Episode 1 The Big Performance

Six talented young singer-songwriters...

I think my first song I wrote was when I was about five.

..chosen for a big performance of historical significance...

-Gas! Gas! Gas!

-Get your gas masks on! Quick!

..to perform their own song at the centenary

commemorations of World War I.

The most difficult thing is trying to imagine what it was like then.

There's only one man who can prepare them for this event...

award-winning choirmaster Gareth Malone.

-Say it more!

-I am an expressive singer!

Under his guidance they'll put their songwriting to the test

in front of some of the biggest names in the industry.

Dig deep, everyone. Are you ready?

They'll take to the road to find inspiration

for their World War I songs...

They had to be doing this just for our country.

..and discover more about their own family history.

I can't believe it.

Who will write the song to fit the occasion?

-Only one will be chosen.

-Good luck, everyone.

This is The Big Performance.

Today, the kids' songwriting ability comes under scrutiny...

I listen to them in my bedroom

and now I'm actually going to be performing in front of them.

..postcards from the past have a big impact on the singers...

I'm quite shocked really cos I thought they'd be sad

going off to war, not happy.

..and the pressure mounts as the six soloists work together

for the first time.

There's a little bit of a power struggle going on.

It's the first day on The Big Performance.

Choirmaster Gareth Malone has brought six of Britain's most

inspiring young singer-songwriters to a secret location in London.

Welcome to The Big Performance Music HQ.

THEY CHEER

This is where the group will be based as they prepare for

the biggest performance of their lives.

Look at that.

-This is amazing.

-Over there is the performance area.

There's a music writing area there.

These six young musicians have been hand-picked by Gareth

to perform at the World War I commemoration in Belgium.

This is the room where it's all going to happen.

This is music headquarters, where they're going to write

the song that represents the nation.

12-year-old Sid is an ambitious

songwriter from Folkestone

who takes his music very seriously.

# I think we should break free. #

My favourite type of music is deep soul

and jazz cos I find that really deep.

Molly from Huddersfield has

performed in front of 2,000 people

and her songwriting comes from the heart.

# I'd like to say when I was lost. #

Normally my songs are about love, which is really weird

because I've never been in a real relationship before.

I don't know really why I write them about love.

Jasmine from Dagenham

is a 12-year-old who is

used to the big stage.

# Gentle love is still the greatest gift of all. #

I've performed in Wembley Arena twice now.

I think my performing is a little better than my songwriting.

I can get used to this, just put it that way.

Ben is a rocker from Sussex who wants to make waves in

the music industry.

# What am I going to do in this place?

# Don't want to be a laze-about for all my days. #

My dream is to be either a solo artist or in a band.

I would just generally love to be known

and make people happy with my music.

So easy.

14-year-old Molly from Cardiff has only been songwriting for a year,

but her singing is on another level.

# It's not going your way. #

At the moment I think my biggest strength is my voice.

I'm classically trained and I sing in a choir.

Feels like I'm a proper pop star now.

And last but not least, it's Exeter lad Sam.

He's only 11 years old,

but he already has bags of songwriting experience.

# Dancing alone I'm fighting my fate. #

I've been writing songs for almost two years now.

I'm the youngest person here in the group,

but that's not going to hold me back.

In six weeks' time these singers will be performing a song

one of them has written at the World War I commemoration

in Belgium in front of Princes William and Harry.

I think there will be a little bit of pressure,

but I think it's good pressure.

My nerves will be up to there.

I think it's going to be quite difficult

because I wasn't alive at that time.

I'm not looking for a song that is about guns and death

and the really difficult side of war.

I'd like them to have an appreciation of that, but out of that comes

hope and looking forward, and that's what this song needs to do.

That's quite a challenge.

To help the kids hone their songwriting skills,

each week Gareth will be setting the group a task based on a hit song.

What we're going to do now is analyse a really famous pop song,

Wild Hearts by the Vamps.

Let's have a look at the lyrics.

We're going to have a little sing through.

Two, three and go!

