20th Century life, grief, and music collide in the moving first trailer for ‘The Choral,’ the fourth collaboration between legendary writer Alan Bennett and acclaimed director Nicholas Hytner. The BAFTA, Olivier, and Tony Award-winning duo behind ‘The Madness of King George,’ ‘The History Boys,’ and ‘The Lady in the Van’ return with a deeply human, quietly rousing story set against the backdrop of World War I.
Set in 1916 Yorkshire, the movie tells the story of a small-town choral society in Ramsden struggling to survive as its male singers are swept away by war. With the Western Front swallowing its youth and conscription looming, the choral’s ambitious committee refuses to disband. Instead, they rally to keep the music alive by recruiting younger local men and appointing a new chorus master. Enter Dr. Henry Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes), a stern, enigmatic figure just returned from a life in Germany. Though whispers swirl about his past, his passion for music and strict leadership may be the key to saving the choir — and the spirit of the town.
Joining Fiennes is a formidable ensemble of British talent, including Roger Allam, Mark Addy, Alun Armstrong, Robert Emms, and Simon Russell Beale. With war tightening its grip and the world tilting into uncertainty, the townspeople must find strength, unity, and solace in harmony — even as letters from the front bring heartbreak home.
At once intimate and epic, the film is a story of resistance through art, of ordinary lives caught in extraordinary times, and of how the simple act of singing together can echo with resilience.
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‘The Choral’ opens exclusively in cinemas on November 7.
