2:59:16 > 2:59:20I'm in North Wales, on the rugged island of Anglesey.
2:59:20 > 2:59:22This place is breathtaking.
2:59:22 > 2:59:25Stunning beaches and miles of gorgeous coastline -
2:59:25 > 2:59:27it's got it all.
2:59:36 > 2:59:38But I'm not here to enjoy the stunning scenery.
2:59:38 > 2:59:42One of the largest travelling cultural events in Europe
2:59:42 > 2:59:45is happening in a field over there.
3:00:06 > 3:00:08He looks like he's been here before!
3:00:09 > 3:00:11My name is Stewart.
3:00:11 > 3:00:12And my name...
3:00:12 > 3:00:13Fy enw i yw Josie.
3:00:13 > 3:00:16- Josie, lovely to meet you this morning.- Lovely to meet you.
3:00:16 > 3:00:18This is my first ever National Eisteddfod.
3:00:18 > 3:00:22I am Welsh, I have participated in eisteddfods as a child,
3:00:22 > 3:00:24but never been to the national one.
3:00:24 > 3:00:26- So...- Where did you grow up, Josie?
3:00:26 > 3:00:27Newport, in South Wales.
3:00:27 > 3:00:28OK, Newport's OK with me!
3:00:28 > 3:00:30- Yeah, OK!- Yeah.
3:00:32 > 3:00:34Well, what's the first thing you do when you get here?
3:00:34 > 3:00:36They've got the Gorsedd Stones.
3:00:36 > 3:00:38OK, what do those stones mean?
3:00:38 > 3:00:40That's the druidic circle.
3:00:41 > 3:00:43- Pob lwc, Josie. - Pob lwc, Stewart.
3:00:43 > 3:00:46- Awesome to meet you.- Diolch. - Thank you!
3:00:47 > 3:00:50Tell me, when you come to the National Eisteddfod,
3:00:50 > 3:00:52what is the one thing I should not miss?
3:00:52 > 3:00:53Oh, the art.
3:00:53 > 3:00:56The visual art stuff is fantastic,
3:00:56 > 3:01:00cos people go from here to the Venice Biennale and things.
3:01:00 > 3:01:02- It's- that- standard,
3:01:02 > 3:01:04and it is wonderful.
3:01:04 > 3:01:05I like the music.
3:01:05 > 3:01:07I like Maes B over there -
3:01:07 > 3:01:10loud and great!
3:01:10 > 3:01:12Diolch!
3:01:13 > 3:01:15Well, that all sounds brilliant
3:01:15 > 3:01:18and I have always wanted to come to the National Eisteddfod,
3:01:18 > 3:01:20but I don't speak Welsh.
3:01:20 > 3:01:23I am Welsh, but I don't speak the language,
3:01:23 > 3:01:26and everything here happens in Welsh.
3:01:26 > 3:01:30And no more so than in this building, the Pavilion -
3:01:30 > 3:01:33the heartbeat of the National Eisteddfod.
3:01:33 > 3:01:36BRASS BAND PLAYS
3:01:39 > 3:01:45Oh, listen to that, with the scene of this beautiful Welsh landscape.
3:01:45 > 3:01:47It just encapsulates, kind of,
3:01:47 > 3:01:52my feeling about what I hope this will mean to me, being here.
3:01:54 > 3:01:56SHE SPEAKS WELSH
3:01:56 > 3:01:59APPLAUSE
3:02:07 > 3:02:09How many Eisteddfods is this for you, then?
3:02:09 > 3:02:12- Oh, I've been here every year since I was one, so...- Really?
3:02:12 > 3:02:14Yeah, it's a very cultural thing here in Wales.
3:02:14 > 3:02:17Everybody looks forward throughout the year to go to the Eisteddfod.
3:02:17 > 3:02:19Especially people who speak Welsh,
3:02:19 > 3:02:20and, yeah, it's a great experience
3:02:20 > 3:02:23and I've been here since I was a very small boy.
3:02:25 > 3:02:27Why do you think this event captures the spirit of Wales
3:02:27 > 3:02:29and the spirit of being Welsh?
3:02:29 > 3:02:30It's the only cultural thing we have
3:02:30 > 3:02:33- in terms of the Welsh language itself.- Yeah.
