Last week, we lost one of the greatest stage and film actors to have shared his talent with the world. Odds are you’ve probably seen Christopher Plummer in one movie or another over the decades he graced Hollywood. The movie that always comes to mind for me is The Sound Of Music. This is definitely the most obvious one I could say, but let’s just go with it. For as long as I can remember, I have always had a adoration for musicals. This is rooted in my mam introducing me to old movie musicals in my childhood, which then evolved into a love for stage musicals. 

For those of you out there who have never seen it (oh, the shame), it’s about a nun who becomes a governess to seven children in 1930s Austria. Their father is a widowed, former naval captain who has taken to raising his children the same way that he would lead his men in the military. When Maria comes into their lives, she brings music, happiness and love back into their household. At the end they hide in the cellar of Maria’s former abbey, escape the Nazis, and climb over some mountains. Don’t know if I’m doing a good job at explaining this, maybe it’s best if you just watch it, okay? 

MY HEART WANTS TO SING EVERY SONG IT HEARS

This film was practically the cornerstone of my youth. I remember watching it with my mam often, having it on in the background when I was ill, and just in general as a pick me up during those sad days. Whenever I’m feeling inadequate, my internal speakers play “I Have Confidence” in my head. If I’m down about something, I recite the lyrics to “My Favourite Things” to comfort me. 

As I got older, the history nerd inside of me began to appreciate the historical context of the movie. Sure, it’s a work of fiction and not everything is entirely accurate. But the movie is based on the true story of a family who fled Nazi-occupied Austria when Captain Von Trapp refused serve in the German military. We appreciate a man who is vehemently against Nazi ideologies *cue the scene of Christopher Plummer tearing up a swastika flag*

BLOOM AND GROW FOREVER

There’s no doubt his role in this film was one of his most iconic. I will always appreciate the humour he brought to the role with the delivery of his lines. One day, I hope I am able to embody even just a tenth of the sarcastic nature of his Captain Von Trapp portrayal. Although I do believe I remember him saying once that he added humour because he found the character to be a bit dry and uninteresting. Maybe in the hands of another actor, this character would have been exactly that. But Plummer made him something memorable and entertaining.

In one of my most beloved moments of the movie (who am I kidding, every moment is my favourite moment), Christopher Plummer takes the stage during a music contest to sing ‘Edelweiss’. Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote this song in reference to the edelweiss flowers that bloom in the Austrian Alps. Von Trapp uses this moment to say an emotional goodbye to his homeland before he and his family escape, and invites his fellow Austrians to join in with him as an act of defiance against the Nazi soldiers in attendance. In my youth, I didn’t truly understand the importance of this scene, but appreciated it more the older I became. When I heard about Christopher Plummer passing away last week, my mind became a continuous loop of this song.

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This entire post is really just a thank you letter to Christopher Plummer for being part of a movie that has been a constant in my life. Hearing the news of his death last week was devastating. So I wanted to put together this post, and do a little ukulele cover of Edelweiss in a little tribute to him and his incredible career spanning over several decades.