Introduction: What Is The Choral (2025)?
The Choral is a 2025 British historical drama film directed by Nicholas Hytner and written by Alan Bennett, two titans of British theatre and cinema. It is set in Yorkshire in 1916, during the First World War, and revolves around a local choral society in a fictional mill town called Ramsden. The movie explores how community, grief, music, and class intersect in times of national crisis.
The film’s world premiere was at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2025, and it is released theatrically in the UK on 7 November 2025. With a runtime of approximately 113 minutes.
Key Production Details
- Director: Nicholas Hytner.
- Screenplay: Alan Bennett. This is notable: Bennett, at 91, returns with his first original screenplay in decades.
- Producers: Kevin Loader, Nicholas Hytner, and Damian Jones.
- Cinematography: Mike Eley.
- Editing: Tariq Anwar.
- Music: George Fenton, who also makes a cameo in the film as Elgar’s driver.
- Cast:
- Ralph Fiennes as Dr Henry Guthrie, the new chorus master.
- Roger Allam as Alderman Bernard Duxbury.
- Mark Addy, Alun Armstrong, Robert Emms, Simon Russell Beale (as Edward Elgar), Lyndsey Marshal, Emily Fairn, Jacob Dudman, Taylor Uttley, Amara Okereke, and others.
Synopsis / Plot
Set in 1916 in Ramsden, Yorkshire, The Choral follows a choral society whose male membership has been severely depleted as many men from the town go off to fight in the war. The society needs to fill its ranks for its annual concert, and so it recruits younger boys and girls who otherwise may not have been part of the choir.
They also appoint a new chorus master: Dr Henry Guthrie, played by Ralph Fiennes. Guthrie is a cultured, somewhat enigmatic figure. He spent much of his career in Germany, which raises suspicion among the townsfolk, especially given the wartime context. The locals view him warily: Germanophilia during WWI is deeply unpopular, and some see him as unpatriotic or even traitorous.
Guthrie proposes that the choir perform Edward Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius — a bold, spiritually rich, and challenging work. The oratorio, which deals with themes of death, afterlife, and redemption, resonates powerfully with a community grappling with the loss and trauma of war.
In the film, Guthrie’s interpretation reimagines parts of Gerontius in a way that makes it more immediate and meaningful to the wartime choir; for example, assigning the role of Gerontius to a wounded young soldier, rather than an old man, symbolic of a town’s grief over its young men. Meanwhile, the choral society becomes a place of hope, healing, conflict, and moral reflection.
Themes and Analysis
1. War and Loss
The backdrop of World War I is central. The mass enlistment of men decimates the choral society — a microcosm of the broader social disruption caused by the war. The film uses this to explore how communities left at “home front” deal with grief, uncertainty, and the absence of loved ones.
By having young townspeople (boys and girls) fill in for the men, The Choral dramatizes how war reshapes social structures and forces unlikely participants to take on roles they wouldn’t normally have.
2. Music as Healing and Resistance
Music plays both a healing role and an act of resistance in the film. The decision to sing The Dream of Gerontius is deeply symbolic: this oratorio is not a simple patriotic piece. It has spiritual weight. Guthrie’s reworking of it also suggests that music must evolve to reflect contemporary suffering — in this case, the suffering of war.
The choir becomes a means for the townspeople to claim agency, to process loss, and to reaffirm their humanity in the face of dehumanizing conflict.
3. Art, Identity, and Suspicion
Dr Guthrie is culturally refined, educated, and has spent time in Germany — all these traits make him suspect in the eyes of his community. His Germanophilia is especially contentious during wartime. This sets up a tension: the role of the outsider, the value of art in wartime, and the fear of “un-Englishness.”
This dynamic also speaks to class. In a Yorkshire mill town, there is a class divide: industrialists, workers, and those who have had higher education or traveled abroad. Guthrie embodies some of that cultural sophistication, which may alienate him but also offers a deeper artistic vision.
4. Youth, Duty, and Sacrifice
Recruiting teenagers to fill the choir serves not only a musical purpose, but also highlights the youth of this generation — many of whom face conscription. Their participation in the choir is tinged with urgency and tragedy: their voices may soon be silenced by the war, or they may go to fight themselves.
In assigning Gerontius’s role to a wounded soldier, the film draws a parallel between music and sacrifice: youth, suffering, redemption, and spiritual yearning.
5. Religion and Spirituality
The Dream of Gerontius, by Cardinal Newman (the poem) and Elgar (the musical setting), is a deeply theological work about the soul’s journey after death. In The Choral, this spiritual dimension is adapted into a more secular, yet emotionally charged, wartime context. The film does not shy away from religious questions, but reinterprets them through communal experience and artistic reinterpretation.
6. Community and Belonging
At its heart, The Choral is a story about community cohesion. The choir is a place where people belong — despite class, age, or background. The film celebrates the collective act of singing, not just as performance, but as a form of solidarity and mutual support during a crisis.
Characters and Cast
- Dr Henry Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes): The new chorus master. Intellectual, refined, with a background in Germany. He brings a new vision to the choral society and is central to the transformation of Gerontius in the film.
- Alderman Bernard Duxbury (Roger Allam): Likely a figure of authority in the town. His character may reflect local political or social power, and his reaction to Guthrie’s ideas is probably key.
- Edward Elgar (Simon Russell Beale): The composer appears in the film, giving the story not just a fictional dimension, but a real historical musical figure.
- Young Singers: Several teenagers are cast in the choir — for example, Jacob Dudman (Clyde), Taylor Uttley (Ellis), Emily Fairn (Bella), Shaun Thomas (Mitch), etc.
