0:00:02 > 0:00:04Six of Britain's most talented young singer-songwriters...
0:00:04 > 0:00:08I think my first song I wrote was when I was about five.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11..and award-winning choirmaster Gareth Malone...
0:00:11 > 0:00:13A-A-Ah. Do you feel the difference?
0:00:13 > 0:00:15..team up with the biggest names in the industry...
0:00:15 > 0:00:18Really, really deliver those lyrics to the audience.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22..to prepare for a Big Performance of historical significance...
0:00:22 > 0:00:25BELL RINGS Get under your desks immediately!
0:00:25 > 0:00:28When there was an air raid, the mother probably thought,
0:00:28 > 0:00:29"Am I going to die?"
0:00:29 > 0:00:32..on the 100th anniversary of WW1.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Only one song will be chosen to represent the nation.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39Writing the right song for the right occasion, that's the challenge.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Can they do their ancestors proud?
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Or will the responsibility prove too much?
0:00:44 > 0:00:46I think it's risky to put them under so much pressure,
0:00:46 > 0:00:48but, you know, he who dares wins.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50This is something we'll remember for the rest of our lives,
0:00:50 > 0:00:52so I just don't want to mess it up.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Today Gareth struggles to motivate his musicians.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02I know they're being creative, but they're just basically lying down.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04There is terror in the trenches.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Gas, gas, gas!
0:01:07 > 0:01:10And the group perform for a music megastar.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13ALL GASP
0:01:43 > 0:01:47It's a new day at the Big Performance music headquarters.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Everyone is knuckling down on their WW1 songs
0:01:50 > 0:01:53and spirits are high after last week's performance
0:01:53 > 0:01:55in front of their idols, the Vamps.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59I don't think I can get rid of, like, the excitement.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01It's just amazing.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04You just never thought you'd be performing in front of
0:02:04 > 0:02:07someone you see in magazines, so it's really surreal.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11I don't really know how it's going to get better, but I hope it does.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15The guys did very well at writing a song for the Vamps.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Now I've seen what they're capable of,
0:02:17 > 0:02:20I'm going to push them harder to achieve something really good.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23To help the accomplished kids move their songwriting forward,
0:02:23 > 0:02:26in today's challenge, Gareth plans to take them
0:02:26 > 0:02:28right out of their comfort zone.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Last time you did a fantastic song for the Vamps.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Today, you're going to do a completely different style of music.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36It will suit some of you better than others.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42The artist that you are going to be performing to this week is...
0:02:44 > 0:02:47- Yes!- Conor Maynard!
0:02:47 > 0:02:49# So turn around... #
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Conor Maynard started writing songs in his bedroom
0:02:52 > 0:02:55and recorded his first track aged just 15.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57After being spotted on YouTube,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00he went on to have a number-one selling album.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03I'm really excited I'm meeting Conor Maynard.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06I can't believe I've got this amazing opportunity.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08- It's going to be really cool.- Oh!
0:03:10 > 0:03:12I'm going to start being a lot tougher on you now
0:03:12 > 0:03:14because I've seen what you're capable of.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17I think you can write really great songs and that's what
0:03:17 > 0:03:21I want to see in front of Conor Maynard. Conor expects the best.
0:03:21 > 0:03:27In just 24 hours, the musicians must write a song in Conor's R&B style
0:03:27 > 0:03:29and then perform it to him.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31To get things started, Gareth has chosen
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Conor's song Turn Around for inspiration
0:03:35 > 0:03:38So we are going to pick from this song
0:03:38 > 0:03:41three words to base our song on.
0:03:41 > 0:03:42Off you go.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Sky is quite a nice one.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52- You've got one, two. Have you got a third one?- Yes.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55The kids pick "sky", "floating and "music".
0:03:55 > 0:03:58OK, so we're going to go over to the songwriting area
0:03:58 > 0:04:00and start writing our song.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Gareth wants the group to use the three words they have chosen
0:04:03 > 0:04:06to brainstorm new lyrics for their song.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10- I'm flying high in the sky. - It is kind of an obvious rhyme.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14I'm flying high in the sky with a pie in my eye.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17A lot of their ideas were very, very cliched.
