The History of Sound

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

On the recording, David tells Lionel he has felt completely lost since fighting in the war and sings 'Silver Dagger,' the song that first drew them together. The track cements the enduring bond between their lives and music.