3:02:33 > 3:02:35And I think we're very proud of it because it's ours.
3:02:35 > 3:02:38But we still welcome other people to come and enjoy it as well.
3:02:38 > 3:02:39We don't...
3:02:39 > 3:02:41You're obviously an English speaker,
3:02:41 > 3:02:45but we always welcome people here to enjoy what we enjoy every year.
3:02:56 > 3:02:58APPLAUSE
3:03:00 > 3:03:01Brass bands before breakfast.
3:03:01 > 3:03:03I really enjoyed that,
3:03:03 > 3:03:08and yet it's only day one. There's so much more to come.
3:03:08 > 3:03:11THEY SING
3:03:11 > 3:03:12Over nine days,
3:03:12 > 3:03:16there will be 72 hours of competition on this stage.
3:03:16 > 3:03:18Everything from choirs and poetry recital
3:03:18 > 3:03:21to street dancing and drama.
3:03:21 > 3:03:25SINGING CONTINUES
3:03:53 > 3:03:56Time to venture further.
3:03:56 > 3:04:00The festival site known as the Maes is a playground of performance.
3:04:04 > 3:04:06You good? I'm good!
3:04:07 > 3:04:09There's so much variety here,
3:04:09 > 3:04:11from ukuleles in a yurt
3:04:11 > 3:04:13to clog dancing in the folk tent.
3:04:15 > 3:04:19SHE SINGS IN WELSH
3:04:58 > 3:05:02Everywhere you turn on the Maes, there's music or performance.
3:05:02 > 3:05:06This is Welsh folk music but with a contemporary twist.
3:05:06 > 3:05:08It's great, isn't it?
3:05:09 > 3:05:13SHE CONTINUES SINGING IN WELSH
3:05:42 > 3:05:45I've loved exploring the Maes, but I want to go deeper.
3:05:45 > 3:05:49I'm in search of the most loyal band of followers of this festival.
3:05:49 > 3:05:52I hear they're called the Eisteddfodwyr.
3:05:52 > 3:05:55They come here every year in their thousands, caravans in tow,
3:05:55 > 3:05:57and they stay the whole week.
3:06:00 > 3:06:01I bring the sandwiches.
3:06:01 > 3:06:04- Sandwiches as well?- Oh, yes. Sandwiches as well.
3:06:04 > 3:06:06What are you going to have now?
3:06:06 > 3:06:07This looks great.
3:06:07 > 3:06:10- I think you better have a sandwich first.- Do you think so?
3:06:10 > 3:06:12- I think so.- I'm not going to disagree with you!
3:06:12 > 3:06:15- I think you're right. - Sandwich first.
3:06:15 > 3:06:19- Very civilised. - These are ones I made earlier.
3:06:19 > 3:06:21Do you remember your first Eisteddfod?
3:06:21 > 3:06:23- My mouth is full now! - It's all right!
3:06:23 > 3:06:25I thought you were going to talk to Penri!
3:06:27 > 3:06:32The first National Eisteddfod, I competed in 1977.
3:06:32 > 3:06:36And I had the stage and I had the second prize,
3:06:36 > 3:06:40- and I was really...- Congratulations! - I was really thrilled!- Mm-hm.
3:06:40 > 3:06:42So, your first one was 40 years ago.
3:06:42 > 3:06:44Have you been here every year since?
3:06:44 > 3:06:45Yes.
3:06:45 > 3:06:47I missed one.
3:06:47 > 3:06:49Llanelli, not the last one in Llanelli.
3:06:49 > 3:06:52Penri went. Well, I persuaded Penri to go, actually.
3:06:52 > 3:06:54I think that's the only one we missed,
3:06:54 > 3:06:55I can't remember what year that was.
3:06:55 > 3:06:57We're always here. Always here.
3:06:57 > 3:07:01Why is it so important to you to come year after year?
3:07:01 > 3:07:03Well, it's because we enjoy it, isn't it?
3:07:05 > 3:07:07This caravan, we've had it...
3:07:07 > 3:07:11Well, since our eldest son was two years of age
3:07:11 > 3:07:13and he's now 46!
3:07:14 > 3:07:19- You know, it's a little community of its own...- Yeah.
3:07:19 > 3:07:23..here, on this field, this Eisteddfod field.
