Boy's Choir (独立少年合唱団)

EARLY NINETEEN SEVENTIES

LATE WINTER

Mr. Yanagida... Let me move you.

It's 110.

Hello.

May I speak to you for a minute?

Michio... Here is your lunch.

Will he pull through?

It's a miracle that he is still alive.

Down to 97.

Over 80.

I'll get the doctor.

What was that?

I can't remember.

What...?

'What was it?'

Tomiko! Call the doctor!

The time of death was 03.47 a.m.

May he rest in peace.

He woke up and spoke, just before he died.

Didn't he, Michio?

Yanagida Photo Studio. See you again someday.

Your dad held it out for a while.

Take a deep breath.

Do... do....p.....people see flashbacks when they die?

That's what is said.

S....so....p... people see their life p... pass before them.

Not again.

The bus drivers are on strike.

Shall we walk?

What did....

What did your father mean when he said: 'What was it?'

DOKURITSU SHONENGASSO DAN

Dokuritsu Orphanage Junior High School

This is the Holy Bible. Have you ever read it?

It contains the Word of God. Please, treasure it.

Michio.

Please think of this school as your home.

Let us say a prayer.

Oh Lord God. We thank You for Your many blessings.

Today you have brought a new member to our community.

May his stay here be blessed with Your Love

Is that warm?

Sorry.

Yasuo... what are you doing? Go to the clinic....now.

Yes sir. I'll go later.

You'll go now!

The flu is going around. Get into line.

Straighten the line.

Next.

Open your mouth.

Today we have a new classmate.

His father died recently, so he is an orphan.

It takes time to adjust to life here, so be nice to him.

Go ahead. Introduce yourself.

H....how do you do?

He got a stutter!

What is your problem?

Both of you! Stop it now!

What's going on here?

Neither of you knows a single thing about the other.

How can you hate each other, when you have never met before?

He gets on my nerves.

Go on. Sit down.

Why can't you all get along?

Where have you been?

Did it hurt?

Pastor Seino. When will it be finished?

Sometimes I think I'll be better off teaching in the city.

I thought I could get closer to the kids here.

I have no idea what's going thru their heads.

I'm losing my confidence.

You are probably just homesick.

No... It's not that.

How long have you been here?

This is my third year.

Is it not lonely here?

I like being here. They are much better to handle than the city kids.

You really think so?

Looks like they are going crazy.

Radicals bomb four police stations.

I hear that you were a radical during the student riots.

That was a long time ago. Now I am a carpenter.

You can't be both a christian and a revolutionary.

Wait here.

This shows that you are present.

This way.

Hello.

Your dormitory.

No. 7. Yoshinori Abe.

Present.

No. 11. Katsutoshi Sakata.

Present.

No. 23. Hajime Miyata.

Present

No. 32. Michio Yanagida.

'When a new doctrine is espoused from a fresh new idea, '

'we are bidden to appraise such doctrine highly.'

Who will I select to read from here?

So... How about Yanagida?

Yanagida?

Oh... the newcomer. Good. Would you like to?

What's wrong?

Sir. I will read it.

Okay. Go ahead.

Aren't they so sweet? Yasuo's got a little sister!

Alright Sakata. Shut up.

I'll wash you, Yasuo.

No pubes yet? You'll never get them.

The succession of Japanese emperors...

Emperor Kousho, Koan...

S...

Stut...

S..s... stutterer...

Stutterer.

Stutterer...

Stutterer...

Hey...

Running away?

They'll see you. Go out by the back.

The station is that way. The first train is at 05.47.

Don't do it. You will only get caught.

The stationmaster will call the school.

Where will you go?

I have a house.

My name is Yasuo Ito.

I was born on March 30th,

My address is 208, No. 5. Steel Housing,

Sakamachine 306, Inamura City.

Blood type is AB, which is rare for Japanese.

My dream is to join the Vienna Boys' Choir.

Don't forget about me!

Don't go. It is not so bad here.

I promise you.

This way.

Hurry!

Sir!

Here he is.

Hello son. What is your name?

Mi....mi ....chio Yanagida.

Try exhaling first.

Michio Yanagida.

Sorry. Let me try something.

Sing me a song.

Huh?

Anything. Just song me a song.

The ties of our friendship are stronger than blood.

So very, very strong.

Okay. That's enough.

Did you notice anything?

You don't stutter when you are singing.

Do you know why?

One, two...

Open your mouths wide.

Nice and wide.

Make it come from the top of your head.

More, more. Now louder. Louder.

Make your mouth into an 'O'-shape.

Hold the note!

Your voice is something that has to come out.

It is only your mind that stops it.

The human body is like a musical instrument for the voice.

Your head, throat, belly.... Everything resonates.

It is called 'singing'.

- Yasuo! - Hai!

Take the kinks out.

Okay.

You are so stiff. Someday you will end up as a rock.

A song is born out of silence.

Let us close our eyes.

Beyond the darkness of the night fog,

The brave lad has to leave home, fighting for his country.

The lights flood from the window of the house.

A maiden is at the windows, bidding him farewell

Stop!

To reach that note, you must open your mouths wide.

As the note extends, you must open your throat.

Especially bass and tenors. Remember... It is a song about war.

Hai.

The brave lad, leaving for war, parting from the maiden.

So don't emphasize just 'then night fog'.

That has to be sung softly.

The tone rises, but you maintain the softness.

The night fog, nice and smooth.

Picture him walking in the fog.

The brave lad.

The brave lad.

The brave lad.

The brave lad.

The brave lad.

The brave lad.

The brave lad.

The brave lad.

They say that man began to sing before he could speak.

To live means to breathe.

To sing, you must breathe deeply. So for real living, just sing.

MID SPRING

GOOD CONDUCT WEEK

Hey! Stop there.

It is all crooked.