Alloy Orchestra | |
|---|---|
 The Alloy Orchestra performing in 1995. R to L - Ken Winokur, Caleb Sampson, Terry Donahue | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Genres | soundtrack |
| Years active | 1991–2021 |
| Labels | Lobster Films, Flicker Alley, Kino Lorber, Accurate Records, Third Man, Bib Records, Image Entertainment, Warner Home Video |
| Past members | Caleb Sampson, Ken Winokur, Terry Donahue, Roger Miller |
| Website | www |
The Alloy Orchestra was a musical ensemble based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. It performed its own accompaniments to silent films of the classic movie era on an unusual collection of found objects (horseshoes, plumbing pipes, and a bedpan, which comprised their so-called "rack of junk"), homemade instruments, accordion, clarinet, musical saw, and a sampling synthesizer, the group scored and performed with 40 feature-length silent films or collections of shorts.[1] The group is often credited with having helped revitalize the art of silent film accompaniment.[2][3][4]
Percussionist Ken Winokur and keyboardist Caleb Sampson founded the group on June 12, 1985, to accompany a theatrical production of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's Marilyn Monroe vs. the Vampires.[5] In 1991 Coolidge Corner Theatre director David Kleiler invited Sampson and Winokur to write a new score for Fritz Lang's science fiction film Metropolis. The pair composed many of the themes for the film, including the title theme "Metropolis" and the dance club scene, "Yoshiwara" and then brought percussionist Terry Donahue into the group before the first performance.[1][6] After Sampson's death in 1998,[7] the band was joined by keyboardist Roger Miller, guitarist of post-punk band Mission of Burma.[1] They have composed music for approximately 40 full-length silent films or collections of shorts.[8] They also composed scores for 19 feature-length silent film DVDs and BluRays that have been commercially released. They toured extensively (performing an estimated 1000 shows worldwide [4]) in 13 countries in North America, Europe, and New Zealand.[9]
After performing for over 30 years, Alloy Orchestra disbanded in 2021. Miller and Donahue continue the tradition of performing live music to silent films as members of the Anvil Orchestra.[10][11]
- ^ a b c MacDonald, Scott (Summer 2020). ""The Film is our Director": Interview with Ken Winokur, Terry Donahue and Roger Miller - the Alloy Orchestra". Film History. 32 (2): 121–143. doi:10.2979/filmhistory.32.2.06. S2CID 229198281 – via Project MUSE.
- ^ Staff report. "Alloy Orchestra returns to Cornell Cinema this weekend". The Ithaca Journal. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
- ^ VIFFEST (2015-04-01). "Exciting Event: Alloy Orchestra Presents Wild & Weird Short Films for VIFF High". VIFF Blog. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
- ^ a b TCFF (2013-07-26). "The Alloy Orchestra and a History of Silent Film Music". Traverse City Film Festival. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
- ^ "Alloy Orchestra | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2022-05-05.
- ^ Midgette, Anne (2007-02-09). "Give Me Scotland Yard and Dial M for Music". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-05-05.
- ^ "Caleb Sampson Obituary". Sun Journal. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
- ^ @ilpublicmedia (2016-04-18). "The Alloy Orchestra: 25 Years of Creating New Music For Old Silent Movies". Illinois Public Media. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
- ^ "SOUND OF SILENTS: ALLOY ORCHESTRA. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
- ^ Sullivan, Jim (July 8, 2021). "After Three Decades, The Alloy Orchestra Has Disbanded". WBUR. Boston University. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ "The Anvil Orchestra". AnvilOrchestra.com. n.d. Retrieved May 6, 2024.