The Choral: Melodic war drama fails to hit the high notes

By Lisa Geraghty

The Choral is a gentle period drama that explores the power of the collective in a community stretched thin by war. Directed by Nicholas Hynter and written by Alan Bennett, it is a quietly moving period drama that uses music as a lens to focus on a small town’s grief and resilience during wartime.

Set in the fictional Yorkshire town of Ramsden in 1916, the film follows the attempts of the local community to rebuild its choir with whoever is left behind by the war. Here, we encounter the Ramsden Choral Society, who, to salvage some facet of normalcy during wartime, endeavour to recruit male voices for their upcoming performance.

With conscription in full swing and men volunteering left and right for the British war effort, the Choral Society is in danger of losing its singers. Running out of options, the group makes the daring decision to recruit Dr Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes), a controversial musical director with a deep appreciation for German culture and music.

From there, the society embarks on a musical journey, recruiting a motley crew of young men who have yet to go to the front lines, members of the Salvation Army and even war veterans. This unconventional group comes together in song to complete an interpretation of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius.

With some polished performances on display, the movie is comforting in both tone and atmosphere – the setting of the fictional town of Ramsden makes for an endearing setting amid the macabre backdrop of World War One.

Overall, The Choral is an enjoyable film to watch on a long weekend with a strong and dependable cast in the form of Ralph Fiennes, Roger Allam and Mark Addy. However, the film ultimately fails to break any boundaries, never quite venturing into extraordinary terrain due in part to its rather cautious character development.

The film lacks strong character arcs as it introduces a multitude of characters with complex backgrounds, without addressing their internal lives. It would have been refreshing to dive in Dr Guthrie’s life in Germany or perhaps the young soldier’s emersion back into normal life after his time on the western front, but the plot moves on too quickly to address this, leaving these storylines untapped. As a result, it has the distinct feeling of a film that has perhaps bitten off more than it can chew – leaving the audience with a story which can feel superficial at times.

On a more positive note, I enjoyed the comedic relief throughout the movie supplied primarily by Ellis (played by Taylor Uttley), a young soldier whose cheeky remarks allowed for moments of humour to peak through the war drama. This addition allows for moments of relief throughout the dialogue as we see his character successfully capture the attention of another singer, Bella (played by Emily Fairn).

Their relationship begins on the back of Bella believing that her boyfriend Clyde (played by Jacob Dudman) had died on the front lines. However he subsequently returns to Ramsden, much to Bella’s distress, as she’s forced to choose between her old flame and her new suitor.

Overall, The Choral is a respectable feature that toils within familiar and comfortable boundaries. Well shot, well-acted and touching at times, it makes for a pleasant watch. Worth seeing if the subject interests you but generally not something that you will remember in years to come.

2.5/5 stars

This article was a collaboration with IMC Galway.