0:04:17 > 0:04:18I want them to move beyond that.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20We are drifting together.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23- The sky is just beyond us. - Your mind is clouded.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26If you start to read these out, "music to my ears",
0:04:26 > 0:04:30"your mind is clouded". Doesn't it start to feel like a song?
0:04:30 > 0:04:35The brainstorming session seems to be inspiring the kids.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38But where do established artists get their ideas from?
0:04:38 > 0:04:41My inspiration to keep making music is
0:04:41 > 0:04:44because there's always more music to make.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47I get most of my inspiration from conversations that I've had
0:04:47 > 0:04:49with my friends and family.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Personal experiences, things you want to get off your chest.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56I can't imagine ever not being inspired to make new music.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59With the song quickly taking shape,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Gareth decides to take a backseat.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06But will the young songwriters keep up the momentum?
0:05:06 > 0:05:09I think "is the night sky black or blue".
0:05:09 > 0:05:11- So that's number one, yes?- Yes.
0:05:11 > 0:05:12OK.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14I know that they're being creative,
0:05:14 > 0:05:17but they are just basically lying down.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19I want them to be energised, excited,
0:05:19 > 0:05:21they are trying to make a pop song.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23- Happy, yes?- Yes.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25I'm just watching you, carry on.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27God, such low energy!
0:05:27 > 0:05:31I think they are riding high off their success in front of the Vamps
0:05:31 > 0:05:32and now they are just take it easy.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36Even the most vocal members of the group are taking a relaxed approach.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39This won't be hard.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43There's loads of things you can do, so it's not hard to write.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45In my opinion.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Ben is a 13-year-old rocker
0:05:49 > 0:05:52who knows what you need to make it as a performer.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55My top singing tip would probably be confidence.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57You can't go up on stage without confidence.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01Back at the auditions, he made a big first impression on Gareth.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04- You are tall.- And his performance lived up to his hype.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07# They have the eyes of a wise man
0:06:07 > 0:06:11# So it got me through the... #
0:06:11 > 0:06:16Ben is very talented. Very smart and obviously really creative.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Ben is going to do things with music, I really sense it.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Lovely to meet you, I'll be in touch.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Despite their laid-back attitude,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Ben and the others have managed to put a song together.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30# Music to my ears... #
0:06:30 > 0:06:34But so far, it's not impressing Gareth.
0:06:34 > 0:06:35I think they need to shape up
0:06:35 > 0:06:38because Conor Maynard is going to expect a really good song.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40And I'm expecting it to be better than last time.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Gareth has decided the group need a break
0:06:49 > 0:06:51from today's songwriting challenge.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53In just four weeks' time,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56they will be performing a song one of them has written
0:06:56 > 0:07:00at the World War I centenary commemoration in Belgium.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04To inspire their writing, Gareth wants them to experience
0:07:04 > 0:07:07something every soldier went through.
0:07:08 > 0:07:09The dreaded trenches.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18The network of trenches was where the British and German armies
0:07:18 > 0:07:21came face-to-face across Belgium and France.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25The soldiers lives, ate, slept and fought in the muddy ditches
0:07:25 > 0:07:27for many months at a time.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33And now the young songwriters are going to experience it first-hand
0:07:33 > 0:07:37on a recreated battlefield. But they won't be going in alone.
0:07:37 > 0:07:42They will be under the watchful eye of the infamous Captain Dodds.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Right, you, stand still.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51You lot, dress back along this line here. Facing that way.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53Come along this line, straight line. Not hard.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55Let's see if we can do something with you.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59Tallest on the right, shortest on the left, move now.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01- Who are you?- Private Jasmine, sir.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04Private Jasmine. Are you nervous, Private Jasmine?
0:08:04 > 0:08:07- No, sir.- You are not? We'll soon change that.