# Tonight we'll dance

# I'll be yours and you'll be mine

# We won't look back... #

The Vamps burst onto the music scene in 2012

and quickly became an indie pop sensation.

Gareth has picked their hit song Wild Heart as inspiration

for the kids' first challenge.

# I got a wild heart. #

What do you think makes a Vamps song a Vamps song?

-It's catchy.

-It is, it's very upbeat.

It's something you can dance to.

High energy I think is the key. That beat...

HE HUMS BEAT

Here is your challenge.

You are going to write your own song.

It needs to be an indie, rock, pop song.

It needs to be upbeat and it had better be good

because in 24 hours the Vamps are coming to listen to it.

Has anyone met the Vamps before?

-I saw them in concert two weeks ago.

-Did you get to talk to them?

-No.

-And now you're going to meet them

and you're going to perform a song to them that you've written.

I can't wait.

It's like, I listen to them in my bedroom

and now I'm actually going to be performing in front of them.

Now I'm feeling ecstatic and I just can't believe all this is happening.

It's going to be amazing tomorrow.

It's a huge first challenge for the group.

The kids normally take months to write a song,

and now they have less than 24 hours to pen in the style of the Vamps

and then perform it to their idols.

It's the first opportunity for the young musicians to

show off their songwriting skills.

But how will they fair working collaboratively for the first time?

And then after, start dancing. Then it can start going real happy.

When you do the harmonies...

Do you want me to get you a pen so you can write this all down?

Because they're all soloists they're used to working on their own,

they're all talking all over each other.

It's interesting that Molly's just sat there quietly writing away

whereas the two boys in the other group

are telling everyone how it ought to go.

The kids are all taking very different approaches to

writing the song. But is it working?

How are you getting on?

Good.

What are the words for your verse?

Feeling kind of lost, searching in the crowd,

looking for a girl like you.

-Very good. That's one line.

-I'm going to say boy.

It's a round kind of thing, so it's...

HE SINGS

Because Sid wants to do a really good job he's taking it very seriously.

There's a temptation for him to sometimes talk over other people.

And they're all jostling for position.

There's a little bit of a power struggle going on.

12-year-old Sid is a self-taught musician with a powerful voice

and grand plans for the future.

Well, my big ambition in life with my music would be probably

to be a West End performer.

I so want to be the person on the stage

and share with the audience the story behind the song.

Back at the auditions he put on a super-confident performance

of one of his own tracks.

# Everywhere I see people living by the book

# I can't hold you back

# But if you choose to live that way, you're just fools. #

And Gareth was blown away.

He's bright and interested in the world, and I think exactly

the sort of person I want to represent young people.

I thought he was great, I really liked him.

Sid is one of six very talented singer-songwriters

picked by Gareth for The Big Performance in Belgium.

# Feeling kind of low... #

But over the next few weeks they're going to have to

push their songwriting to a whole new level.

Each of them must try to compose a song to commemorate World War I,

a subject they know very little about.

At the moment, World War I is a historical event

that you might read about in a book.

I've got to bring that to life for them

so that they can write a song that sums up

the feelings of a nation about one of our most important historical events.

With the Vamps challenge on the back burner for now,

the kids are heading out on a World War I fact-finding mission.

But how knowledgeable are the group already?

We're going to have a little quiz.

What was the name of the German's plan of attack?

The German plan.

INCORRECT BUZZER

The answer is the Schlieffen Plan.

Why did World War I begin?

The Treaty of Versailles.

INCORRECT BUZZER

Because of the Serbian assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

Jasmine, in your audition you told me

that you thought the war lasted 37 days.

INCORRECT BUZZER

How long do you think it lasted now?

-Four years.

-Well done!

CORRECT BUZZER

They don't really have any connection to World War I at all,

it's just a bunch of facts for them.

Some of the facts aren't right.

They need to connect with it, they need to understand it more

if they're going to write a song that really does the job.

I think it's really difficult to write a song about something

that happened 100 years ago.

With my experiences, I know exactly what happened.

With these experiences, we have no clue what they actually felt like.

Gareth has brought the singers to a very soggy Folkestone on

the south-east coast.

