Orlando’s Mary, Queen of the Universe Basilica and Shrine held a screening of Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, the 1925 silent classic, on Friday, October 25. What made this event unique was the presence of Dr. Steven Ball, who accompanied the film on the shrine’s majestic organ. It was almost like having the fictional Ben-Hur himself in attendance.

The film (4 ½ stars on 0-5 scale) is an astonishing achievement for its, or any, time, but several elements are particularly noteworthy for 1925: the two-strip Technicolor sequences, the nudity, the frank discussion of Jewish persecution, the violence and, of course, the famous chariot race. And the presence of Dr. Ball (organist, composer, conductor and specialist in silent-film accompaniment) turned the screening into a sublime outing. (This aging film critic just needs to remember to bring a cushion for those wooden pews next time.)

You can see Dr. Ball at least twice a year at the historic Tampa Theatre, at which he is artist in residence. He also serves as organist and director of music at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice, Florida. For more information on him, click here. To learn more about the film, visit Wikipedia. And to find out more about the shrine’s concert series, visit the website.