0:08:07 > 0:08:08SNIGGERING
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Don't snigger. I can't abide sniggering.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16There is an idiot on the end of this stick, and it's not at this end.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19- And you...- Private Sam, sir.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23- Private Sam?- I'm really scared.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26You are like a soldier, only much smaller.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Captain Dodd's strict style has rattled Sid and Sam.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32But in 1914, young soldiers' lives
0:08:32 > 0:08:35depended on following the orders of senior officers.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38A few hundred yards that way is the enemy lines.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42- So you must do what I tell you. - ALL: Yes, sir!
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Come on, let's go.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48Dodds leads the battalion into the muddy maze of the trench.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52The troop must remain disciplined and vigilant at all times.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56We are going to go through these communications trench is now.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00We can be seen, keep your heads down, keep quiet. OK, let's go.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Keep down, keep close. Keep down. This way.
0:09:07 > 0:09:08Oh, it's a great smell!
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Once safely in the bunker,
0:09:11 > 0:09:15Captain Dodds spells out the harsh realities of trench life.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17There are big rats in this trench.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20If you go to sleep with food on your lips,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23the rats will come along and lick it off.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26If you see something that looks like a rat, that's a mouse.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29If you see something that looks like a big cat, that's a rat.
0:09:29 > 0:09:34But giant rats were the least of your worries on the front line.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38Take your gas masks out. Unfold them, so they look like that.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41One of the biggest fears was a poison-gas attack,
0:09:41 > 0:09:43which every soldier had to be prepared for.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45When you hear the command, "Gas, gas, gas!",
0:09:45 > 0:09:49stick them over your head, grab the tube between your teeth
0:09:49 > 0:09:52and then just tuck the hood in round, like that.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Oh, it's just awful.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57I can't believe how they used to live, it's just awful.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Its horrifying, it's horrible, rats and mud,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03discomfort, cold weather.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06And the enemy just there, ready to kill you. It makes you think.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Some survivors were interviewed many years after the war ended.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14Here is one soldier's account of being wounded under German fire.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18I had a terrific pain in the back and the chest.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22I found myself sinking down in the mud.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26And I thought to myself, well, if this is death, it's not so bad.
0:10:31 > 0:10:32For those who avoided injury,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35maintaining and manning the 500 miles of trenches
0:10:35 > 0:10:37was a daily ordeal.
0:10:37 > 0:10:42Captain Dodds wastes no time in putting his new recruits to work.
0:10:42 > 0:10:43OK, so your job as sentries
0:10:43 > 0:10:46is to look out for the enemy coming over this way.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Keep your heads down and don't stick your hands up,
0:10:49 > 0:10:51because if you stick your hand above the parapet,
0:10:51 > 0:10:53this top bit here, you may get it shot off.
0:10:53 > 0:10:58Periscopes enabled sentries to keep watch over German activity.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01It was a vital, but boring job.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Soldiers who fell asleep on duty faced severe punishment.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07I can see the trenches.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11No helmets at the moment, not as yet.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14We are really getting a taste of what it was like in the mud
0:11:14 > 0:11:17and the horribleness that they had to go through.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20They had to be doing this just for our country.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22It's a disgusting place to be in to do it.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24The sentry team are struggling.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27And Molly, Ben and Sam aren't getting on much better.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Sandbags, two-thirds full.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33They have been tasked with filling sandbags
0:11:33 > 0:11:35to help reinforce trench defences.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39There's a worm in this one, sir.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41I couldn't do this on a daily basis
0:11:41 > 0:11:44because, like, it's just so hard
0:11:44 > 0:11:48and just not really worth living, to be honest.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50After a hard day's work,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54even mealtimes were not much of a morale-booster.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56Rations were measly, meals repetitive,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59and hot food practically non-existent.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02I keep wanting to blow on it but then I remember it's stone cold.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06It's not very nice.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08I'd prefer it if it was warm,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11but I think Ben likes it, he's eating all of it.
0:12:11 > 0:12:16It sums up the experience, with this cold food.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20Cold food, mud, and people shooting at you, it's not fun, is it?
0:12:22 > 0:12:23And at any point in the day,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26there was the chance of the most feared attack.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29- Gas, gas, gas!- Gas!
0:12:29 > 0:12:34- Gas, gas, gas!- Get your gas mask on, get your gas masks on, quick.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39You still can't see, can you? Can you breathe?
