Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 176 Mr. Sorel, this is extortion!
"...Father Razi, the director of the 'Pond Bottom Correctional Institution,' was ruthless and believed that only strict discipline and punishment could 'save' the souls of these children."

"...One day, a failed musician named Clement Mathieu came here to serve as the school supervisor."

"...Matthew discovered that the children lived in fear, but deep down they still retained their innocence and kindness."

"...He noticed that the students often hummed tunes during breaks, so he wanted to form a 'choir'."

"...Matthew decided to use music to change everything, to teach the children to sing..."

"...The students were initially resistant, but they were gradually moved by Matthew's patience..."

As Lionel recounted the story, both Debussy and Maupassant became engrossed in it.

Debussy's fingers tapped lightly on the table, as if he were already providing background music for the story.

"...The most talented boy in the choir was a boy named Pierre, who had an angelic voice—but he was also the most mischievous student."

“...Dean Lazi believed that ‘music is useless’ and tried to disband the choir.”

"...Matthew secretly led the children in nighttime rehearsals, and the children sang better and better!"

"...Matthew secured the opportunity for the child to perform in front of the Countess."

"...The children's singing completely moved the Countess, who was so touched that she donated a large sum of money to 'The Bottom of the Pond'."

"...Matthew was eventually fired. When he left, the children were locked in the classroom by the headmaster and were not allowed to see him off."

"...The children are smart and brave; they said goodbye to Matthew in their own way."

"...Matthew is gone, but the seeds of music have taken root in the hearts of every child—some of them later became real musicians!"

Lionel finally finished telling the story, and seeing the reactions of Debussy and Maupassant, he knew that the chances of success were high.

The story of "The Choir" is based on the 2004 French film "The Chorus"—of course, the latter is a Chinese translation, while the former is the original French title.

The main storyline of the film is basically the same as that told by Lionel, except that the setting has been changed from France in 1949 to France in the 1870s.

Even the "pond bottom reformatory" can be perfectly moved.

In the 19th century, reformatories that housed orphans and troubled youths were mostly managed by churches.

Of course, these places usually have a bad reputation, and children often die there, making them some of the darkest corners of France.

Lionel took great courage to set the story in a reformatory.

Debussy's eyes were brimming with tears, and his eyes were already red—how could a young man who pursued his musical dreams and regarded music as his life's faith not be moved by this story?

When he first heard Maupassant relay Lionel's request, he thought the music was just a minor ingredient in this play whose name he didn't know—like all other light comedies.

But after hearing the story of "The Choir," he realized how wrong he was.

In this play, music is not a condiment, but an indispensable core element—only then did he understand why Lionel repeatedly demanded "whole October, wholeheartedly" to cooperate with the work.

From the description just now, he knew that the composition task was very large.

Maupassant's reaction was much simpler—he fell into frustration and regret again.

In fact, after telling the story of "Boule de Suif" at the "Meitang Night Gathering" in July, he regained confidence in his writing.

While Lionel's "Old Man Milon" has a unique character and a fierce style, it still falls short of "Boule de Suif" in terms of narrative depth and emotional nuance.

Maupassant almost felt he should be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with Lionel.

But after finishing the story of "The Choir," he began to doubt himself again—the immense dramatic charm of this play, which used music to change the fate of a group of children abandoned by adults, captivated him.

Maupassant suddenly stood up from his chair: "Alright, you two continue chatting, I'm going upstairs first."

Lionel looked surprised: "What's the rush? I'm treating you to lunch, how about going to the 'Black Forest'?"

Maupassant shook his head vigorously: "No, I have to go up and finish writing 'Boule de Suif'! This week, this week I will definitely send it to Emile!"

Having said that, he turned and left, striding upstairs, leaving Lionel and Debussy looking utterly bewildered. Only Maupassant knew that he couldn't wait any longer—if he delayed "Boule de Suif" for another two months, plus the necessary publication cycle for a novel...

If the performances of "The Night at Médan" and "The Choir" happen to coincide, the focus of the entire Parisian arts scene will definitely be on "The Choir"!
Then his masterpiece might be buried.

This immense anxiety made Maupassant unable to sit still for even a second!
Watching Maupassant's figure disappear into the stairwell, Lionel turned to Debussy and said, "The story takes place in a reformatory, well, it's all managed by the church there..."

Therefore, I need you to compose some choral pieces that sound sacred… like "Ave Maria" or something similar. The effect I need is—

If someone comes to check on the rehearsals, just hearing these melodies will make them immediately assume this is a play praising God for saving children…

Can you do it?

This request is a bit strange and doesn't quite fit Debussy's creative style.

But for the sake of 200 francs, he agreed: "No problem, Mr. Sorel. When shall we begin?"

Lionel calculated for a moment: "It starts in October, and I still need to do some preparations this week."

Debussy nodded: "Okay, I'll come to you then. I'll compose music based on the parts you write down."

Lionel shook his hand: "It's a deal!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Excuse me for speaking frankly, Mr. Sorel, this is extortion! Your demands are outrageous!" Sister Anna Maria of the "St. Martha's Guild" said angrily.

She looked at the young man in front of her and found his smile to be utterly repulsive at that moment.

Sister Anna Maria's tone betrayed her unease: "We might be able to exert some influence with the police station; the church and the 'Cultural Affairs Section' have always cooperated well."

But the Comédie-Française… every performance there costs tens of thousands of francs at the box office. And they often stage plays that are considered blasphemous…

You actually expect them to listen to us and schedule your script for Christmas? That's absurd!

Lionel shrugged: "I've done my best... If you can't do it, that's your problem."

Then he leaned closer to Sister Anna Maria, his smile becoming even more genuine: "Sister, why don't you listen to the story of this play first?"

Sister Anna Maria waved her hand: "I don't understand drama..."

Lionel scoffed: “I’m not reading a script, just listen to this—this story takes place in the church-run reformatory, the Pond Bottom Correctional Institution.”

The head priest there was a strict and resolute priest who always disciplined the children strictly according to the rules, hoping they could turn away from the wrong path and embrace the light…

As Lionel recounted his story, Sister Anna Maria's gaze gradually softened.

Lionel had just finished recounting how "Matthew organized a 'choir' and began singing 'Ave Maria,' and as the beautiful melody played, the children's fierce expressions gradually disappeared, becoming sacred and gentle..." when he paused and asked, "You see, what if this story could be performed at Christmas..."

Sister Anna Maria took a deep breath: "Alright...we'll try our best...hopefully this is the beginning of a good collaboration!"

Lionel stood up and bowed slightly: "I believe that 'The Choir' will surely move all of Paris."

Sister Anna Maria twirled her rosary beads: "I hope so..."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

When Lionel got home, he smelled the aroma of Petty's red wine oxtail soup.

Petty greeted him in the foyer, exchanged a few words with Lionel, and finally couldn't help but ask, "Young Master, when will Sister Alice be back?"

Lionel patted her head: "Soon... but we need to do something big first."

Petty looked puzzled: "What's the big deal?"

Lionel smiled. "Moving! In the next few days! We're moving to a new apartment where the living room can fit a piano..."

(End of this chapter)