Talking about silent films in Uxbridge

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 on February 15th at 7PM at St. Paul’s Anglican Church on “The Music of Silent Films in Uxbridge and Environs.” 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 October 18 by the Barbershop Buccaneers. Later, in the 1910s, several movie theatres opened in Uxbridge. All had piano accompanists, and you will hear a real live one on October 18.

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 that 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 that still plagues us today.

Leave your couch at home! Come discover the lost sounds of Uxbridge’s early movies on October 18, 7pm! Admission is $15 on starticketing.com Live entertainment is guaranteed. Don’t be the one who missed the musical event that everyone will be talking about long after it’s over!