0:12:39 > 0:12:43In 1914, Sid could have been in real trouble.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45A bit of a set-back, but I think we can deal with it.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47I look like Donald Duck.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Is this all they had to protect themselves?
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Only once the air was safe to breathe
0:12:52 > 0:12:56could soldiers remove their masks. But this could take hours.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01The kids have only had a small taste of life in the trenches,
0:13:01 > 0:13:05but Gareth is hoping it will have a big impact on their songs.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Up till now, all the songwriting they've done about the war
0:13:08 > 0:13:11has just been from imagination. Now it's from reality,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14so I'm expecting a big upturn in their songwriting.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18The whole experience has been uncomfortable, so I think
0:13:18 > 0:13:22we can feel their pain from being in a trench for four years.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26To help the songwriters feel more connected to World War I,
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Gareth has been looking into their family histories.
0:13:28 > 0:13:33Today, he wants to talk to Sid about his ancestor, George Davis.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37His service record shows that at just 19 years old
0:13:37 > 0:13:41he joined the 12th Battalion East Surrey Regiment.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44I've actually managed to find out about your great-great uncle.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48He went out in 1915 and, while he was out, his mother died.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53So, as a memorial for her, he got some black crepe paper
0:13:53 > 0:13:55and put it over his second button.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57And the Army didn't like this
0:13:57 > 0:14:00because they thought it wasn't the proper uniform.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03So they strapped him to a big cannon wheel as a punishment
0:14:03 > 0:14:06- and left him there for hours and hours on end.- Wow!
0:14:08 > 0:14:11I... I've never known that story.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14Sid's great-great-uncle had been subjected
0:14:14 > 0:14:16to field punishment number one -
0:14:16 > 0:14:20a common penalty soldiers faced if they refused to obey orders.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22Would you have been that kind of character,
0:14:22 > 0:14:24do you think you'd have got into trouble?
0:14:24 > 0:14:28I think I wouldn't have been the greatest and best,
0:14:28 > 0:14:31the most politest soldier of all of them though.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37Next it's Jasmine's turn to find out about her own link to the war.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Do you know anything about your relatives?
0:14:40 > 0:14:42Did any of them fight in World War I, do you know?
0:14:42 > 0:14:48- My great-great-auntie's husband was a soldier in the World War.- Really?
0:14:48 > 0:14:50He was from St Lucia.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53A lot of people came over from the Caribbean
0:14:53 > 0:14:57and fought in the British West Indies Regiment.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59For the men who bravely volunteered,
0:14:59 > 0:15:02it was a 4,000-mile trip to the front line.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05And any reminder of home was welcome.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08There was an official list that the government made
0:15:08 > 0:15:11of gifts that people could send from the Caribbean.
0:15:11 > 0:15:12And this is something
0:15:12 > 0:15:15that your great-great-uncle might have received.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19The gifts were considered so important to morale
0:15:19 > 0:15:22that the lists were published in Caribbean newspapers.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Local delicacies were top priority.
0:15:26 > 0:15:27What have we got?
0:15:27 > 0:15:30We've got some Jamaican guava jelly.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32We got some...
0:15:32 > 0:15:34A little bit of Caribbean fruit.
0:15:34 > 0:15:39What's this? This is Solomon Gundy's spicy smoked-herring paste.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41People would have sent that out
0:15:41 > 0:15:43to make them feel a little taste of home.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47Has this experience changed the way you're thinking about your song?
0:15:47 > 0:15:51It's given me a bit more of an idea of how the soldiers coped.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Little things like this, they can give you hope.