The harbour front is now derelict,

but back in 1914 it became a hub of military activity.

This used to be where people would come before they went off to

France to fight in World War I.

People were coming from all over Great Britain on trains.

When they got here they would have been able to hear the guns

over on the front line. Can you imagine that?

You would have heard this loud bang.

As war broke out against Germany, the seaside town of Folkestone

became a major departure point for the millions of soldiers

heading across the Channel to fight in France.

It's the perfect place for the kids to start getting ideas

for their World War I songs.

How do you think people would have been feeling as they went off?

I would be really scared and nervous

because I wouldn't know what's going to happen.

It's hard to imagine now, 100 years later,

what the atmosphere must have been like.

I think it's really important to come here

and realise what those people went through

when they went off to France.

OK, soldier, here's a kit bag for you.

And standard issue hat. There you are. Get that on.

Right, follow me. Left, right, left, right.

But it's not just packs and hats.

Gareth has given the six songwriters real postcards

written around 100 years ago by soldiers as they headed off to war.

"Dear Aunt, just to let you know that

"I arrived at Folkestone on Tuesday, leave same day for France."

"Dear Helen, I don't know when I'll get home

"as the war has started."

"All the boats are waiting ready to take us over to France.

"Best love and kisses, Daddy."

"No doubt by the time you receive this card

"we shall be on French soil."

"I'm in the pink and quite happy. Charles."

I'm quite shocked really cos I thought they'd be sad

going off to war, not happy.

It's quite sad cos it's like the dad's writing,

I think it's the dad writing to his son,

but he doesn't know what it will be like in France when he's fighting.

It was very surprising reading those letters

because they were keeping it short, not showing any emotion.

I think they thought it was going to be a big adventure,

but obviously it wasn't.

No-one can understand the upbeat nature of the postcards.

But Gareth has a plan to help the group get a feel of

the adventurous spirit of those boarding the boats in 1914.

Right, we're off. We're off to France.

I know you're struggling to get in your mind what it was like,

so I've got a letter written by a boy soldier,

he was 16 years old, called Thomas.

"Behind me lies the life of ordered things - comfort, security, peace.

"Ahead is the unknown - danger, hardships, wounds, perhaps death.

"But these possibilities leave me unmoved. THIS is my great adventure."

I think heroism and being upbeat and doing things for your country,

that was how people felt at the time.

One of the way people would keep spirits up

and be positive was through singing.

So we're going to have a little singsong,

it was a very popular song. Pack Up Your Troubles?

# Pack up your troubles in your old kitbag and smile, smile, smile... #

Pack Up Your Troubles was the smash hit of its day.

It shot to fame after winning a wartime competition for

a marching song, and was so inspirational,

even the Germans were singing it.

# It never was worthwhile

# So pack up your troubles in your old kitbag

# And smile, smile, smile. #

What about you?

Do you think you have what it takes to write a song that's that popular,

that 100 years later people are still singing it?

Hopefully we can write a song as good,

but I think it'll be really hard to compare ourselves to this.

'I've got a lot of ideas rushing through my head and definitely'

this has given me a much bigger idea of what I'm going to be doing.

The most difficult thing about this is probably trying to imagine

what it was like for them. The atmosphere and that.

I don't know if I've got it in me to write the winning song,

but I'm going to try and see how I do.

If they wrote a song today,

I don't think it would represent the feelings of the nation.

I don't think they really understand what the First World War

was all about - how could they?

So we've got a long way to go before they even start writing this song.

Back on dry land, the kids must leave the past behind

and focus on the present -

writing a Vamps-style song for the boys themselves.

But are Gareth's six soloists ready to

perform as a group for the first time?

# Feeling kind of lost, searching in the crowd... #

All of them are just getting to know each other,

and one or two are really taking a lead.

Ben is taking a lead, Sid is dominating the group at the moment.

# I just want you for mine tonight... #

At the moment, they all want to be noticed,

so they're all singing loudly and really trying to be heard.

The group needs to settle down and start working.

Back at HQ, the kids need to get rehearsing.

