Organist Aaron Hawthorne is getting ready to present an unusual event in Tywyn. 

On Saturday, 7 November at 7.30pm, he will be accompanying the classic 1920 film, ‘The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari’ live on the Tywyn Wurlitzer at Neuadd Pendre.

The film is a landmark of German expressionist cinema, famous for its strange, unsettling visuals. The music will be improvised as the film unfolds, using the Wurlitzer’s distinctive theatre-organ sounds to create the atmosphere in real time.

There’s something special about experiencing an old silent film with live music, particularly on a historic theatre organ in a community venue such as Neuadd Pendre.

Aaron Hawthorne is a sought-after silent film and concert organist from North Lanarkshire, Scotland, with a Master of Arts degree in Music from the University of Glasgow. He performs regularly across the UK, Europe, and the USA, known for his engaging organ recitals and silent film accompaniments. Aaron began his career at Motherwell Cathedral and has served as a principal organist in several churches. Since 2017, he has been a house organist at Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum in Glasgow. His passion for theatre and cinema organs started in his teens during a visit to Blackpool's Tower Ballroom. In 2019, Aaron won the Young Theatre Organist Competition in New York after winning the UK title earlier, and later received the Ian Sutherland Award for his promise as a theatre organist. He is active in organ preservation societies and is also an Arts Development Officer for North Lanarkshire Council, a role in which he advocates for accessible community arts. Aaron has completed four annual UK silent film tours, performing classics like "The Phantom of the Opera" (1925), "Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror”(1922), and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”(1923) earning praise for introducing new audiences to silent films and the pipe organ's unique sound world.