Gibsons – Monday, November 2, 7:30 pm
Sechelt – Thursday, November 5, 2:00 pm
UK 2025, 113 min, Drama
Starring: Tayor Uttley, Ralph Fiennes, Emily Fairn
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Against the backdrop of World War I, a Yorkshire town attempts to keep alive its annual Choral concert, in spite of the fact that many of the town’s men are off fighting—and many are not coming back.
The new Choral maestro, Dr. Henry Guthrie (masterfully played by Ralph Fiennes) must try to put together a group of singers with varying degrees of talent, while battling the prejudices of some of the townspeople, particularly the men on the Choral committee. With anti-German sentiment rampant, Guthrie is castigated for, among other things, his previous work in Germany, his love of German music and literature, and his atheism. The film is rounded out by a cast of engaging characters who are all struggling with the challenges of wartime living and dying. In the end, what elevates the film and the town’s characters are the transcendent powers of music and of human interactions.