The Choral (M)

1916. As war rages on the Western Front, the Choral Society in Ramsden, Yorkshire has lost most of its men to the army. The Choral’s ambitious committee, determined to press ahead, decides to recruit local young males to swell their ranks. They must also engage a new chorus master, and despite their suspicions that he has something to hide, their best bet seems to be Dr. Henry Guthrie  – driven, uncompromising, and recently returned from a career in Germany. As conscription papers start to arrive, the whole community discovers that the best response to the chaos that is laying waste to their lives is to make music together.

With sweeping landscapes, choral harmonies, and intimate moments of transformation, the film explores the power of community, music, and art to heal in the darkest times. The Choral stands as both dedication and celebration delivering a story of voices raised together, even when separated by war.

Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Simon Russell Beale, Emily Fairn, Amara Okereke, Lyndsey Marshal, Alun Armstrong, Roger Allam, Robert Emms

Director: Nicholas Hytner

★★★★ "A quiet and consistent pleasure: an unsentimental but deeply felt drama which subcontracts actual passion to the music of Elgar and leaves us with a heartbeat of wit, poignancy and common sense." GUARDIAN

★★★★ "both funny and moving" DAILY MAIL UK

★★★★ "It will leave you with a song in your heart and, probably, a lump in your throat." RTÉ IRELAND

★★★★ "Poignant and heart-warming stuff." SUN UK

★★★★ "this rousing British period drama is packed with colourful people, moving subplots, glorious music and spectacular Yorkshire scenery." SHADOWS ON THE WALL

★★★★ "a sensitive exploration of the national character, sparking one of Ralph Fiennes’s best performances" TIMES UK