- Mary (Amara Okereke): A Salvation Army nurse/singer, suggesting a moral or spiritual presence in the choir.
- Other supporting characters include mill town figures, chorus committee members, and families who are impacted by the war and the choir’s decisions.
Historical and Musical Context: The Dream of Gerontius
One of the most compelling aspects of The Choral is its engagement with Edward Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius. This oratorio, composed in 1900, sets to music a poem by Cardinal John Henry Newman about the soul’s journey after death — a deeply spiritual, theological work.
In real life, Gerontius was controversial when first performed. Its Catholic theology and emotional depth made it difficult for certain audiences, and some early performances were poorly received. The film smartly uses this history: in The Choral, the characters choose this piece not just because it isn’t German (in the context of wartime anti-German sentiment), but because its themes resonate very strongly with the tragedy and sacrifice of WWI.
The decision to portray Gerontius as a young soldier in the film (rather than its more traditional casting) is a major creative reimagining. This speaks to how art adapts to its historical moment: the film suggests that Elgar’s oratorio can be reinterpreted to give spiritual meaning to war’s losses.
Simon Russell Beale plays Elgar in the film, which gives the composer a presence in the story — not just as a ghost, but as a living, flawed human being whose art becomes a vehicle for healing and protest.
Reception and Critical Response
- Rotten Tomatoes: The film has been well-received, with many reviews praising its ensemble cast, emotional depth, and the way it uses music to explore grief and community.
- Financial Times Review: While giving strong credit to the acting and the emotional ambition, some critics argue the film feels muted or “overly traditional” in its visual style.
- The Guardian & Actor Commentary: Roger Allam (who plays Alderman Duxbury) in a recent interview reflects on the joy of choir singing in his role, and on how the film captures “everyday people” coming together through art during hardship.
Some negative voices also emerge. For example, more critical reviews (e.g., from the New York Post) suggest that while the film’s intentions are noble — community, music, unity — the execution feels disjointed or emotionally flat in places.
Significance and Broader Impact
Art in Times of War: The Choral is important because it explores how art—not just war, not just suffering—can be central to how communities survive conflict. It doesn’t idealize choir singing; it uses it as a gritty, sometimes stubborn act of resistance and healing.
Alan Bennett’s Legacy: For Alan Bennett, this screenplay is significant. At 91, returning with an original story about community, class, and music emphasizes his deep engagement with British social history. The film feels like a Bennett play or monologue in cinematic form: deeply human, quietly philosophical, emotionally resonant.
Nicholas Hytner’s Vision: Hytner, known for his theatre background and film work with Bennett (The History Boys, The Lady in the Van), brings a restrained but emotionally rich directorial style. He balances the historical setting with deeply personal stories, giving weight to both the individual and the collective.
Choral Music Appreciation: By centering a choral society, The Choral also brings attention to the tradition of amateur choirs in Britain, and how singing together is more than a hobby: it’s a form of cultural and emotional expression. The film may inspire renewed interest in choral singing, particularly in communities.
Spiritual and Religious Reflection: Through Gerontius, the movie raises theological questions without being doctrinaire. It explores spiritual longing, death, and redemption in a way that is accessible even to secular audiences. The reimagining of Gerontius’s role makes the spiritual personal and relevant to wartime Britain.
Representation of Youth and Sacrifice: The choir’s recruitment of teenagers highlights the tragic dimension of war: young lives being shaped, sacrificed, and given voice. It’s an elegy for youth, but also a tribute: music becomes their way of asserting meaning even as they face conscription or loss.
Strengths and Potential Criticisms
Strengths:
- Strong Cast: With Ralph Fiennes, Roger Allam, Simon Russell Beale, and a host of younger actors, the performances are likely to anchor the film emotionally and dramatically.
- Emotional Resonance: The blend of war, music, and community offers rich emotional terrain.
- Cultural Depth: Using The Dream of Gerontius shows intellectual and musical ambition, not just a period backdrop.
- Historical Setting: The First World War setting is used meaningfully—not as spectacle, but as the crucible for personal and communal transformation.
- Humanism: The story is deeply human, focusing on people’s hopes, fears, and the healing power of art.
Potential Weaknesses:
- Risk of Sentimentality: A story about a choir in wartime could easily slide into schmaltz, and some critics suggest parts of the film are a bit “safe” in emotional tone.
- Pacing/Structure: With many characters and subplots (community, war, music, personal secrets), it might feel crowded or diffuse.
- Historical Revision: Some might argue that reimagining Gerontius so radically (casting a young soldier) could be seen as distorting the original spiritual meaning of the oratorio.
- Character Depth: If not balanced well, the film might lean too heavily on the chorus-master figure or on the idea of “music saves all,” rather than exploring darker or more ambiguous dimensions of war.
Conclusion
The Choral (2025) is a film that weaves together war, music, community, and grief in a way that feels both intimate and grand. Through the fictional Ramsden Choral Society, it shows how a small Yorkshire town grapples with the human cost of World War I—not only through loss and conscription but by finding solace and meaning in the act of singing together.
With Alan Bennett’s thoughtful screenplay and Nicholas Hytner’s evocative direction, the film resonates as a tribute to the power of amateur music-making, to the necessity of art in times of crisis, and to the enduring hope that even in the darkest moments, human voices can lift each other.
At its heart, The Choral reminds us that singing is not just an act of performance—it can be an act of resistance, remembrance, and regeneration.
