January 15, 2014
Manasota Theatre Organ Society Presents
Silent Film Scorer and Theatre Organist Clark Wilson
February 16, 2014 § Grace Church
Esteemed organist Clark Wilson accompanies the 1924 silent film comedy, Girl Shy, on the Wurlitzer pipe organ at Grace Church. Called a “master of silent film and showman of the first order” by film critic Leonard Maltin, Wilson is considered one of the finest practitioners of the art of silent picture scoring in the world.
(Sarasota, FL) Manasota Theatre Organ Society (MTOS) is bringing three world-class organists to perform on the historic Wurlitzer theater organ it owns and maintains in Grace Church for its 2014 season. The series continues with Clark Wilson, one of the leading scorers of silent movies in the world, February 16, 2014, at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. Performances are held at Grace Church, 8000 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota. Concerts are at 2:30 p.m.; doors open at 1:15 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, call 941-776-3668.
In this concert, Wilson will accompany the 1924 romantic comedy, Girl Shy, starring Harold Lloyd. A shy young man, who is completely incapable of talking to women, decides to write a book offering tips to bachelors about how to find a girlfriend. Wilson’s original and fresh score is equally as entertaining.
“Audiences will truly delight in how entertaining this concert will be,” says John Fischer, president of MTOS. “The theater organ was built expressly for the purpose of accompanying silent film. Not only does the organ stand in for an entire orchestra, it was also built to supply special sound effects, like thunder, horse hooves on hard ground, or ice cracking. The range of sounds produced is really amazing—and Clark is a master. This will be a silent film like you’ve never HEARD before.”
Wilson notes that scoring for silent film is often misunderstood by the general public. “While computers can devise musical patterns, only an inspired human can create music that works artistically upon emotions,” he says. “A good score also accurately reflects the historical context in a meaningful way. Good scores are the results of talent and years of study.”
Called a “master of silent film and showman of the first order” by noted film critic Leonard Maltin, Wilson is considered one of the finest practitioners of the art of silent picture scoring in the world. He has performed around the world, including in such celebrated halls as the Chautauqua Institution in New York, the Packard Foundation’s Stanford Theatre, and at the Fox Theatre for the Atlanta premier of the restored Metropolis. Wilson accompanies a silent picture annually on the organ series at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and has performed at both the Cinequest Festival and San Francisco Silent Film Festival. Since 1992, Clark has served as resident organist and organ conservator at the famed Ohio Theatre in Columbus, Ohio.
Manasota Theatre Organ Society (MTOS) brings world-class theater organists to perform on the historic Wurlitzer theater organ which is widely regarded to be among the finest surviving historic instruments of its type in the world. The MTOS season continues with renownedtheater organist Jelani Eddington, who will entertain with popular songs and his signature orchestral transcriptions on March 16.
“The grand old theater organ has one universal purpose,” says Fischer. “It exists to enrich the lives of listeners with the sounds of beautiful music. I’m happy to say, thanks to the work of Manasota Theatre Organ Society, it’s doing exactly that.”
About Manasota Theater Organ Society
Manasota Theater Organ Society (MTOS), a branch of the American Theater Organ Society, was founded in November 1991. Its first project was the renovation of the 1926 Aeolian Duo Art pipe organ in the Charles Ringling Mansion, which is now part of New College of the University of South Florida. MTOS strives to promote the awareness of America’s theater pipe organ heritage and continues to present concerts featuring the 4/32 Wurlitzer theater pipe organ located at Grace Church in Sarasota.
