The Gothic architecture of Truro Cathedral will be the backdrop to one of the greatest silent films ever made, the classic 1923 version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame starring Lon Chaney Snr, on Saturday, October 31 at 8pm. It will be accompanied by live, improvised organ music from international recitalist David Briggs, former Organist at the Cathedral (1989-94). Using the recently acquired Big Screen this entertainment experience will be part concert, part cinema.
This is cinema ‘as it used to be’ with a musician capturing the mood as the silent movie’s images flashed across the silver screen.
David Briggs is the organist who will provide the music accompaniment to the film. He has a worldwide reputation as one of the foremost concert organists of his generation and has won plaudits and prizes for his special musical skills of improvisation and transcription.
David told D+CFilm he’s delighted to be back in Truro. “I spent six happy years as Organist at the Cathedral (1989-1994) here in Cornwall and so to come back again to help the Cathedral with their fundraising is very special,” he said.
David will also give a talk at the beginning of the evening to explain a little bit about improvisation and how he goes about the task of fitting the music to the film.
David said: “Since the age of six, I’ve always loved to improvise music, enjoying the sense of freedom at the keyboard that comes with this. When you improvise it’s impossible to play a wrong note, and that very fact remains quite liberating!
“As with all improvisation, it’s very important that there is a sense of structure and organisation – I like to use Leitmotivs (recurring musical themes) to portray the individual characters, and also sometimes to help pre-empt the action in the movie, by subtle use of musical suggestion – so that sometimes the audience knows what is just about to happen before they actually see it on the screen.
“The goal is inevitably to make the music expand on the inherent message and emotion of the movie and the two have to be very closely dovetailed. When people say “the music and the movie seemed to be as one and I forgot I was listening to an organ”, then you know you have achieved a degree of success”.
Christopher Gray, director of music at the cathedral, who helped organise the show is anticipating a fantastic evening of dramatic entertainment.
He told D+CFilm: “David brought us the Phantom of the Opera last year which people raved about, so we thought we’d invite him back again this year.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to see this classic film, in classic Gothic surroundings, with one of the world’s best ‘improvisation’ organists, playing on Truro’s world famous Willis organ, what more could you want!”
The Hunchback of Notre Dame was the most successful Universal Pictures silent movie ever made, and today is seen as one of the absolute ‘classics’ of the horror genre and one of the best movies of all time. It stars Lon Chaney Snr, in one of his most famous roles, as the Cathedral of Notre Dame’s grotesquely disfigured bell ringer Quasimodo. Chaney was known as ‘the man of a thousand faces’ taking hours to do all his own make up including applying a 30lb plaster hump! But it was his genius at mime and his ability to bring out the essential humanity of his characters that made him the foremost actor of his generation.
The plot revolves around the good natured but disfigured figure of Quasimodo who is ordered by the Cathedral’s Archdeacon to help with the abduction of the beautiful but doomed gypsy Esmeralda. Several twists and turns later leads us to the classic final Cathedral roof scene where Quasimodo helps Esmeralda to escape while he rains down stones, timber and lead on the crowd below. Victor Hugo’s complex novel has seen at least thirteen cinematic adaption’s with perhaps this 1923 version still the best.
In a hushed, darkened cathedral, with the movie looming large at the front of the nave and an improvised, dramatic, post-romantic score coming from the wonderful Father Willis organ, the effect is going to be mesmerising.
Tickets for the showing are £10 and are available on the door or in advance from Hall For Cornwall box office 01872 262466.
A French themed Notre Dame Supper will be available in the Cathedral Restaurant from 6pm prior to the concert. There will be a choice of a 2-course (£12.95) or 3-course (£14.95) supper. Book in advance by contacting the Restaurant Manager on 01872 245011 for details.
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