3:07:32 > 3:07:34Good morning!
3:07:34 > 3:07:36Boy, was it raining last night!
3:07:36 > 3:07:38You should have seen it. Look at this.
3:07:38 > 3:07:40It was like a monsoon.
3:07:40 > 3:07:43Nevertheless, I'm keeping my appointment with Mair and Penri,
3:07:43 > 3:07:45who have promised today to show me something
3:07:45 > 3:07:47that is incredibly special to them.
3:07:56 > 3:07:58What on earth?!
3:07:58 > 3:08:00You look incredible!
3:08:00 > 3:08:02It's only the language I don't understand,
3:08:02 > 3:08:05now I don't understand this!
3:08:05 > 3:08:08Well, it's the Gorsedd Of The Bards.
3:08:08 > 3:08:09OK.
3:08:09 > 3:08:10The Gorsedd Of The Bards,
3:08:10 > 3:08:14which really is to do with people
3:08:14 > 3:08:17who have contributed to the Welsh culture.
3:08:17 > 3:08:19- Yeah.- Yes.- So this is a real honour
3:08:19 > 3:08:22- that you've got these robes? - Oh, yes. It is an honour, yes.
3:08:22 > 3:08:23It is an honour.
3:08:23 > 3:08:25So, this is something you do just here?
3:08:25 > 3:08:27- You don't take this...? - Oh, yes, just here.- Yes.
3:08:27 > 3:08:30- It only happens in the Eisteddfod. - In the Eisteddfod, yes.
3:08:44 > 3:08:46- JOSIE CHEERS - Hello!
3:08:51 > 3:08:54I see now why she's so competitive,
3:08:54 > 3:08:57because everybody dedicates a week of their life to this,
3:08:57 > 3:08:58all of their lives.
3:08:58 > 3:09:02But if you really excel and really dedicate yourself,
3:09:02 > 3:09:04the Eisteddfod will honour you back.
3:09:13 > 3:09:15As members of the Gorsedd Of The Bards,
3:09:15 > 3:09:16Mair and Penri take part
3:09:16 > 3:09:19in all the main ceremonies of Eisteddfod week.
3:09:19 > 3:09:21The pinnacle, the Chairing Of The Bard,
3:09:21 > 3:09:24sees the best poet awarded a chair, which he keeps.
3:09:26 > 3:09:31You can just hear and sense the anticipation in this room.
3:09:31 > 3:09:33Today is the day when they're going to announce
3:09:33 > 3:09:35who has won the Bard's Chair,
3:09:35 > 3:09:39and everybody is here for that one announcement.
3:09:39 > 3:09:42FANFARE
3:09:42 > 3:09:45Poets enter their work under a pen name
3:09:45 > 3:09:49so their identity is kept top secret until this moment.
3:09:49 > 3:09:52CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
3:09:56 > 3:09:57Wowee.
3:09:57 > 3:10:01That is the highest honour for poetry in the whole of Wales,
3:10:01 > 3:10:02and there's your winner.
3:10:02 > 3:10:04PEOPLE CHEER
3:10:04 > 3:10:06HE SPEAKS WELSH
3:10:06 > 3:10:10The chairing ceremony is especially poignant this year.
3:10:10 > 3:10:13It's exactly 100 years since it was won by a poet
3:10:13 > 3:10:16who became its most iconic recipient -
3:10:16 > 3:10:17Hedd Wyn.
3:10:20 > 3:10:23It's the most famous story in the history of the Eisteddfod
3:10:23 > 3:10:27and it inspired an Oscar-nominated film,
3:10:27 > 3:10:29and I'm about to see that now...
3:10:29 > 3:10:32with no less than the actor who played him.
3:10:32 > 3:10:34Nice to meet you.
3:10:34 > 3:10:36Nice to meet you, this bit's very good.
3:10:36 > 3:10:38- Oh, really? - Yes, this is where I come on.- OK!
3:10:38 > 3:10:41- You're good in it, are you? - Well, I wouldn't say that!
3:10:43 > 3:10:45SHE SPEAKS WELSH
3:10:46 > 3:10:49- OFF-SCREEN:- He was a poet, he was an ordinary farmer.
3:10:49 > 3:10:51Self-educated in many, many ways.
