Afternoon Cinema: The Choral

Directed by Nicholas Hytner (The Madness of King George, The History Boys)Written by Alan Bennett · Starring Ralph Fiennes, Roger Allam, Amara Okereke, Simon Russell Beale, Mark Addy, and Alun Armstrong

Step back to Yorkshire in 1916, where the echoes of The Great War reach even the choir loft. In this poignant wartime drama from the beloved duo of Hytner and Bennett, a small‑town choral society fights to keep its music alive as the young men of the village march off to battle. When the committee hires the enigmatic Dr. Henry Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes) — a gifted but controversial conductor recently returned from Germany — tensions and melodies rise together.

As the choir prepares an ambitious performance against the backdrop of loss, love, and conscription, The Choral becomes a stirring meditation on the power of art and community in the face of chaos. Balancing Bennett’s trademark wit and humanity with Fiennes’ commanding presence, the film weaves themes of identity, resilience, and the healing force of music.

Praised by The Guardian as an “impressively unsentimental Alan Bennett fable,” and by Variety for Fiennes’ “restrained and moving turn,” The Choral is a beautifully crafted British period piece — rich in atmosphere, full of nuance, and scored by Oscar‑nominee George Fenton with sweeping choral arrangements.