Well, I'm A Latecomer
FADE IN:
EXT. SYDNEY ROADS - NIGHT
Inside a bus, PLATO and ZENO sit and chat with each other. PETER sits near them and intervenes.
PETER
Did the opera singers
use microphones?
PLATO
No! Operas meant to
entertain when there's
no movie or microphone.
Peter digests the remarks.
PETER
So their voices can
be heard by all in the
opera house - on par,
if not louder than the
orchestra music.
INT. STUDY - DAY
Peter checks a What'sApp message.
PETER (V.O.) Our common friend is
an excellent soprano.
She wants to appreciate
my songs?
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
I didn't know about that.
It's a pleasant surprise
that a famous music
professor, composer and
conductor would talk
about my songs in the
first place!
Peter finds his songs from YouTube and send them.
A beat.
Peter reads another What'sApp message: You're a prolific composer - very impressive!
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Me - a prolific composer?
FLASHBACK
INT. HOME - DAY (1964-1971)
Facing the mirror, Peter (10-20) sings. We hear extracts of "Five Hundred Miles" and "The End of the World".
PETER (V.O.)
Although I love Peter &
Gordon's version of Five
Hundred Miles, other groups
have recorded the song
too.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) Cont'd) Similarly, although I like
Herman's Hermits' version
of "The End Of The World",
the song is also sung by
many other artists.
INT. COMMUNITY AREA - NIGHT (1974)
Peter (20) is teaching guitar in a small GROUP. He plays and sings "Sweetheart Tree". We hear:...come along with me, to the sweetheart tree...
END FLASHBACK
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Who composed "Sweetheart
Tree"?
Peter surfs the web.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Music is by Henry Mancini.
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer.
Many artists have sung
the song, including... Wow
Natalie Wood!
Peter taps a video clip icon featuring Natalie Wood and Sweetheart Tree.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd)
Everybody can sing. To
fill in the lyrics in English
is relatively easy when
compared to Cantonese,
especially spoken ones.
But without melody,
there's no song.
Peter taps on a video clip icon featuring Henry Mancini & His Orchestra's Sweetheart Tree.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
The melody can be
musically pleasing, but
without lyrics, it has no
story to tell.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
But if the lyrics are in
a language that the
audience can't understand,
the story won't be telling.
That's why subtitles in
live or recorded performances
should help.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
When I compose, I also
begin with the music first.
The technical reason
being that I ensure I can
play the song in the end.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
But if my target audience
are Cantonese, I'll begin
with the lyrics first, as different Cantonese tones
have different meanings.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
My creative song-writing
is relatively easy as I do
both the music and lyrics
by myself, and so there's
always integrity in my
musical and literary works.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd) Although I've to struggle to
sing even some of my own
songs, I believe, other
artists can interpret my
songs better in due course!
Peter takes another look of the texts and images on his phone screen featuring Henry Mancini.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Died at the age of 70 and
got a posthumous Lifetime
Achievement Award!
Peter then checks the story of the lyricist Johnny Mercer.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Oh, they collaborated in
the song "Moon River"!
He died at the age of 66.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)
Well, I'm a latecomer in
song-writing. I've to be
prolific to make good
for the lost time. I want
to optimize my residual
potential and contribute
to the Hong Kong culture!
Peter picks up his 12-string acoustic guitar.
FADE OUT.
The End