The Choral Team Explain How Ralph Fiennes “Threw Himself Into” Preparations
Propelled by Oscar nominee Ralph Fiennes, this inspiring drama from veteran director Nicholas Hytner (The Lady in the Van, TIFF ’15) depicts a British choir director’s efforts to assemble an ensemble during the darkest days of the First World War. Written by Hytner’s frequent collaborator, revered playwright and Oscar-nominated screenwriter Alan Bennett (The Madness of King George), The Choral is a testament to music’s power to sustain our souls in troubled times.
The year is 1916 and the Great War is draining a Yorkshire town of its men, leaving the local choral society without voices. For a performance of Edward Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, the society’s director, Dr. Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes), is forced to recruit his singers from among the town’s adolescent population. Guthrie is a demanding taskmaster, yet under his guidance, these teens will come to know the transcendent joys of singing together, while steeling themselves for their impending conscription.
The Choral premiered September 4 at Toronto International Film Festival, which runs until September 14. Check the TIFF website for tickets to other public screenings.
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