3:10:51 > 3:10:54He read Shelley and Keats and Yeats
3:10:54 > 3:10:56and all these wonderful poets who were around
3:10:56 > 3:11:00and he gradually rose up the ranks of poets in Wales.
3:11:03 > 3:11:06But, sadly, he had been drafted into the army
3:11:06 > 3:11:09and 100 years ago to this very week,
3:11:09 > 3:11:14sadly, he was killed in the Battle of Pilckem Ridge.
3:11:17 > 3:11:20The ultimate accolade for a Welsh poet
3:11:20 > 3:11:23is to win the Chair of the National Eisteddfod.
3:11:23 > 3:11:26He was awarded this chair posthumously,
3:11:26 > 3:11:29so his dream was to win the chair
3:11:29 > 3:11:32and he didn't realise that he had won it.
3:11:32 > 3:11:34And so they draped the chair in black
3:11:34 > 3:11:38and it became known as the Black Chair of Birkenhead,
3:11:38 > 3:11:41and it has become a symbol of the emptiness, the loss,
3:11:41 > 3:11:43if you like, the sadness...
3:11:43 > 3:11:47It's an empty chair, it's waiting for the poet to come home.
3:11:49 > 3:11:52CHORAL SINGING
3:12:42 > 3:12:46Hedd Wyn's story inspired the design of this year's chair,
3:12:46 > 3:12:50and I'm about to experience the accolade he never lived to receive.
3:13:02 > 3:13:04Wow.
3:13:04 > 3:13:05What an honour.
3:13:05 > 3:13:09And how appropriate that the poem that finally won him
3:13:09 > 3:13:12this beautiful piece of craftsmanship
3:13:12 > 3:13:14was called The Hero.
3:13:18 > 3:13:22Hedd Wyn's story has inspired a requiem composed by Paul Mealor,
3:13:22 > 3:13:25which premiers at this year's Eisteddfod.
3:13:26 > 3:13:30HAUNTING MUSIC PLAYS
3:13:39 > 3:13:43Hedd Wyn is perhaps Wales' greatest poet,
3:13:43 > 3:13:46and to be asked to write something to commemorate his achievement
3:13:46 > 3:13:47is very special indeed for me.
3:13:55 > 3:13:58I wanted to write a piece that was not a glorification of war,
3:13:58 > 3:13:59his poetry isn't,
3:13:59 > 3:14:02but more about the light in the darkness -
3:14:02 > 3:14:05that there is always hope, even in the most horrendous things.
3:14:10 > 3:14:12How are you representing hope in this piece?
3:14:12 > 3:14:14The first is a number of tuned wine glasses
3:14:14 > 3:14:17which create the most unbelievable haunting chord
3:14:17 > 3:14:19that runs the whole requiem.
3:14:24 > 3:14:27And then also at the very end, children.
3:14:27 > 3:14:29Children come on and they sing,
3:14:29 > 3:14:32"Sanctaidd, Sanctaidd, Sanctaidd... Holy, holy, holy."
3:14:35 > 3:14:37But of course, 100 years later,
3:14:37 > 3:14:42we're still talking about his poetry, so there is hope in art.
3:14:42 > 3:14:47CHILDREN SING
3:15:18 > 3:15:20So, as well as performance art,
3:15:20 > 3:15:23there is also a platform for visual arts here.
3:15:23 > 3:15:28The Y Lle Celf is the only national modern art exhibition in Wales,
3:15:28 > 3:15:33and it happens for one week only, once a year on the Eisteddfod field.
3:15:58 > 3:16:03Silversmith Rauni Higson settled in Snowdonia 20 years ago.
3:16:03 > 3:16:06Being in Wales influences basically everything about my work,
3:16:06 > 3:16:09because I'm kind of captivated by the landscape, mainly...
3:16:09 > 3:16:12- Yeah.- ..which is what I'm kind of representing in my work.
3:16:13 > 3:16:18The line on that, for example, it's an escarpment, or a riverbed,
3:16:18 > 3:16:20or you could be looking down from the top of a mountain
3:16:20 > 3:16:23- and it's the meander of a river. - I see that, yeah.
3:16:23 > 3:16:25They're the lines that I see all the time
3:16:25 > 3:16:30and I want to basically make a 3D representation
3:16:30 > 3:16:31of what I feel about the landscape.
