{"id":108217,"date":"2024-10-04T14:52:02","date_gmt":"2024-10-04T18:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=108217"},"modified":"2024-10-09T09:32:14","modified_gmt":"2024-10-09T13:32:14","slug":"preview-interstellar-organist-roger-sayer-talks-movie-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2024\/10\/04\/preview-interstellar-organist-roger-sayer-talks-movie-tour\/","title":{"rendered":"PREVIEW | Interstellar: Organist Roger Sayer Talks About The Movie And The Tour"},"content":{"rendered":"
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L-R: Organist Roger Sayer; Roger Sayer at the \u2018Interstellar organ\u2019 at Temple Church; Roger Sayer in concert (Photos courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Royal Canadian College of Organists is presenting Interstellar, Roger Sayer\u2019s 10-city cross country tour of Canada to celebrate the movie\u2019s 10th anniversary. British organist Roger Sayer worked closely with composer Hans Zimmer on the original movie score.<\/p>\n

For the tour, he\u2019ll be playing his own arrangements of highlights from the soundtrack for solo organ, along with other space-themed classical music, including Holst\u2019s The Planets. In Toronto, Sayer will be performing at the Metropolitan United Church, sporting the largest pipe organ in Canada, on October 19.<\/p>\n

Sayer has been touring the music throughout the UK and Europe since January.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s it like to work on the music for a film that\u2019s become a sleeper favourite with a growing cult following? We talked to Sayer about the movie and the tour.<\/p>\n

Roger Sayer: Pipe Organist<\/h2>\n

Roger Sayer began pursuing music singing in the choir in Portsmouth, UK, and went on to study at the Royal College of Music. He studied the organ at St. Paul\u2019s Cathedral, and went on to win the 1989 St Albans International Organ Competition, among others. He tours across the globe often as a recitalist and accompanist.<\/p>\n

The pipe organ, in general, seems to be enjoying a kind of revival of interest. \u201cI would say so. I think that is true,\u201d Sayer says. \u201cIt’s odd in a way, because the attendance in churches are going down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rather than church music, it\u2019s films like Interstellar, and social media, that are driving the new interest.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s a renaissance of young organists coming through, who aren’t necessarily associated with church.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he points out, the pipe organ is a versatile instrument, an element that\u2019s often forgotten. \u201cThe organ has […] a great history of transcriptions.\u201d He often performs orchestral transcriptions, like Holst\u2019s The Planets. \u201cIt works so well on the organ,\u201d he says. \u201cIt’s got very broad shoulders.\u201d<\/p>\n