From Muybridge to the jazz singer, the era of silent films was not really silent. Music was a first choice partner in the presentation of the moving pictures. You don’t want to miss this master class with pianist Nicholas Pynes featuring early cinema comic shorts, accompanied by live music.

After producing 28 seasons as the Artistic and Director General of Theatre Lac Brome, a professional English language theatre in Quebec, Nicholas K Pynes has returned to being a pianist and piano technician. He was responsible for guiding the major renovation of the theatre building making it a significant and modern 160 seat performing arts centre and exhibition space in the village of Knowlton. With an educational background in music composition from City University of New York and graduate studies in Musicology at the University of Victoria with a specialty in 18th century music and theatre, he has discovered the joy of playing the piano as a dance class accompanist. He wrote a musical, produced off off Broadway, based on The Millionaires by Bernard Shaw, and for Theatre Lac Brome, The Megantic Outlaw, The Story of Donald Morrison.