Set in 1916 Ramsden, Yorkshire, Nicholas Hytner’s The Choral uses the grim First World War as a backdrop—most of the town’s men have left the local Choral Society. Determined to continue, the committee recruits local boys and appoints Dr. Henry Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes), an assertive, overbearing conductor recently returned from Germany and viewed with suspicion. As conscription papers arrive and grief spreads, the film frames communal music-making as a quiet, necessary response to war’s chaos and loss.
Despite its somber backdrop, The Choral earns its lightness rather than feeling escapist. The singing scenes are genuinely lovely and set a beautiful emotional tone from the outset, uplifting the spirits of those in the room and the audience. Songs are perfectly timed and cued to the story’s shifting moods. Fiennes plays Guthrie as gruff and exacting, harsh on the choir members who want to have fun and sing even if they aren’t the best. (With an exception to the beautiful composition from Amara Okereke.) He is openly critical of the choir’s shortcomings and declares to a few not-so-great singers, “I wish I didn’t like singing.”
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The strength of The Choral lies in the creative process and its buildup. Scenes of sectional rehearsals with voices clashing, then blending, show gradual improvement in tuning, balance, and confidence. The film realistically depicts the choir’s growth while acknowledging the world beyond the walls and even the town, without diminishing the gravity of its times. A soldier’s dark humor about purgatory after the horrors of war stands out to me.
The emotional and artistic centerpiece is during the climactic performance of The Dream of Gerontius. Soldiers act out wartime realities as the choir sings. This powerful blend of music and performance elevates the film beyond a standard period drama. The Choral will resonate deeply with classical music fans and choir veterans. Watching with a musically knowledgeable friend who works with amateur singers at a church and high school students added an additional perspective, providing clarity to some scenes. Themes of resilience and community feel timely. Thoughtful, restrained, and quietly moving, The Choral celebrates how music carries history, grief, and hope at once.
The Choral is now playing in theaters nationwide.
