The Violin

The Violin is a 1974 short film by Andrew Welsh and George Pastic, featuring Maurice Solway. Solway also wrote the original music. The film promotes peace and understanding through the power of music and the exchange of knowledge and friendship between the old and the young. In 1975, it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short.

I always wanted to learn to play the piano as a child but we didn't have one (nor room) so I was encouraged to take up the violin. The sounds we hear here about five minutes into this drama were about the size of my skills too, as a young lad struggles to play an instrument that wasn't the one he really wanted from the pawnbrokers. Frustrated, he (mercifully) bins the thing only for it to be found by narrator and accomplished violinist Maurice Solway who shows what can be done when it's in the right, loving, hands. Set amidst a pretty tough and snowy winter, this is quite a touching little drama about dreams and aspirations, and the younger of the two boys is quite endearing as his ears are put through a sort of auditory torture time and time again. Things improve over time and as the youngster becomes more adept and skilful, the sounds become more melodic and less of a musical form of torture for their scene-stealing younger friend who all too frequently has to run and hide (and save the odd goose!). The ending seems a little unnecessarily maudlin and isn't really explained, but it's still quite an engagingly simple story with a touch of fairy godfather to it.