Virtually all films of the 'silent era' may not have had synchronised sound but they did have professional musicians accompanying the action. And it was the musical accompaniment by a duo of talented musicians, Chris and Veronica Perrin, aka the Brief Encounter Movie Palace Orchestra who ensured the Mungrisdale event was so special.
Between them they had compiled a selection of music, not only from incidental music for silent films but also the jazz age and Tin Pan Alley and literally played instruments from virtually all sections of the orchestra including giving each character a recurring theme tune....
This is a heartfelt “thank you” for bringing us such a delightful performance with the movie Piccadilly. The assembly of music items was masterly and the playing had a brilliance of sound and superb blending with the emotions and drama unfolding on the screen. It was exemplary.
Piccadilly - an exquisite evening's entertainment. The 1929 film Piccadilly is itself a masterpiece of cinema, no scene is superfluous.I Watched with the score devised by Veronica and Chris makes this an extraordinary experience. You watch the film with such intensity, concentrating on the actors' expressions, listening to the music. Modern films are fast, there's dialogue, a sound track, background noises - Piccadilly gives you time to absorb what's happening in a world where the only sound is the beautiful music played on a variety of ten different instruments by two very accomplished musicians. Do go and see this show. Do go and see this show.
Truly an unexpected and delightful surprise. By the evening's end, I felt I had experienced a classic silent film in the way its very first audiences had done, almost a hundred years ago. Your skilful musical backing of the movie enhanced the experience beautifully! It never grabbed the attention away from the film.
Esther Abrahams (13 years)
It was a thrilling movie
with fantastic music and unexpected twists. I really enjoyed watching it! It is really interesting
to see what life was like in the 1920s and how show business worked. The music fitted the film
perfectly and really helped to build suspense and make it exciting. I would really recommend!
Jonah Morgan-Tait (13 years)
Piccadilly was great! I
loved the plot, especially the comedic bits and the ending, The music was really inspiring: I liked
the variety of instruments and how they told the story
They (the duo) gave everyone a great evening and one that will stay in our memories as it was so
unique.
Saw this show in Helpston recently and was pleasantly surprised. Very engaging and entertaining.
What a talented couple!
An excellent evening's entertainment. The music greatly enhanced the film, being skilfully fitted to
the events on screen, and using instruments ranging from clarinet, keyboard and melodica to a
Chinese gong. We appreciated the musicians' enthusiasm and the demonstration they provided after the
film. Highly recommended!
Piccadilly, the Arnold Bennett film from 1929, with live music by The Brief Encounter Duo was both a
surprise and a delight. I had seen silent movies before but never with live music. The live
soundtrack was so complimentary to the film on screen that I kept forgetting there were two
extremely talented musicians sitting right behind me and just accepted it as part of the whole
experience. How on earth they managed to switch instruments and get it perfectly synchronised to the
film is beyond me. I look forward to any other film shows the duo put on in the future. A great
night out!
Please pass on my thanks to The Brief Encounter Duo. It was an evening of pure joy - surprisingly to
me quite a gripping film even with the style of acting in films of that era which we find amusing
now. However without the amazingly competent & thoughtful musical accompaniment it would have lost
its impact. I very much appreciated the lovely old classic tunes & the way they were woven into the
script. The quirky little things like playing “Tea for Two” when tea drinking was going on, for
example kept me wondering which tunes were coming next. I hope this lady & gentleman are not too
exhausted to find the strength and commitment to make some more musical treats which future
audiences can enjoy.
The Brief Encounter Duo's 1929 Piccadilly film was an evening to remember. How mesmerising - it was
lovely to be taken back to our youth. The storyline was intriguing and the music was outstanding,
how can a duo be so accomplished? I thought it was brilliant!