Two nights of silent film and live music are coming to the Comox Valley this month.

A unique opportunity to experience both music and film will be coming to the valley, as Fanfarra Cinemática is presenting 'Music for The General,' a pairing of Buster Keaton’s masterpiece of silent movies, ‘The General,’ and veteran composer Gregg Moore’s innovative, entertaining, and eclectic score.

Moore, an accomplished wind, horn, and string musician, passed the greater part of his career in Europe where this score was originally commissioned by the Cine Clube de Covilha in Portugal. Together with production manager Ruthie Tilston, Moore has assembled a six-person multi-generational ensemble of talented musicians including a trumpeter, a clarinetist, a percussionist, and two saxophonists.  This sextet guarantees to entertain with a thrilling combination of cartoon music, circus mayhem and 19th century parlour music.

This diverse music provides the perfect backdrop to Keaton’s silent movie, ‘The General’, widely considered to be the pinnacle of the early years of cinema.  Keaton upended convention by setting a comedy in the American Civil War and portraying the Southern cause as the ‘good guys’ in a love story of a plucky railway engineer saving his beloved train as well as his heroine. Throughout the movie, Keaton displays his signature physical theatre and storytelling genius.  

"Best thought of as a concert of music with visual accompaniment, the sum provides a rollicking good time for all ages!" a release from the organizers says.

There will be two events, the first on Aug. 16 in Cumberland at Weird Church at 7:30 p.m. The second show will be on Sunday, Aug. 18 at the Merville Hall, also at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and available at the door. Cash or e-transfer is accepted. Children under 12 are free.

Please email Ruthie Tilston at ruthietilston@yahoo.ca for reservations and any further information.