3:16:33 > 3:16:35- But it's not an inward-looking event, though, is it?- No.
3:16:35 > 3:16:37People don't show off much in Wales
3:16:37 > 3:16:40so this is like the one time when everyone goes, "Ta-da!"
3:16:42 > 3:16:45What's lovely is the sense of belonging -
3:16:45 > 3:16:49Children coming here every summer to enjoy the Eisteddfod
3:16:49 > 3:16:51and take part in competitions.
3:16:52 > 3:16:54I'm here to meet a young baritone
3:16:54 > 3:16:56who has been doing brilliantly in Eisteddfods
3:16:56 > 3:16:58ever since he was a small boy,
3:16:58 > 3:17:02in no small part thanks to the support he gets from his family.
3:17:02 > 3:17:07Sadly, 11 months ago he lost his mum, Sue, in a car accident.
3:17:07 > 3:17:10His dad and his brother are here to support him this year
3:17:10 > 3:17:12but, without doubt, getting on stage today
3:17:12 > 3:17:15is going to be particularly difficult.
3:17:15 > 3:17:18- Thank you very much. - After you, you're welcome.
3:17:20 > 3:17:24Tonight, Steffan will be performing solo in the Festival of Hymns.
3:17:24 > 3:17:26Good luck.
3:17:27 > 3:17:30SHE SPEAKS WELSH
3:17:30 > 3:17:32APPLAUSE
3:17:38 > 3:17:41HE SINGS IN WELSH
3:17:51 > 3:17:54- OFF-SCREEN:- The Eisteddfod stage is very, very important to me
3:17:54 > 3:17:57because I think that's where I gained my confidence.
3:17:58 > 3:18:00What a voice.
3:18:00 > 3:18:01He's doing great.
3:18:04 > 3:18:07Just 11 months ago I lost my mum.
3:18:07 > 3:18:11She was a very, very big factor in why I compete in Eisteddfods.
3:18:13 > 3:18:15When I was about 14,
3:18:15 > 3:18:17I wasn't having much luck competing
3:18:17 > 3:18:19and I remember I said, "I don't want to do it any more,
3:18:19 > 3:18:22"I just want to compete in choirs, not on my own,
3:18:22 > 3:18:24"because I'm not getting any luck."
3:18:24 > 3:18:25And I remember her telling me,
3:18:25 > 3:18:28"Carry on, I promise you, the wheel is turning.
3:18:28 > 3:18:32"It's slower but you'll get there in the end."
3:18:34 > 3:18:37And the year after, I competed and I won at the National.
3:18:37 > 3:18:40HE CONTINUES SINGING
3:18:44 > 3:18:47The Eisteddfod is always special for us.
3:18:47 > 3:18:49We've got so much memories here, you know,
3:18:49 > 3:18:51of the boys succeeding and winning competitions.
3:18:53 > 3:18:56And how do you hope Steffan will feel when he sings onstage?
3:18:56 > 3:18:58He's always nervous when he goes on stage
3:18:58 > 3:19:00but when he gets on to the stage,
3:19:00 > 3:19:02he rules the stage.
3:19:05 > 3:19:07Tonight is all about doing it for Mum, isn't it?
3:19:07 > 3:19:11Yeah, I think, in the back of his mind, his mum will be there.
3:19:11 > 3:19:14And I think he'll sing his heart out for her,
3:19:14 > 3:19:17with the hope that she's listening somewhere.
3:19:17 > 3:19:20HE CONTINUES
3:19:24 > 3:19:25Where will she be for you?
3:19:26 > 3:19:27She'll be in my heart.
3:19:34 > 3:19:37APPLAUSE
3:19:45 > 3:19:48So, this is my first National Eisteddfod
3:19:48 > 3:19:52but as a kid I took part in my school's eisteddfod.
3:19:52 > 3:19:54They were always in English.
3:19:54 > 3:19:59It's where I fell in love with performing on stage.
3:19:59 > 3:20:03The bigger National Eisteddfod is definitely a launch pad
3:20:03 > 3:20:05for rising stars.
3:20:05 > 3:20:08A young Bryn Terfel rose through the ranks competing here.
