John is eventually released. He sets up a meeting with Thomas to confront his old friend, as he has worked out that it was in fact Thomas who betrayed him. John kills him and leaves to join the IRA. Before he leaves, he gives Mary his soccer jersey, a football and a picture of the championship team for Sean.
22. “All The Love I Have”
This song is a farewell duet for Mary and John. It is beautiful musically, but is saddled with some of the most awkward lyrics in the song. Furthermore, many of the lyrics, particularly in the choruses, sit awkwardly on the melody. The lyrics in the bridge sections are better suited to the music.
The song takes an AABC form. Elton has set up a rhyme scheme that involves little or no rhyme in the A and C sections, while the 3-line B section rhymes rhymes the first two lines. He then uses a rhyme scheme to connect the two A sections, while the C section only rhymes in its final couplet with the final line of the two A sections:
You know that our parting breaks my heart
I have never felt such sorrow
All the love I have I leave with you
I once promised ’til death do us part
And yet I’ll be gone tomorrow
Please believe me, what I said was true
But when I go, I’m on my own
The path I walk, I walk alone
I face a bitter world with only memories to guide me
I care more that I have ever cared
Yet I know that I am leaving
You’ll be in my heart my whole life through
And all the love I have I leave with you
Elton should dispense with the internal rhyme in the first line and avoid any similar rhymes in this song. The position of the rhyme draws attention to itself, particularly as it does not marry with the length of the musical line. He should also rhyme the first two lines of the C section with those in the A section. The use of trite sentimental phrases also needs to be altered if the verses of this song are to end up being anything other than meaningless. There’s only one divergence from pure rhyme in the next section of the song, the pairing of ‘win’ and ‘him’, but this is not the major problem of the song in this case. The actual content of the lyrics is far more damaging to the moment than a minor flaw in the rhyme scheme in this case.
Ten years pass. Mary looks at the photograph and reflects on what has happened to the boys in the team. As Father O’Donnell comes to collect Sean for football practice, she realises that the game is starting again and hopes that the cycle of hate can be stopped in the next generation.
23. “Finale”
The show ends with a reprise of “Our Kind of Love”, with a minor variation in the lyric. The music segues through phrases of “God’s Own Country” and “Let Us Love in Peace” before the curtain comes down. It’s a quiet and fitting end to the show, one that holds hope for the future of the lives of the all in Ireland.
Looking at these songs in detail has been an interesting exercise. It reveals a score that has a great deal in its favour, but one which is by no means perfect. Very little of the score us unsalvagable; indeed, I’d say that only the derivative and spectacularly unfunny “The First Time” should be dispensed with completely, while the lyrics of “All the Love I Have” need another pass in terms of refining its content. Otherwise, I would say there is a great deal of tidying up that Elton needs to do in his lyrics, particularly in the way he has used rhyme and, in some cases, rhythm. It’s largely mediocre rather than poor work. I would also like to see some of the musical numbers more carefully integrated into the drama. The fact that this is a book driven show, in the style of the great Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, does not mean that complex musically driven scenes have no place at all. One need look only to the iconic bench scene in Carousel for evidence of this. I would particularly like to see this approach adopted in the prison sequence. The characters of Ginger and Bernadette also need to be established more prominently in the score if their arc is to pay proper dividends at the end of Act I.
Ultimately, I would rate The Beautiful Game as a good show, but not a brilliant one, although I think it has the potential to be one. I hope it has a future in which Elton and Lloyd Webber revisit the material to take it to the next level.
Thanks to everyone who has read through all of my thoughts on the score of this show. I’d love to hear what you think about the show too; feel free to share your opinions in the comment box below.
Purchases from Amazon.com
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
1. The Beautiful Game Original London Cast CD.
2. The Beautiful Game Vocal Selections.
Pages:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
About David Fick
teacher + curator + writer + director + performer = (future maker + ground shaker) x (big thinker + problem shrinker) x (go getter + detail sweater)
Musical Cyberspace 
THE BEAUTIFUL GAME: 2000 OCR Track by Track
John is eventually released. He sets up a meeting with Thomas to confront his old friend, as he has worked out that it was in fact Thomas who betrayed him. John kills him and leaves to join the IRA. Before he leaves, he gives Mary his soccer jersey, a football and a picture of the championship team for Sean.
22. “All The Love I Have”
This song is a farewell duet for Mary and John. It is beautiful musically, but is saddled with some of the most awkward lyrics in the song. Furthermore, many of the lyrics, particularly in the choruses, sit awkwardly on the melody. The lyrics in the bridge sections are better suited to the music.
The song takes an AABC form. Elton has set up a rhyme scheme that involves little or no rhyme in the A and C sections, while the 3-line B section rhymes rhymes the first two lines. He then uses a rhyme scheme to connect the two A sections, while the C section only rhymes in its final couplet with the final line of the two A sections:
Elton should dispense with the internal rhyme in the first line and avoid any similar rhymes in this song. The position of the rhyme draws attention to itself, particularly as it does not marry with the length of the musical line. He should also rhyme the first two lines of the C section with those in the A section. The use of trite sentimental phrases also needs to be altered if the verses of this song are to end up being anything other than meaningless. There’s only one divergence from pure rhyme in the next section of the song, the pairing of ‘win’ and ‘him’, but this is not the major problem of the song in this case. The actual content of the lyrics is far more damaging to the moment than a minor flaw in the rhyme scheme in this case.
Ten years pass. Mary looks at the photograph and reflects on what has happened to the boys in the team. As Father O’Donnell comes to collect Sean for football practice, she realises that the game is starting again and hopes that the cycle of hate can be stopped in the next generation.
23. “Finale”
The show ends with a reprise of “Our Kind of Love”, with a minor variation in the lyric. The music segues through phrases of “God’s Own Country” and “Let Us Love in Peace” before the curtain comes down. It’s a quiet and fitting end to the show, one that holds hope for the future of the lives of the all in Ireland.
Looking at these songs in detail has been an interesting exercise. It reveals a score that has a great deal in its favour, but one which is by no means perfect. Very little of the score us unsalvagable; indeed, I’d say that only the derivative and spectacularly unfunny “The First Time” should be dispensed with completely, while the lyrics of “All the Love I Have” need another pass in terms of refining its content. Otherwise, I would say there is a great deal of tidying up that Elton needs to do in his lyrics, particularly in the way he has used rhyme and, in some cases, rhythm. It’s largely mediocre rather than poor work. I would also like to see some of the musical numbers more carefully integrated into the drama. The fact that this is a book driven show, in the style of the great Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, does not mean that complex musically driven scenes have no place at all. One need look only to the iconic bench scene in Carousel for evidence of this. I would particularly like to see this approach adopted in the prison sequence. The characters of Ginger and Bernadette also need to be established more prominently in the score if their arc is to pay proper dividends at the end of Act I.
Ultimately, I would rate The Beautiful Game as a good show, but not a brilliant one, although I think it has the potential to be one. I hope it has a future in which Elton and Lloyd Webber revisit the material to take it to the next level.
Thanks to everyone who has read through all of my thoughts on the score of this show. I’d love to hear what you think about the show too; feel free to share your opinions in the comment box below.
Purchases from Amazon.com
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
1. The Beautiful Game Original London Cast CD.
2. The Beautiful Game Vocal Selections.
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About David Fick
teacher + curator + writer + director + performer = (future maker + ground shaker) x (big thinker + problem shrinker) x (go getter + detail sweater)