Pianist is key to the silent film experience
Musician and former child actor Forrester Pyke is bringing the sound of music to two classic silent films.
The Bridge of Allan resident is heading to the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh on January 31 to provide accompaniment to the iconic 1922 German silent horror film, Nosteratu.
He will be back there on Friday, April 24 to accompany the 1928 American comedy Feel My Pulse.
“Nosferatu is considered to be one of the masterpieces of cinema and the template for horror films that followed,” said Forrester. “This eerie, gothic feel movie was an unauthorised inspiration from the 1897 Bram Stocker’s novel.
“In total contrast, Feel my Pulse, another iconic movie in its genre, stars Bebe Daniels, Harold Lloyd’s leading lady. She plays a hypochondriacal heiress whose many tribulations will finally cure her.
“So, if anyone wants to move from chilling fear to pure laughter, they can pay a visit to both events.”
Forrester has provided improvised piano accompaniment for silent movies at venues across the country and locally including the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Stirling’s Macrobert and the Festival of Silent Cinema Hippodrome Bo’ness for over 25 years and has composed music for the Scottish Screen Film Archives.
However, the 69-year-old has spent most of his life across a wide spectrum of entertainment and the arts.
He began studying classical piano at the age of seven and went on to study at the London College of Music and London University, specialising in piano, church organ, voice, composition and history of music.