But instead of pulling together, the group seem to be falling apart.

-OK, we ready?

-We're missing Sid.

-Where's Sid? Is he OK?

-KIDS: Yeah.

-Oh, there he is.

Should I run my...?

You're all right, we're fine, just come and stand, let's join in.

I was just about to start the lesson and run through the song,

and Sid came in late. And he looked upset.

I don't know what had gone on, he wouldn't tell me what was

happening, and I think there's a tension running through the group.

I think that's cos they're under pressure.

Before we start, Sid, you looked a little upset when you came in.

-Yeah, it's fine.

-What were you upset about? Is it the song?

-Oh, no, it was to do with...just something inside the group.

-You OK?

-I'm fine.

-Do you want to tell me?

-No.

It appears not all the songwriters are working in harmony.

Sid was trying to take control of us all

and it was quite annoying, to be honest.

Cos he was, "No, we should do this, no, we should do that." And then

if someone else had an idea, "No, no, no, we've already decided."

'No, we didn't all decide, he decided it.'

All of us as a team are feeling the pressure,

and we're trying to get our points of view through.

I think it's just a personality thing.

We're all different, so we just have to try and get along.

It's not just group dynamics that are looking shaky.

# I just want you for mine tonight... #

That's changed, hasn't it?

"Just want you for mine toniiight" was how it went yesterday.

-Sid, can you remember?

-Well, we changed the chorus this morning.

But now, when we're trying to go back to the old chorus,

which is better, we've got the new chorus stuck in our heads.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. You had a really good chorus tune.

Why did you change it this morning?

Erm...

It was all going really well

and everything's sort of started to get more difficult.

The song isn't finished and now the pressure's getting to them.

I need to get the team back together,

cos if it goes wrong in front of the Vamps, it could be embarrassing.

With the performance just hours away,

the six soloists are still struggling to work together.

Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson knows what you need

to succeed as a group.

Hi, this is Ricky Wilson, and you're watching The Big Performance.

The reason bands exist is because everyone falls into a role

which they're best at.

The trick of writing in a band is to find your place

and trust the others to find theirs.

Gareth needs the kids to find their places quickly.

So he's called in some backup.

Military backup. Say hello to Sergeant Amory.

I've brought the kids here today to learn about teamwork, because

nobody knows more about working together as a group than the Army.

It might sound trivial,

that writing a song is anything like going into battle,

but it's not, it's all about working together as a team and succeeding.

Squad! Right turn!

Squad! Quick march! Left! Left! Left-right-left!

Rubbish, everyone round the goalposts, back to me. Go, go, go!

Quick as you can.

There's no being an individual when you've got Sergeant Amory around.

Come on, guys, quick as you can, back in!

They're going to do a great performance.

They're going to have to trust each other,

-and that means working as a team. And that starts here.

-Squad, lift!

And let's go. Through this way, guys, there's bombs going off.

There's explosions, keep it going.

For the first time, everyone is working together.

But will Gareth's squad of songwriters

keep in formation for their Vamps performance?

Well done, everyone. Excellent teamwork, really good.

As we get closer and closer to our performance, I think

pressure can start to fracture a team,

and everyone can start arguing OR a team can come together.

I don't know which way this team will go.

The Vamps are already en route to Music HQ.

It's the last time for the group to pull together.

Choirmaster Gareth has some serious conducting to do.

On that line, I want you and you to really move in.

-# Start of something new... #

-Ahhh! Feel the difference?

It's a bit more punch-punch-punch on that.

# Oh-oh-oh. #

No-one is more important than anyone else.

We're all in it together, that's teamwork.

'I think it's risky to put them under so much pressure early on,'

but you know, he who dares wins. I hope the Vamps like it.

Indie pop sensation the Vamps already have

three hit singles to their name.

And the boys know what makes a successful song,

so the kids will have to pull out all the stops to impress them.

We like catchy melodies, big pop melodies.

We've heard very good things about the kids doing it,

so we've got high hopes. No pressure!

I'm just so nervous to see what they like. I'm, like, shaking.

