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Art is about being creative and defiant, while music brings people together. Ralph Fiennes leads a strong ensemble cast in The Choral, a moving film about the devastation of war and the uniting power of music. Set in a fictional Yorkshire town during the first world war, the local choral society is struggling to maintain it’s male singers as the men head off to fight. All they have left are the young boys and old men. Trying to maintain a sense of normality despite grief and loss, the community hopes to find a uniting joy by putting on their annual choral performance.

When the choirmaster volunteers to fight in France, the only replacement they can find is Dr Guthrie (Fiennes), who causes immediate scandal because he lived in Germany for many years and admires their art and culture. With most of the great composers being German or Austrian, the Choral society chooses Elgar and his forgotten production The Dream of Gerontius.

But it’s not really about that.

The choral performance acts as the framework to hold a variety of rich stories about love, hope, loss, grief, and fear played by a strong ensemble cast including Alun Armstrong, Mark Addy, Ron Cook, Emily Fairn, and Lyndsey Marshal. The next generation of youth explore love and sex as they face conscription as soon as they turn 18, knowing they may not return. A wounded soldier returns from the war to find his old life is over, and looks for solace and comfort in the choral. There is the pianist, a pacifist and gay man who faces jail and shame for refusing to fight. Dr Guthrie himself struggles with the relevance of Elgar’s story about the death of an old man, when so many of the young are dying. Without permission, he adapts Elgar’s production to better reflect the pain and struggles of the community.

The film is calmly directed by Nicholas Hynter, never overplaying the sentimentality or message. There is plenty of well-placed humour to keep the mood from getting too grim. Hynter handles his characters with a great deal of care, never demonising anyone despite their flaws. Even the powerful and wealthy mill owner who funds the Choral is handled with empathy. Because of his position he expects to play the lead, but only because he loves to sing. It brings him much needed joy as he grieves a fallen son, but soon he realises that he must step aside.

The Choral is playing as part of the British Film Festival at Palace Cinemas Moore Park until December 7, with a program full of the best of British Cinema.

To book tickets to The Choral, please visit https://britishfilmfestival.com.au/films/bff25-the-choral.

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