Netflix has added something interesting for fans of historical dramas. It’s about British film The Choral (2025) starring Ralph Fiennes and Simon Russell Beale. The plot takes place during the First World War and tells a moving story about music, loss and hope. After a successful cinema release, the film can now also be watched from home.
Music anyway
The Choral is set in 1916. The story focuses on the fictional village of Ramsen, in Yorkshire. The local choral association suddenly finds itself without a conductor because the conductor joins the army. The members then decide to appoint an idiosyncratic doctor, Dr. Henry Guthrie, to be appointed as the new choir director. However, not everyone agrees with this decision and that has everything to do with Guthrie’s unconventional views. In order not to let the war get in the way of the music, the new conductor decides to expand the choir with a singer from a nearby military hospital. While the choir prepares for a special performance of Edward Elgar’s famous composition The Dream of Gerontiusthe lives of the choir members are increasingly influenced by the consequences of the war.
A strong duo
In addition to Giennes and Beale, the film also stars Roger Allam, Mark Addy, Alun Armstrong, Robert Emms and composer Edward Elgar. The film was directed by Nicholas Hytner and the screenplay is by Alan Bennett. This duo previously worked together on The Lady in the Van (2015), The Madness of King George (1994) in The History Boys (2006).
Beeld: Still ‘The Choral’ via FilmDepot
