Music

New music lies at the heart of Northern Silents 

Every performance is shaped by the interplay between film and live sound, and we embrace both improvised and composed approaches to scoring.

Improvisers respond directly to the images on screen, inventing music in real time. Their performances are spontaneous, unpredictable, and alive to the moment — the audience witnesses the score being created as the film unfolds. No two improvised accompaniments are ever the same, making each event a one-off encounter between musicians, film, and audience.

Composers, on the other hand, take time to plan and notate their scores in detail. A composed score may take months to craft, and, once complete, it can be performed again and again, offering audiences the chance to revisit and re-hear a constructed musical vision.

Whether it is the unrepeatable spark of improvisation, or the gradually built structure of composition, every Northern Silents performance highlights the creative possibilities of live music with film.