AS A YOUTHA keen musician, Forrester Clifton Pyke began studying Classical piano at the age of 7 and went on to study at the London College of Music and London University, specialising in piano, church organ, voice, composition and history of music. As a child, he joined the Children's Opera group in London, which acted as both a theatre company and an agency. This experience allowed Forrester to enjoy success in many roles such as the Shepherd's Boy in Tosca, Peaseblossom in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Gherandino in Gianni Schicchi at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. Mustardseed in the Royal Shakespearean Company's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream and "Tiny Tim" in the BBC television production of A Christmas Carol, broadcast on Christmas Eve, 1962. He also appeared in "The Avengers" on ITV and his voice was also used in the Judy Garland film, "I Could Go on Singing." For many years he was Organist and Choirmaster of St Michael's Parish Church, Wood Green, London.ON MOVING TO SCOTLAND On moving to Scotland and gaining his teaching qualifications at Moray House College of Education (University of Edinburgh), Forrester spent 2 years singing with Scottish Opera, Scottish Theatre Company and the SNO Chorus with tours to America, Italy and Israel. Aside from his teaching posts with Central Region and Clackmannanshire Councils, Forrester has undertaken many musical directorships with companies and shows such as the Stirling and Bridge of Allan Operatic Society, the Gilbert and Sullivan Societies of Falkirk, Stirling and the Stirling Gang Show and resident pianist of the Stirling Burns Club. Forrester has also had considerable involvement with local churches in the Stirling area, a regular organist for church services and is organist and choirmaster of Bridge of Allan Parish Church and played for BBC broadcasts at the Church. SILENT MOVIES/MUSICAL DIRECTOR As well as his involvement with amateur theatre, he has provided improvised piano accompaniment for silent movies at the Glasgow Film Theatre, Filmhouse Edinburgh, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Eden Court Cinema Inverness, Inverness Film Festival, Falkirk Town Hall, Macrobert Filmhouse Stirling, Festival Theatre Edinburgh and the Festival of Silent Cinema Hippodrome Bo'ness for over 30 years and has composed music for the Scottish Screen Film Archives. Most memorably, Forrester was musical director for the world premiere in 1999 at the Macrobert Centre Stirling of the musical "Vincent - The Flame Burns Bright", which went on to open in Brisbane, Australia, and he appeared in the Channel 4 documentary about its release. Forrester founded Centrescene in 1995, making it the first young person's amateur musical theatre in the immediate Stirling area. For 20 years, Forrester was musical director for every show staged by the company from its first production, Bugsy Malone in 1995. He opened Centrescene Stage School in February 2004 and also co-founded its affiliated adult company, Scene 2. Forrester also runs his own two global internet radio stations:-Stirling Fm Scotland and Forrester Pyke Radio More information for Forrester on Google Search. | FORRESTER PYKE DR. H.C. MUSIC, B.MUS, GLCM, LLCM, ALCM, CERT.ED, MISM TEACHER OF MUSIC PIANIST, ORGANIST, SINGER - (TENOR) MUSICAL DIRECTOR, COMPOSER SILENT MOVIE PIANIST |