Behind the Scenes of The Choral
🎬 Behind the Scenes of The Choral
Behind the Scenes of The Choral—a new Alan Bennett film directed by Nicholas Hytner—reveals a quietly stirring story set in 1916 Yorkshire. The film follows a local choral society preparing a performance of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius amid the backdrop of World War I. The cast includes Ralph Fiennes, Roger Allam, and Mark Addy, with a score composed and arranged by the legendary George Fenton. You can watch the newly released trailer here.
🎻 Behind the Scenes of The Choral: Playing Without Sound (But With Conviction)
Last summer, I had the surreal honour of filming for The Choral alongside Josie (one of our regular Bridgewater String Quartet players) and the brilliant Tamzin Griffin. We appeared as a string trio, miming to a pre-recorded arrangement of Gerontius—masterfully adapted by George Fenton for string trio and brass band. I’m still not sure how he made that combination work, but he did. I even got to keep the violin part as a memento!
Although the music was pre-recorded, we played the actual notes from the sheet music, synchronised with the recording. Our bows were unrosined, so there was virtually no sound, but we looked like we were playing with conviction. No awkward miming or rogue fingerings—just real musicianship, minus the sound.
🧵 Behind the Scenes of The Choral: Spinster Chic and Bridgerton Hair
Our characters were dressed as spinsters, reflecting the pre-WWI reality that unmarried women were more likely to reach a high standard on their instruments. Married life often meant fewer opportunities for musical training, so spinsters were the backbone of many ensembles. To reflect this, we arrived early on set for hair and makeup—minimal makeup, spinster hairdos, and corseted costumes with more buttons than a haberdashery.
Judith, our hair and makeup artist, was bubbly, chatty, and utterly lovely. She’s now become an ad hoc client of mine—a delightful bonus from the powder room! My hairpiece, plaited into a rose, even had a claim to fame: it had previously appeared in Bridgerton. So yes, I’ve technically shared follicles with Regency royalty.
🎵 Behind the Scenes of The Choral: Tamzin, Tiptoes, and Silent Laughter
Filming days were long, with plenty of waiting around, but we loved chatting to extras, choir members, and dancers. Tamzin was our main celebrity companion—gracious, talented, and quietly brilliant. She was very modest about her cello ability despite having done her Grade 8, and it was a joy to perform alongside her.
One scene involved us packing away instruments and walking across the Churchill Suites’ wooden floor. Despite foam stuck to our shoe soles and our best tiptoeing efforts, the floorboards creaked. As soon as we were out of shot, we collapsed into silent laughter. Not being allowed to laugh somehow made it all the funnier.
🍇 Behind the Scenes of The Choral: Snacks Fit for Stars
While Josie and I were the only extras, we were treated in the same way as the cast—so yes, we got to experience the celebrity snack zone! Reader, the snacks were superior. No custard creams in sight—just posh nibbles and minimal queues.
💻 Behind the Scenes of The Choral: Medic Forms and Musical Chats
I also made a new friend in Helen, the set medic—larger than life, totally lovely, and constantly juggling paperwork. When she sighed, “I wish I had a digital version of this!”, I offered to help. I started building her form the next day, and after a few rounds of tweaks, she had a streamlined version she was thrilled with.
One of my favourite moments was chatting with Ralph Fiennes about performing in a piano trio. I shared tips on eye contact—when to give it, when to hold it, and how it shapes ensemble communication. He was wonderfully humble and genuinely curious, which made the exchange feel like a true meeting of minds.
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