Meet a Composer: Andrew Earle Simpson
Period of Composing: Modern
Country: United States
Since the Orchestra can't hold in-person concerts right now, we are having a virtual concert this weekend featuring one of our favorite local composers, Andrew Earle Simpson. Join us on Saturday, July 25 at 7:30pm to watch a recording of our world-premiere performance of Andrew Earle Simpson's score to the silent movie One Week. It will be on Facebook Live or on our website. During the live event, Andrew Simpson will join Music Director Jason Love to talk about writing the music for this funny short movie. Simpson and Love will also perform the first movement of Simpson's Vista's of Rome for cello and piano.
Andrew Earle Simpson is a modern composer whose compositions include opera, silent film, orchestral, chamber, choral, dance, and vocal music. He refers to his music as "humanistic" because he relates it to the wider world through connections with literature, visual art, and film. An example of Simpson's connecting of drama, visual art, and music is his composing and performing to accompany silent films. Recognized as one of America's foremost silent film musicians, he has performed and conducted his film scores across the United States, Europe, and South America! To learn more about Andrew Simpson and to hear more of his work, visit his website.
Silent films were popular from about the 1890s until the late 1920s. At that time, they couldn't record sound with film so the movies were silent! However, the films were usually accompanied by music performed live in the theater as the film was shown. They were accompanied by either a pianist, organist, or a small orchestra. Silent films included "title cards" that included some of the words that the actors were saying or information about the film. Learn more about silent films on the Kiddle website.
Buster Keaton, who stars in One Week, was an actor, comedian, film director, producer, screenwriter, and stunt performer. Learn more about Buster Keaton on the Kiddle website.
Here's a preview of the Orchestra playing Simpson's score to One Week. Tune in Saturday to watch the entire movie!
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