The Choral

Set in 1916 in the fictional Yorkshire town of Ramsden during World War I, the film follows a local choral society that recruits a controversial new choirmaster after their previous one joins the army. Dr Henry Guthrie is appointed despite his homosexuality, Germanophilia and atheism, as the society prepares to perform Edward Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius. The film explores the tensions and unlikely bonds formed among the disparate townspeople brought together by music during wartime. Written by Alan Bennett and directed by Nicholas Hytner, it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025.