THE STORY

Written by Michelle Ricci and directed by Shamim Sarif, the film follows Rose, a choir master from Vienna, Ohio, who travels to England to spend the holidays with her childhood friend Asha. When Asha is put on bed rest in the final days of her pregnancy, Rose steps in as the girls’ choir master at a distinctly traditional British school, and is soon clashing with Harrison, the tradition-loving boys’ choir master. The boys always sing at the Christmas Eve concert in Canterbury Cathedral, and Rose wants to know why the girls never get the chance. When the headmistress sets the two choirs against each other for the honour, rivalry turns to romance.

The cast

Jessy Schram stars as Rose opposite Will Kemp as Harrison, both much-loved faces of the holiday movie world. Will’s involvement runs deeper still: the film began with his concept, which he developed with Muse Entertainment’s brilliant Oneida Crawford, and he serves as an Executive Producer alongside Oneida and Jesse Prupas.

They are joined by a terrific British ensemble. Sohm Kapila plays Asha, Emily Swain is the stern but pleasant Headmistress Hadley, and Nigel Pilkington plays the enigmatic Alastair. And the exceptionally talented London Youth Choir will lend their voices as the rival choirs.

Filming in Canterbury

The real star of the show may well be the city itself. Summer shoppers should not be surprised to turn a corner and find Canterbury’s cobbled streets lined with snow. The highlight will be filming inside Canterbury Cathedral, whose soaring nave and centuries of choral history give the story’s Christmas Eve concert the setting it deserves.

Behind the camera are cinematographer Cameron Bryson, production designer Sonja Klaus, costume designer Robyn Manton and casting director Thomas Bunce, with Adam J Merrifield producing.

“Shooting inside Canterbury Cathedral is a real privilege. We want this film to feel unmistakably English and full of warmth, and the city gives us all of that and more.”