At a music school, a gifted piano student, Zoe Stock, thinks that she sees a woman drown after leaving her baby on the bank. She jumps in but doesn't see the woman, and there's no baby. Barnaby & Jones are called in, and though there is no proof that anything happened, Barnaby vaguely remembers an actual, similar drowning that took place about 18 years earlier. Back then, the body was found by a Catholic priest, Father Gregory.
Zoe is competing to participate in a master class run by the world-famous Sir Michael Fielding (James Fox); the school is administered by his daughters Miriam and Constance (Sylvestra Le Touzel and Frances Barber). Only three students from the current crop will be chosen, and when they are, Zoe is one of the three, along with Orlando (Matthew James Thomas), and Francesca (Katharine Press). The winner of the Fielding Prize is assured an international career.
When an attempt is made on Zoe's life, Barnaby investigates further, and then the bodies start falling. Is it the rejected student, who is still hanging around, responsible? Or is it someone else? The denouement of this story is bizarre, and you'll be trying to figure it out through the film. A dark story and an excellent one, with some well-drawn characters and excellent performances.
Highly recommended.