Almost Angels Page #2

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He'll be in your choir.

- How do you do?

- Pleased to meet you.

Will you look after him

till he knows his way around?

- Yes, sir.

- Right.

Goodbye, dear.

Work hard.

Bye, Dad.

Bye, son.

l'll show you

where to put your things.

:plays musical scale!

:plays wrong note!

:plays correct note on piano!

That's all right.

But listen as you play.

Train your ear

as well as your fingers.

Yes, sir.

A good ear will

help you sing well, too.

:boys singing in German!

:singing stops!

lt was you

in the eighth bar, wasn't it?

Yes, sir. l sang a B natural.

That's right.

Sing the bar again, please.

:sings!

That's it.

Now, there was something wrong

in bar three.

Let me hear it from the start again.

:plays notes!

:singing!

:singing stops!

Well?

Put your hand up.

Put it up.

l thought it was you, Toni.

Know what was wrong?

l think l sang D sharp

instead of E.

l'm sure you did. All right.

But always put your hand up at once

if you know you've made a mistake.

Don't wait for me to spot it.

l want you to know

you're wrong yourself.

- All right?

- Yes, sir.

Good. And now,

come out in front, all of you.

But no, no, no, leave your music.

Let's see how you manage

when you're all together.

Come on, come on. Come, come.

Right?

Now then, group one, on the upbeat.

And hit that first note

good and firm.

Hmm?

Group two,

you come in on bar five, all right?

:singing!

- :
singing stops!

- No, no, no. Those top notes.

Not through the nose.

:mimics boys singing!

Take a breath, deep,

down here, like this.

And then sing out through your mouth,

good and full, right?

Take it from the beginning.

:indistinct chattering!

You should be outside.

lt'll be dark soon.

Yes, sir.

Arithmetic?

- Do you enjoy reading this?

- No, sir.

What are you trying to do?

Get ahead of the others?

Oh, no, sir.

They're all better than me.

And my father says,

if l don't do well in class...

Come along.

Naturally, your father wants you

to do well with your schoolwork.

- He'll take me away if l don't.

- l know.

- Are you working hard?

- Yes, sir.

Peter Schaefer says,

l just don't work fast enough.

But then, he's so smart.

Peter is very fortunate.

He's got a quick, clear mind,

and a wonderful feeling for music.

Do you think

he'll be famous some day?

Well, he's a very gifted boy.

He can even compose music.

Did you know that?

Mm-hm.

And to be able

to do arithmetic, too...

:chuckling! Cheer up, Toni.

Know who that is?

- lt's Franz Schubert, isn't it?

- Mm-hm.

- He was a Vienna choirboy.

- Was he?

Has the choir been going on

as long as that?

Much longer. Nearly 500 years.

Schubert was a choirboy in 1 808.

Well, not so very long ago, really.

And do you know something, Toni?

He wasn't any good

at arithmetic, either.

He only wanted to sing and write music.

Know this?

:plays song on piano!

Schubert wrote this

while he was still a choirboy.

- He did?

- And plenty more.

Music seemed to pour out of him.

He just couldn't write it down

fast enough.

And then, one day,

his father came to the school

and looked at his school record.

lt was terrible.

He told the director

he was taking his son away.

- And did he?

- No.

The director persuaded him

to give Franz another chance,

and so he stayed.

Do you think the director

could persuade my father?

Maybe your grades will improve.

Do you know this?

:plays song!

Yes, sir.

That's Schubert's The Linden Tree.

Hello, Peter.

This is one of your favorites.

Come and join in. lt'll help Toni.

You sing the alto line, Peter.

l've always sung the lead.

lt's a little high for you now.

Try the alto this time.

:singing!

Good. You sing well together.

When you're a famous conductor,

don't leave Schubert out, Peter.

You know what he meant.

There's still some light.

Peter, take Toni out for some

fresh air before bedtime, hm?

Yes, sir.

:humming while playing piano!

:song ends!

But why do you blame me?

He asked me to sing.

That's my song. l've always sung it.

Herr Heller said

we sing well together.

Look, l'm the leader in this choir.

l will be for a year yet.

And l'm not singing any duets

with any new kid.

Hey, over here,

:Toni! Hey, leave that alone.

ls it yours?

Yes. My dad gave it to me

last Christmas.

lt's got two wavebands,

seven transistors.

Boy, l never saw one

like this before.

- How do you turn it on?

- No, don't.

A radio?

You're not supposed to have it here.

lt's mine, Peter. l'm taking it home

with me this weekend.

Anyway, l wasn't playing it.

Come on, Peter, let's have some music.

- Uh-uh. lt's against the rules.

- There's nobody around.

No, don't do it.

We'll get into trouble.

You'll get into trouble.

lt's your radio.

:radio clicks on and jazz music plays!

:boys chattering!

Give me that,

Try and get it.

:grunts!

:indistinct chattering!

:music and commotion continues!

Ahh,

:music and commotion continues!

Watch it,

Hey, Toni.

:music continues!

:music continues!

:music stops!

You're wanted in the director's office.

What for?

Can't you guess?

Come on, hurry up.

lt wasn't only me.

You're the one who got caught.

Go on.

Do you think he'll tell?

How do l know?

:Eisinger! Come in.

Well, Toni, you've completed

your period of probation.

Herr Heller came in to see me,

and we had a long talk about you.

l've studied your report card.

Your grades are not too good.

Although, your teachers assure me

that you are determined to improve.

And so...

...we have decided to accept you

as a Vienna choirboy.

Well?

- You mean l can stay?

- We want you to stay.

Hey,

Peter, l can stay,

Herr Eisinger told me l can stay.

What about last night?

Did you talk?

He didn't even ask me.

Herr Heller was there too.

l'm sure he hadn't said anything.

That's 'cause it was you.

Anyway, l'm really in the choir now.

And we're giving a concert in two weeks

at the children's hospital,

and Herr Heller says

l'm going to sing a solo.

- For eight bars?

- No, a whole song.

And we're all going

to dress up for it.

lt's called The Postman.

Do you know it?

Yeah. Yeah, l know it.

l've got to find Friedel

and tell him l'm staying.

:playing offbeat music with birdcalls!

You know the cue

for you and Peter to come in?

- Yes, sir.

- Good.

l've never sung

to an audience before.

Not a solo.

Come on, get into it.

- lt feels too big.

- lt is too big. lt was made for me.

l always sang The Postman song.

l'm sorry, Peter.

lt was Herr Heller's idea.

Maybe you won't sing it.

Maybe you'll miss your entrance cue.

Heller wouldn't like that, would he?

:door locks!

Peter,

Peter, let me out,

Unlock the door. Please, Peter.

Ferdy, go and see

what's keeping Toni and Peter.

Yes, sir.

Where's Toni?

- l've locked him in.

- What?

Just to scare him.

Peter, Please open the door,

Don't worry,

l'll let him out in time.

:classical music plays!

! Our mail is on its way

Go on, Peter, let him out now.

lt's his first solo.

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