It's a bit overwhelming.

This is something we're going to

remember the rest of our lives and this is our first challenge.

So...it's big. I just don't want to mess it up.

-Here they are, it's the Vamps!

-Hey, guys, what's up?

-How you guys feeling, you nervous?

-KIDS: Yeah.

-Don't be.

We've done this, like, a million times in front of people.

It's very scary, so we know how you feel.

-So don't worry.

-So we are so excited to hear this song. Let's do it.

OK, let's go.

It's a huge first performance for the group.

They've managed to write a song,

but will their last-minute changes cost them

in front of their pop star idols?

# Feeling kind of lost, searching through the crowd

# Looking for a girl like you

# Then I saw your face, lighting up the place

# Eyes were like the stars to me

# Now that I'm with you, the whole world's full of life

# Just want you for mine tonight

# We danced all night

# Till the morning light

# We won't move on from where we started

# We danced all night, till the morning light

# We were dancing, we were dancing

THEY GET VERSES MIXED UP

# We were dancing, we were dancing

# We were dancing, we were dancing

# Till the night fell away

# We were dancing, we were dancing

# That day became today

# Whoa-oh-ohh

# Whoa-oh-ohh

# Whoa-oh-ohh

# You mean the world to me

# Whoa-oh-ohh

# Whoa-oh-ohh

# You mean the world to me. #

THE VAMPS CHEER AND APPLAUD

The group fluffed a few words,

but they've got through their first challenge together.

-So, what did you think?

-That was great.

The harmonies, we need to have some lessons with you guys,

cos I have no idea how you did those, like...

six-bar harmonies!

Yeah, it was incredible, honestly. Congratulations, you guys.

Let's get to the real stuff - what can they work on?

A really good thing to do is to stare at the audience.

Not stare, but have good eye contact.

Lot of times when we were performing for each other

and we'd just met, you look at the ceiling and the floor

cos it's less awkward, but if you learn to look at them directly...

It captures the audience.

We noticed you stumbled a bit, but an absolute credit to you,

it was barely anything and you recovered really well.

Just forget about it and enjoy the rest of the song.

We do it all the time. Live TV, everything, so, you know...

It's cool, guys, you've done really well.

I'm feeling really amazing that I've just

performed in front of the Vamps, it's so cool.

They were so comfortable, and we were there, really frightened,

-thinking, "What if we mess up?"

-It went a bit wrong in the middle.

That's a lesson, they need to learn that they need to write the song,

then rehearse it, then perform it.

Everyone apart from me plays guitar. I play piano.

Writing a Vamps-inspired pop song has been a great

first achievement for the young singer-songwriters.

But coming up with a fitting tribute to mark

the start of World War I is on a different scale.

The performance they're going to do makes that look really simple.

There's so much more work to do before they're ready for Belgium.

I think if you were put in that position to write

a song for World War I commemoration...yeah, probably

putting yourself in the situation, living in it

-and reading about it.

-Yeah.

If you look down the family tree, that's what's crazy

about World War I, everyone, somewhere along their family tree,

has been affected by World War I.

Thank you so much, really good tips.

The Vamps are going to perform their new single Somebody To You.

Let's do it!

# Yeah, you

# Yeah, you

# I used to wanna be

# Living like there's only me

# And now I spend my time thinking 'bout a way to get you off my mind

# Yeah, you!

# I used to be so tough, I never really gave enough

# And then you caught my eye, giving me the feeling of a lightning strike

# Yeah, you!

# Look at me now, I'm falling

# I can't even talk, still stuttering

# This ground of mine keeps shaking

# Oh, oh, oh - NOW!

# All I wanna be, all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, is somebody to you

# All I wanna be, all I ever wanna be

# Yeah, yeah, is somebody to you... #

It's the perfect end to a challenging few days.

But for the Big Performance musicians,

things are only going to get tougher from here.

Next time, the group test their talents in front

of a music megastar...

..there is terror in the trenches...

Gas, gas, gas!

..and the kids' relaxed approach to songwriting backfires.

Uh, did that go perfectly?