The History of Sound 2025

First meeting over folk music

In 1917, Lionel Worthing, a music student, meets David White at a pub where they instantly bond over their shared love of folk music. They later move to David’s apartment, where their connection grows into romance.

Romance begins in David's apartment

The two youths continue their budding relationship in David’s apartment, where their attraction deepens beyond friendship. Their bond is strengthened by their mutual passion for traditional songs and shared dreams.

David enlists; Lionel returns to Kentucky

As the United States enters World War I, David enlists and Lionel returns to his home state of Kentucky as the conservatory closes. Lionel puts his music aside to help on his family’s farm after his father dies suddenly.

Letter from David: a Maine job and a voyage plan

In 1919, Lionel receives a letter from David announcing his return from the war and his employment at a Maine college. The message mentions a department-funded trip across the state to collect folk songs on wax cylinders and invites Lionel to accompany him.

Reunion and journey across Maine

Lionel and David reunite and begin traveling around Maine to collect songs from diverse communities. Their collaboration deepens, and their relationship is renewed as they record and share folk tunes.

Parting ways as work pulls them apart

Their Maine trip ends when David must return to his duties, and Lionel plans to travel to Europe. The project dissolves for the time being, and both men pursue separate paths.

Letters fade: Lionel writes, then stops

Lionel maintains contact through letters but gradually stops receiving replies from David. The growing distance foreshadows a lasting separation between them.

Italy, Luca, and a bitter goodbye

In 1923, Lionel, now in Italy, tells his lover Luca that he’s taken a job as conductor at the University of Oxford, ending their relationship on a sour note. The parting marks a new chapter away from the early romance.

Oxford years and Clarissa Roux

A year later, Lionel conducts for Oxford's choir and becomes involved with student Clarissa Roux, who invites him to meet her family at their country manor. The period marks Lionel’s growing fame and a new social circle.

Memory surge and departure to comfort his mother

During a trip to meet Clarissa’s family, Lionel is overwhelmed by memories of David. He returns to the United States to comfort his dying mother, and his relationship with Clarissa ends amid the personal upheaval.

Search for David’s fate in Maine

After time in Kentucky, Lionel travels to Maine to locate David’s records. A colleague reveals that David died some time after their trip and that no department had commissioned the voyage, leaving the wax cylinders missing.

Belle reveals the truth

David's widow Belle explains how she and David became involved, confirms his death was a suicide, and returns Lionel’s letters. Belle promises to send the cylinders if they can be found, shedding new light on the couple’s past.

Mourning through songs

Lionel mourns by revisiting David’s favorite locations from their youth and by playing the songs that first drew them together. The ritual helps him process the loss and keeps their memories alive through music.

A package arrives: wax cylinders surface

In 1980, Lionel, now an ethnomusicologist, promotes his latest book when a package arrives containing the wax cylinders. One recording was made on the day of David’s death, offering a haunting glimpse into their shared past.