3:20:08 > 3:20:11HE SINGS IN WELSH
3:20:17 > 3:20:20So, the ultimate aim of any performer entering the Eisteddfod
3:20:20 > 3:20:23is that Pavilion stage, so how do you get there?
3:20:23 > 3:20:26What kind of hoops do you have to jump through?
3:20:26 > 3:20:30Well, to find out I've come off site to this local village hall,
3:20:30 > 3:20:33to experience some high opera.
3:20:33 > 3:20:36SHE SINGS
3:20:36 > 3:20:40These are the prelims for a prestigious opera competition
3:20:40 > 3:20:44where young singers battle it out for a £5,000 scholarship
3:20:44 > 3:20:47and a spot on that main stage tomorrow night.
3:20:51 > 3:20:54For me, I'm looking for an energy that connects
3:20:54 > 3:20:56and that wants to connect with someone.
3:20:56 > 3:21:00Obviously, they have to have a unique voice.
3:21:00 > 3:21:02You recognise Maria Callas
3:21:02 > 3:21:06or recognise Pavarotti or Bryn Terfel,
3:21:06 > 3:21:08you want that special voice
3:21:08 > 3:21:11- so that you can immediately say "Oh, that's- that- person."
3:21:11 > 3:21:14I think those are the key things -
3:21:14 > 3:21:17the wanting to communicate, the energy and the voice.
3:21:17 > 3:21:20And if that happens, what will you personally feel,
3:21:20 > 3:21:22that you know, "Right, this is happening"?
3:21:22 > 3:21:23Oh, I'll get excited!
3:21:23 > 3:21:30You know, cos it is such a joy to see someone, you know,
3:21:30 > 3:21:34get that step further, because, I'm getting emotional now,
3:21:34 > 3:21:36but it's a beautiful thing.
3:21:37 > 3:21:40As an opera singer, obviously you're going to sing
3:21:40 > 3:21:41- in a wide range of languages.- Yes.
3:21:41 > 3:21:44Is there something different about singing in Welsh?
3:21:44 > 3:21:45Yes, I think so.
3:21:45 > 3:21:49I think I was more concentrating on singing the words right!
3:21:49 > 3:21:52But no, I definitely feel it comes...
3:21:52 > 3:21:54It's a natural thing for me,
3:21:54 > 3:21:56even though I don't speak the language,
3:21:56 > 3:21:58more than if I sang in German or French.
3:21:58 > 3:22:02Welsh comes much more naturally to me, I think.
3:22:02 > 3:22:06So what does being here at the National Eisteddfod,
3:22:06 > 3:22:08having this opportunity, mean?
3:22:08 > 3:22:12It's, you know, it's a big prize.
3:22:12 > 3:22:16And financially, as young singers, we're not exactly rolling in it,
3:22:16 > 3:22:20so that kind of help would be amazing, really,
3:22:20 > 3:22:24just to carry on having lessons and language coachings
3:22:24 > 3:22:25and all that sort of stuff
3:22:25 > 3:22:28that comes along with training to be an opera singer.
3:22:30 > 3:22:3324 hours later, Sarah makes the final
3:22:33 > 3:22:35and puts in a winning performance.
3:22:37 > 3:22:40SHE SINGS WELSH OPERA
3:22:54 > 3:22:58I think nothing of listening to opera in Italian or French
3:22:58 > 3:23:01or German, but for some reason I thought that Welsh
3:23:01 > 3:23:03might be quite strange,
3:23:03 > 3:23:05cos I'm used to having either the subtitles
3:23:05 > 3:23:07or the story in the programme
3:23:07 > 3:23:10to help guide me through.
3:23:10 > 3:23:12But I am understanding and enjoying,
3:23:12 > 3:23:16but there is a little door that I simply can't go through
3:23:16 > 3:23:17without the language.
3:23:20 > 3:23:23CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
3:23:23 > 3:23:26My first Eisteddfod week is coming to a close
3:23:26 > 3:23:29and I've loved it more than I thought,
3:23:29 > 3:23:31but I'm left with one feeling I wasn't expecting.
3:23:33 > 3:23:36So, I've come here as a non-Welsh-speaking Welsh person,
3:23:36 > 3:23:39and, I have to be honest, I'm starting to feel a bit guilty
3:23:39 > 3:23:41that I didn't grasp all the opportunities
3:23:41 > 3:23:44that were there along the way to learn the language,
3:23:44 > 3:23:46because I've come here and I absolutely love it.
