Haines, Special to The Standard
UXBRIDGE: How silent were silent films? The silents of the Roaring Twenties may not have had speech, but they had sound. And that sound was non-stop music.
Assisted by local musicians, John Haines will present “The Music of Silent Films in Uxbridge and Environs,” on February 15th, at 7 p.m., at St. Paul’s Anglican Church. Be sure not to miss this unforgettable all-ages event.
The story begins with travelling film exhibitors whose music ranged from gramophone recordings to songs like the ones performed, on February 15th, by the Two Johns & Two Rehills Barbershop Quartet. Later, in the 1910s, several movie theatres opened in Uxbridge. All had piano accompanists, and you will hear a real live one, or two, on February 15th.
Our journey into Uxbridge’s cinematic past will end with a brief history of the Strand Theatre in the 1920s. By then, Uxbridge was a veritable hotbed of music. There were choirs and bands, operas and minstrel shows, not to mention factories making pianos and gramophone players which were sold across Canada. No surprise, music was also a constant at the Strand, live music, performed during films and in between movie reels.
As quickly as the music of silent films began, it ended with the coming of the talkies. A whole world of live music-making died, replaced by the film soundtrack and the passive approach to music which still plagues us today.
Leave your couch at home! Come discover the lost sounds of Uxbridge’s early movies on February 15th. Admission is free, and live entertainment is guaranteed. Don’t be the one who missed the musical event everyone will be talking about long after it’s over.
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