0:15:54 > 0:15:59And I think hope and positive spirit are what carried us through the war.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03I hope what they get from today is just what people did.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06It was not easy, it was brutal, it was horrible,
0:16:06 > 0:16:09and so we owe it to them to write the right song.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11GARETH WHISTLES
0:16:15 > 0:16:17With the rest of the group back at base,
0:16:17 > 0:16:22Gareth is taking Sid and Jasmine to test-run their World War I songs.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25This is Universal Music Studios, where some of the world's
0:16:25 > 0:16:28greatest artists have recorded their hits.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31They have an appointment to meet Laura Wright,
0:16:31 > 0:16:36a super soprano with 1 million album sales under her belt.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39# Through the dark cloud shines... #
0:16:39 > 0:16:43Today, she is recording a cover of a famous World War I song.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47And her feedback on Sid and Jasmine's commemorative songs
0:16:47 > 0:16:48could be invaluable.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50# ..come home. #
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Very good, Laura. This is a Sid and Jasmine.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55So, Laura, tell us a bit about the song.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59OK, so it's called Keep The Home Fires Burning.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02And it's written in 1914 by Ivor Novello.
0:17:02 > 0:17:03# Keep the home fires... #
0:17:03 > 0:17:07The song was written to keep everyone's spirits up back home
0:17:07 > 0:17:09while loved ones were away fighting.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13So, do you think your song will match up
0:17:13 > 0:17:16to the song Laura was singing, 100 years old and still being sung?
0:17:16 > 0:17:20- Wow, that's a big task. - Jasmine, why don't you start?
0:17:21 > 0:17:23# The war ends
0:17:23 > 0:17:25# The peace came
0:17:25 > 0:17:28# And the poppies grow
0:17:29 > 0:17:31# The war ends
0:17:31 > 0:17:33# The peace came
0:17:33 > 0:17:37# Soldiers, let's go. #
0:17:37 > 0:17:39So impressed, honestly,
0:17:39 > 0:17:41the way that you've got all your inspiration so far.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45I like how you've got a bit of your personality into the melody as well.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48- I thought it was really beautiful. - I love the bit about the poppies.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51I have to admit, I got a little shiver up my arm.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53Shall we have a listen to Sid's?
0:17:53 > 0:17:56# The last thing they ever saw before the Great War
0:17:56 > 0:18:00# Was the white cliffs staring back at them proudly
0:18:00 > 0:18:02# Before the boat heading to France
0:18:02 > 0:18:07# Was lost in the great blue sea. #
0:18:07 > 0:18:09- Great. Well done. - Well done, really good effort.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12There are some really nice images in there, aren't there?
0:18:12 > 0:18:15The idea of the boat getting lost in the mist as it goes out,
0:18:15 > 0:18:17I thought that's really strong.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20I think, Sid, if you can really think about pronouncing the words,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23because the words you've used in that verse are so beautiful,
0:18:23 > 0:18:27you really want people to hear them. So think about projecting them.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29But both fantastic performances,
0:18:29 > 0:18:33considering that's the first time you've performed them. Well done.
0:18:33 > 0:18:34- Useful feedback?- Yes.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36I thought really good, thank you so much, Laura.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39It's a step in the right direction
0:18:39 > 0:18:42for Sid and Jasmine's World War I song.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46But how would professional artists approach such an emotional topic?
0:18:46 > 0:18:49I think, for the kids, being 11, 12, 13,
0:18:49 > 0:18:53it's going to be really difficult to write a song for World War I.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56They'll really have to put themselves in those people's shoes
0:18:56 > 0:18:59and try and get the emotion of what it was like back then.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03I'd probably just think about how I would want to feel onstage,
0:19:03 > 0:19:04performing it,
0:19:04 > 0:19:08the kind of emotions that I'd want to get across to the audience.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12I guess stressing what's important about life is probably
0:19:12 > 0:19:13the thing I would try and do.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16It's not kind of thinking about sad things,
0:19:16 > 0:19:20just thinking about how you would kind of bring out the happiness.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29With the group reunited back at HQ,
0:19:29 > 0:19:31it's time to get on with today's challenge -
0:19:31 > 0:19:35performing their own song in front of one of their idols.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37Conor Maynard, I think, is very, very near.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39So let's make sure we get this absolutely perfect.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42The kids took a chilled-out approach to writing the song
0:19:42 > 0:19:46and now Gareth wants to see a change of attitude in rehearsal.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51So, immediately... Hang on, thank you.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53First things first. Mic technique.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55You've got to be right there. This...
