The Phantom of the Opera with Ian Sadler
… Beneath the opulent Paris Opera House lurks a mysterious figure known only as the Phantom.
Organist
Imagine the longer Autumn evenings with the leaves rattling around, making the streetlights moodily flicker. It’s the end of October and All Hallows Eve is upon us. And with it comes our friend, Juno Award-winning organist Ian Sadler to present and accompany the classic Lon Chaney, 1925 version of the silent horror film, The Phantom of the Opera. Yes, that means you can experience the real performance of a live accompanist, skilfully weaving the power of the Casavant pipe organ — of almost exact vintage with this film, built in 1924
— with the thrilling story on the screen.
He had a heart that could have held the entire empire of the world; and, in the end, he had to content himself with a cellar.
The Phantom of the Opera
by Gaston Leroux
Will you be able to appreciate how audiences of the 1920s got to see the film? Indeed, but more importantly the organist whose credentials include playing for the award-winning 1981 Chariots of Fire score will tell you the story using music and the original black and white film images of the deformed Phantom who haunts the Paris Opera House. There are many more twists in the tale imagined in Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel from which Rupert Julian directed.
Ian’s exceptional collaboration last year with Sebastian Ostertag’s Garden Quartet here at Annesley, Markdale gave birth to a plan for this performance, happily or terrifyingly at the spookiest time of the year.
I am built up of nothing but love, and yet they tell me I am nothing.
The Phantom of the Opera
by Gaston Leroux
Ian began his musical training as a boy chorister at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, UK. He was awarded a Music Scholarship to The King’s School, Canterbury and following high school, was awarded the Organ Scholarship at Bristol University. At age 17, he passed the Fellowship examination of Trinity College of Music, London. During postgraduate study at London University (1978-80), Ian was the Organ Scholar at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Before moving to Canada, his final engagement in the UK was to play the organ in the movie, Chariots of Fire.
Ian moved to Canada in 1980 following his appointments in Toronto as Director of Music at Grace Church-on-the-Hill and Choral Director at Upper Canada College. He has since gone on to appointments as Organist of St. James’ Cathedral, Toronto and most recently as Director of Music at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London Ontario. In 2025 Ian was appointed Organist and Director of Music at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Stratford.
Highlights of Ian’s career have included, representing Canada as the organist for the United Nations 50th Anniversary Celebrations in San Francisco, being awarded the honorary adjunct position of Professor of Music by Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario – a position which he held for 8 years – representing Canada as the first Canadian juror at the International Liszt Organ Playing Competition held at the Liszt Academy in Budapest, Hungary, and winning a Juno award for a CD recording by his Burlington Chamber Choir, Pro Musica.
- 30 Oct 2026
- 7:00 pm
- $ 35.00
- 82 Toronto St S, Markdale, ON N0C 1H0, Canada
