Press release from Brevard College:
Brevard College will present a showing of the classic 1925 silent film, The Phantom of the Opera, starring Lon Chaney. The film is a horror picture in the public domain. Brevard College professor of music, organist Vance Reese, and percussionist Raleigh Durham, a student at Brevard majoring in Music, will accompany the silent film.The event will take place Sunday, October 28 at 6pm, at the Scott Concert Hall in the Porter Center on the Brevard College campus. The entire film lasts a little more than an hour and a half. Tickets are available for general seating at the door (starting at 5pm the day of the show), or on ETix (for a small fee). Tickets for adults are $10, and $5 for students. Those wearing a costume will not be charged.
The most common question asked, especially when bringing small children is, “will it be scary?” Several of the scenes, and particularly the “unmasking scene” were terribly frightening to the audiences of 90 years ago, though the melodrama detracts a little for modern movie-goers. Children age 7 and under might need a little TLC at certain points, or be simply advised to shut their eyes for awhile. Otherwise, most of the film can be taken in the spirit of the time of year in which it is offered.
Silent films are still effective as an art form today, and the music accompanying it will be partly improvised, and partly drawn from written pieces, with occasional bits of modern references and humor thrown in. Having percussion accompanying a silent movie will enhance the experience.
Accompanying the event will be an Angst-Fest observed by Brevard students in the Learning in Community class, “Threats to Music and Meaning,” co-taught by Dr. Mel Bringle and Dr. Reese. If you see signs that raise your level of Angst, it is also part of the experience of Halloween, a holiday that allows us to explore the Dark Places in a spirit of merriment and community.
Brevard College is consistently recognized as one of the best liberal arts colleges. The College’s focus on experiential learning, small class sizes, and location the mountains of Western North Carolina near Asheville makes Brevard a top choice college for students around the world.
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