0:19:55 > 0:19:57# Here's a nice guy... # Disaster.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01# Drifting... #
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Now, in the background there I had people like this...
0:20:04 > 0:20:10Unfortunately, it looks like some of the group are still taking it easy.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13The energy levels are really low today. This group are capable
0:20:13 > 0:20:15of turning what they have into a great performance.
0:20:15 > 0:20:16But that will take hard work
0:20:16 > 0:20:18and I'm not seeing that happen at the moment.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20He wants a show. He wants to see
0:20:20 > 0:20:22six people that love what they are doing.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24And at the moment, one or two of you
0:20:24 > 0:20:26look like the headmaster might be coming.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28It's not the headmaster, it's Conor Maynard.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Gareth isn't the only one with a few concerns about the performance.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Right out, you should be here by now.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40I'm a bit worried about the song, because I don't think
0:20:40 > 0:20:43we're putting enough energy into our performance.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Exeter lad Sam is only 11 years old.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50But when it comes to music, he takes a rather mature approach.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52I'm really passionate about songwriting.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Whenever I get back from school, I pick up the guitar
0:20:55 > 0:20:57and I start to write new songs.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59Back at the auditions,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02he put on an accomplished performance of his own tack.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05LYRICS INDISTINCT
0:21:08 > 0:21:10# Thinking of you
0:21:10 > 0:21:13# In another place. #
0:21:13 > 0:21:15And Gareth knew he had found the real deal.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18I just felt like, yeah, you really are what you say you are.
0:21:18 > 0:21:23You could see his guitar was worn away from playing.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26You could tell he loves it and I really warmed to that.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33Time has run out for Sam and the rest of the group back at HQ.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35And Gareth is fearing the worst.
0:21:35 > 0:21:36I don't think the kids are ready.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39I don't think they're taking it seriously enough.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41I hope it goes OK in front of Conor Maynard.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45Conor Maynard is one of the biggest names in the UK pop industry.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48With a number-one selling album under his belt,
0:21:48 > 0:21:50he knows what makes a hit record.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52I plan to be honest with them.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54I think I'd only give them constructive criticism.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58If it's amazing, I'll say yes, that's really good, well done.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00I'm really excited about Conor Maynard performing.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03It's going to be nerve-wracking,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06but at the same time I'm just going to have to enjoy it.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08Just can't wait to do it. I'm really excited.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18- Hello. You all good?- Yes.- Amazing.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Just to explain how we wrote the song.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23We took three words from your song Turn Around,
0:22:23 > 0:22:25which were sky, floating and music.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29- The best words in the song. My favourite words.- Good words.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32And we've used those to inspire the song you are about to hear.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34How's it been, writing an R&B song?
0:22:34 > 0:22:37It's been tough, but I think
0:22:37 > 0:22:42- we've just sort of linked with it, it's OK.- Cool.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45- Would you like to hear Drifting? - I would love to hear Drifting.
0:22:45 > 0:22:46Have a seat, let's perform.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49It's a defining moment for the young songwriters.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52But will their laid-back attitude cost them
0:22:52 > 0:22:55in front of one of the biggest names in the music industry?
0:22:59 > 0:23:02# Is the night sky black or blue?
0:23:02 > 0:23:06# Is the love I have still there for you?
0:23:06 > 0:23:09# We were always meant for trouble
0:23:10 > 0:23:13# We were always meant for trouble
0:23:15 > 0:23:18OUT OF HARMONY: # Drifting
0:23:18 > 0:23:21# Drifting
0:23:21 > 0:23:26# Drifting
0:23:26 > 0:23:30# Drifting
0:23:30 > 0:23:32# Reminding is heartache
0:23:32 > 0:23:35# Stars within my reach
0:23:38 > 0:23:41# The sky is beyond us
0:23:41 > 0:23:44# The sky is beyond us
0:23:44 > 0:23:49# Drifting
0:23:49 > 0:23:52# Drifting
0:23:52 > 0:23:56# Drifting
0:23:56 > 0:24:00# Drifting. #
0:24:02 > 0:24:07Wow! Very cool. Very, very cool.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11It's an underwhelming performance by the group.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Guys, did that go perfectly?
