The Golden Age of the Piano

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"The voice you hear

is not my speaking voice...

but my mind's voice."

"I have not spoken

since I was six years old."

"No-one knows why. Not even me."

"My father says

it is a dark talent,

and the day I take it into my head

to stop breathing will be my last."

"Today, he married me

to a man I've not yet met."

"Soon, my daughter and I

shall join him in his own country."

"My husband said

my muteness does not bother him."

"He writes, and hark this, God

loves dumb creatures so why not he!"

"Were good he had God's patience...

for silence

affects everyone in the end."

"The strange thing is

I don't think myself silent."

"That is because of my piano."

"I shall miss it on the journey."

Take her hand, come on.

You're with me.

I've got the lady.

You go ahead.

Paddington Station.

Over here, my lovely!

Right, lads, unbutton your muftis.

Piss like a tom.

Jesus Christ,

whose bloody coffin is this?

Christ, it's heavy!

Leave them behind.

It's what they f***ing want.

Aye, leave them

and be lynched for the pleasure?

It's rough out there. Could be they

can't reach you in this weather.

Do you have things for shelter?

She says, "Thank you".

Does your mother prefer

to come on with us to Nelson?

She'd rather be boiled alive

by natives than go in your tub.

You be damn fortuned I don't smack

your puppy gob, young missy!

Damn lucky!

We're all ready now, sir.

Mother, watch out!

The hens! Are they all right? Here.

Look, I'm a very big moth.

Will it catch fire?

I won't call him Papa.

I won't call him anything.

I'm not even going to look at him.

Are we stopping?

Shall we stop?

Tai hoa. Me tatari tatou.

Me tutatou i konei.

We must get on.

Hmmm?

Miss McGrath? Alisdair Stewart.

I've got men here

to carry your things.

I see you've got a good many boxes.

I'd like to know what's in each...

Can you hear me?

Well, that's good.

Yes, that's good.

What's in this one?

You're small.

I never thought you'd be small.

And this one? This is very large.

- What's in it, then, a bedstead?

- It's my mother's piano.

Tell them to carry in pairs.

Take all the boxes, table and...

suitcases.

What do you think?

She looks tired.

She's stunted, that's one thing.

And the big case?

No, no. Just the trunks

and the boxes as I explained.

- No, it can't come now.

- It must. She wants it to come.

So do I. But there are too few

of us here to carry it now.

Too heavy!

What, you mean you don't want your

clothing or kitchenware to come?

We can't leave the piano!

Let's not discuss this any further.

I'm pleased you arrived safely.

Can they come back directly for it?

Could I apologise for the delay...

After they've taken

the other things.

Might I suggest that you prepare

yourself for a difficult journey.

The bush will tear clothing, and

the mud is very deep in places.

What do they think they're doing?

We haven't time for this. Baines!

What's the matter?

Why are they stopping?

That's the way to the

burial grounds. It's tapu.

They just want more money. They're

trying to make two days out of it.

No.

No, they know another track

to the side of this.

Septimus, now take that off!

Take that off(!)

Watch your feet! Mind your feet!

- Septimus! Please stop it!

- Stop it!

- Stop, please! You'll tear it!

- Oh, the tag is broken.

Septimus, now stop!

You'll tear it. Be careful.

Arm down.

If you cannot have

a ceremony together,

you'll have at least

a photograph.

The lace is most fragile.

My real father was

a famous German composer.

They met when my mother was

an opera singer in Luxembourg.

Why?

I want to be in the photograph.

Going to leave the cloth here?

No, no. It is just to keep

the chair dry.

The planks have gotten very greasy.

Get in that chair.

Pull the tarpaulin off.

I am sorry it rained.

We have not light enough inside.

- The umbrella on this side?

- On t'other!

Can you take this, please?

And sitting...

Very still.

And where did they get married?

In a forest

with fairies as bridesmaids...

each holding a little elf's hand.

No, I tell a lie. In a country

church in the mountains.

- Which mountains?

- The Pyrenees.

I've never been there.

Mother sang in German, and her

voice echoed across the valleys.

- Before the accident.

- And what happened?

My mother and father were singing

in the forest and a storm blew up.

So passionate was the song

that they didn't stop

as rain began to fall.

Their voices rose for the last bars

of the duet, and lightning...

came out of the sky and struck my

father, who lit up like a torch.

And as my father

was struck dead...

my mother was struck dumb.

She never spoke another word.

Oh, dear!

Not another word?

Well, from the shock. Yes.

It would be. Terrible.

Terrible.

Terrible, terrible.

Sorry.

I have to go away for some days.

Some Maori land I'm interested in

which I may buy very reasonably.

I hope you'll spend the time

to get settled in. And perhaps...

in some ways...

...we could start again.

All right?

I'm not able to read.

Please take us

back to the beach where we landed.

I am sorry. I can't do that.

I don't have the time.

Goodbye.

I can't take you there.

I can't do it.

Whoa, whoa!

Mumma! Mumma, watch me! Watch!

Mumma! Mumma!

- Hello, there.

- Hello.

You've stopped combing your hair.

Good. It was looking overdone.

The heads will go through

the slits.

Show him, Nessie.

The Reverend will use real blood.

It'll be very dramatic.

- Very dramatic.

- Tea!

Morag...

what would you think if someone

were to play a kitchen table?

Like it were a piano.

Like it were a piano?

Strange, isn't it?

I mean, it's not a piano.

It doesn't make any sound.

Biscuits!

No, no sound.

I knew she was mute

but now I'm thinking...

perhaps it's more. I wonder

if she's not brain-affected.

Shush!

- No sound at all?

- No. It was a table.

She was very violent with the gown.

She tore off a chunk of lace.

I saw it. I swear she'd have used

her teeth and wiped her feet on it.

It hasn't come to anything yet.

It's simply a concern, that's all.

Yes.

Yes, of course. A concern.

There's something

to be said for silence.

Indeed. Cotton?

With time, I'm sure

she'll become affectionate.

There's nothing so easy to like

as a pet. They're quite silent.

## The grand old Duke of York

He had ten thousand men #

# He marched them up and up

and marched them down again ##

Those 80 acres across the stream,

what do you think of them?

I have no money.

What are you on about?

I'd like to make a swap.

- What for?

- The piano.

What, the piano on the beach?

- It's not marshy, is it?

- No.

The music lover. I never would have

thought. Hidden talents, George!

I'd have to get lessons. It

wouldn't be much use without them.

Yes, I suppose you would.

Ada can play. I have it in a letter

that she plays very well.

She's been playing

since she was five or six.

What on?

Well, on... on your piano.

That's the swap.

What's she saying?

It's her piano

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