3:23:46 > 3:23:49I'm loving it, but I am super aware
3:23:49 > 3:23:52that there's a little bit of it that I simply cannot access.
3:23:52 > 3:23:54First of all, don't feel guilty.
3:23:54 > 3:23:57I wouldn't want anybody to feel guilty if they don't speak Welsh
3:23:57 > 3:23:58and use the Welsh language everyday,
3:23:58 > 3:24:00or perhaps their Welsh isn't good enough
3:24:00 > 3:24:02to stand on the Eisteddfod stage
3:24:02 > 3:24:04and win the competition here.
3:24:04 > 3:24:06But for people to feel... This is a part of who we are.
3:24:06 > 3:24:09Your identity is part of my identity.
3:24:09 > 3:24:12So how should I go about getting the most out of this experience?
3:24:12 > 3:24:14Just wander. Get... You've got a guide.
3:24:14 > 3:24:17Look what's on in the Pavilion, look what's on elsewhere.
3:24:17 > 3:24:20There's hundreds and thousands of events right through the day.
3:24:20 > 3:24:23I think one of the great things about the Eisteddfod
3:24:23 > 3:24:25is that you do get to go to different places.
3:24:25 > 3:24:27Next year I'm looking forward to it in Cardiff Bay,
3:24:27 > 3:24:29where you don't have this Maes.
3:24:29 > 3:24:32The Maes is the bay and the bay is the Maes.
3:24:32 > 3:24:35You'll be able to wander the streets of Cardiff
3:24:35 > 3:24:38and see a completely different urban Eisteddfod.
3:24:40 > 3:24:44On a final wander round this wonderful bubble,
3:24:44 > 3:24:46I find a form of old Welsh music
3:24:46 > 3:24:49that I've always wanted to hear live.
3:24:57 > 3:25:01GENTLE CERDD DANT SINGING
3:25:29 > 3:25:31Oh, ladies!
3:25:31 > 3:25:35That was just stunning, absolutely beautiful.
3:25:35 > 3:25:39So, that was Cerdd Dant, which I'd never heard before.
3:25:39 > 3:25:43Can you explain to me, Bethany, what exactly were you doing there?
3:25:43 > 3:25:45It's a very old tradition here in Wales
3:25:45 > 3:25:48and the Cerdd Dant is basically a poem
3:25:48 > 3:25:49set to the accompaniment of a harp,
3:25:49 > 3:25:52and the melody counters the accompaniment of the harp
3:25:52 > 3:25:54and each verse is unique.
3:25:54 > 3:25:58The Cerdd Dant is certainly a tradition that's inherent to Wales
3:25:58 > 3:26:00and it's a massive part of our upbringing.
3:26:00 > 3:26:02We sing Cerdd Dant at primary school,
3:26:02 > 3:26:06at high school and all of us come to the Eisteddfod
3:26:06 > 3:26:10and we compete as soloists and in choirs and such.
3:26:10 > 3:26:13Can I sit in amongst you while you do some more?
3:26:13 > 3:26:14Absolutely!
3:26:14 > 3:26:18I mean, as I'm here and have this incredible privilege, can I?
3:26:28 > 3:26:32THEY SING IN HARMONY
3:27:00 > 3:27:03CRYING: That was... That was very lovely!
3:27:05 > 3:27:08Thank you very much, ladies. That meant a lot, thank you.
3:27:11 > 3:27:15That's...a bit too overwhelming.
3:27:15 > 3:27:17You know when something is so beautiful
3:27:17 > 3:27:20that it overwhelms you and you simply don't have words,
3:27:20 > 3:27:23it just touches you somewhere inside of you.
3:27:23 > 3:27:25That's what that did.
3:27:25 > 3:27:28That's really an incredible experience.
3:27:28 > 3:27:29And I see what they're doing here.
3:27:29 > 3:27:34They're kind of creating their ideal world for one week only,
3:27:34 > 3:27:37where all of these beautiful things happen,
3:27:37 > 3:27:39and it's a wonderful bubble to be in.
3:27:41 > 3:27:43Thank you so much, ladies!
3:27:46 > 3:27:50- Josie! How are you?!- She spied me!