Death in Chorus

Again, music and art are the background for an intricate story line. Evidently Midsomer musicians are serious competitors as also evidenced in S5. E3, Ring Out Your Dead.

The piece sung by the chorus in this episode is "Fair Phyllis" (1599) by John Farmer, and is beautifully performed. I don't know if Jane Wymark and Barry Jackson actually lent their voices, but we know Jason Hughes has a very nice voice, as we hear in one scene.

Good supporting cast of many familiar faces. The gentle humor and John Nettles's delivery give it charm. The Bucks architecture and countryside provide their usual elegant background.

What an episode!

Rewatching the series on Tubi and am amazed at how incredibly well it has stood the test of time. Still fresh, still addictively enjoyable, still packing a punch as a paradigmatic thriller whodunnit.

Many great episodes and this one is right up there with the very best, not only in Midsomer Murders but in the genre as a whole.

A complex unflagging episode with all the subplots resolved brilliantly by the end.

Brilliantly acted by everyone, Capaldi and Nettles putting in extraordinarily charismatic performances.

Drama and comedy beautifully balanced, in that low key killer nuanced style the Brits excel at.

Just a brilliant example of the genre all round, worthy of rewatching more than once.

Bravo to all involved, thanx to Tubi for making it so readily available.

Don't be fooled by the chorus setting. This is a tremendous episode. Had a inkling who the villian was, but the ending was a big surprise. Lots of glammed up Joyce in this one. A roll of camera film takes multiple days to develop for anybody yet urgent police work? Lots of bad toupees and overacting but a treat to watch. Vito S 12/18/19

Season 9 got off to a brilliant start with "The House in the Woods" while all the episodes in between ranged from decent to very good and "Country Matters" was great and one of the best episodes of the season.

"Death in Chorus" is also a very good episode and in the top end of Season 9. It is let down only really by a couple of parts that could have had more explanation, or at least a clearer one, like the significance of the pig's heart and the whole business with the photos and a somewhat strange second murder. However, it is interesting stuff, especially to see Jones have such a great voice.

The production values as always are top notch, with to die for scenery, the idyllic look of it contrasting very well with the story's grimness, and quaint and atmospheric photography. The music fits perfectly, with some lush jauntiness and sometimes an ominous quality, and the theme tune one of the most memorable and instantly recognisable of the genre. The choral stuff is a great addition.

Meanwhile, the script is smart and thought-provoking with some nice quirky and often hilarious humour, a grimness and with characters that are colourful and eccentric. The story is absorbing, never simplistic, sometimes creepy in atmosphere, never dull, never confusing despite a lot happening and the maturity that 'Midsomer Murders' has when on form is more than evident here. It's all tautly paced and the ending is satisfying and ties things up nicely.

John Nettles is a joy and Jason Hughes brings appeal and nice wry humour to Jones. The two work extremely well together, and the rest of the cast (which include charming Jane Wymark and Barry Jackson and Peter Capaldi enjoying himself as the dictatorial conductor) are uniformly strong.

All in all, very good episode. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Death in Chorus marks the show's first landmark, and the fiftieth episode is a particularly good one. As you watch it, it has a feel of a special. It's a great story, with some really dark moments, it boasts a strong cast, and sees the return of two actors that starred in classic early episodes Annabelle Apsion and John Shrapnel.

It's a super cast, Peter Capaldi, Sara Stewart and Ronan Vibert, despite the many brilliant performances, it's Vibert that steals the show for me, he is excellent in this, his conversation with Barnaby is a great scene.

Some truly good moments in this one, the show is famous for its brutal killings, but it doesn't often go down the route of psychological cruelty, it does that here to a very strong degree, what happens to poor Carol is incredibly dark, with Sara Stewart being so lovely it makes it more effective.

There are plenty of laughs, and of course there's the real bit of nonsense, George's skills as a conductor make him look like he's trying to swat away a plague of wasps. The ending is a little corny.

A very strong episode indeed, 9/10