0:24:13 > 0:24:16- No.- Yes.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19- "Yes! No!"- Did we forget the tune?
0:24:19 > 0:24:22- Yes.- When it started to go wrong and people were forgetting the melody,
0:24:22 > 0:24:24people weren't coming in correctly, I thought,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27"This is not the song they're written that Conor is hearing,"
0:24:27 > 0:24:28so I'm disappointed today.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32Gareth's not impressed, but will Conor see past the mistake?
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Well, tell us.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36I think you all have amazing voices.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38I think you guys wrote a really, really nice song.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41It was catchy and it repeats, people would remember it.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43- Not a disaster, then. - No, I would never say a disaster.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47How did you guys think it went? What's your view on the performance?
0:24:47 > 0:24:48I thought we did quite well.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51I just think next time we need to be a bit more familiar with the tune
0:24:51 > 0:24:54and what we're singing, to make it even better next time.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57Yeah, I think for me, personally,
0:24:57 > 0:24:58I think on the "drifting",
0:24:58 > 0:25:02when we did the "drifting", I went a bit off tune.
0:25:02 > 0:25:03I think the song sounded good
0:25:03 > 0:25:06but I think we needed to be a bit more confident.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09I could definitely see that you attempted to really perform.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12I noticed when your verses came up, you guys stepped out. That was cool.
0:25:12 > 0:25:13The first time I performed,
0:25:13 > 0:25:15I literally clung to the microphone the whole time,
0:25:15 > 0:25:18like, "Please don't let me fall over," all that kind of stuff,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21and I didn't want to move. You just need a bit more confidence,
0:25:21 > 0:25:23but you can learn that, and that comes with time,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26once you've kind of mastered being on stage and not caring.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28If you're just having fun, the audience will be there with you,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31like "Yeah, raise the roof, whoo!" That kind of thing.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34I think the performance went, like...
0:25:34 > 0:25:37It went well, but there's areas for improvement.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39A few people forgot their words, I think,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42but we sort of just carried on and went with the flow.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44I was expecting everybody to have a bit of nerves
0:25:44 > 0:25:47but I didn't realise this was going to happen in the song.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49I thought we'd rehearsed it enough.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53It was really awkward forgetting the words, but, yeah,
0:25:53 > 0:25:55I think we did well to carry on.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58There was a moment when they were all sitting on the beanbags
0:25:58 > 0:26:01during the writing session and they weren't digging deep,
0:26:01 > 0:26:04and it just wasn't coming together like it came together for The Vamps.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07We have to find a way to come back from this and do better.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10It's been a difficult lesson for the group,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13but things are only going to get harder.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15They have just a few weeks to write a song
0:26:15 > 0:26:18to commemorate of the biggest events in world history.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22Writing a song for World War I would be extremely, extremely difficult.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25For me, I'd go out and try to learn as much as I can about it,
0:26:25 > 0:26:29just so that I have quite an in-depth kind of knowledge about it.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32I wouldn't write a song about something I knew nothing about.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36Thank you so much for your feedback. It's been really, really good.
0:26:36 > 0:26:37I think...they've performed for you,
0:26:37 > 0:26:41- and now it's only fair that you perform for them.- It's only fair.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44- He's going to sing Turn Around! - Here we go.- Go and have a seat.
0:26:59 > 0:27:00# Turn around
0:27:00 > 0:27:05# Open your eyes, look at me now
0:27:07 > 0:27:09# Turn around
0:27:09 > 0:27:12# Girl, I've got you
0:27:12 > 0:27:14# We won't fall down, no
0:27:16 > 0:27:20# We can see forever from up here
0:27:22 > 0:27:23# Oh, yeah
0:27:24 > 0:27:27# So long as we're together
0:27:27 > 0:27:31# Have no fear, no fear. #
0:27:31 > 0:27:32Here we go.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34# So turn around
0:27:34 > 0:27:38# Floating so high above the ground
0:27:38 > 0:27:41# I'm floating so high
0:27:41 > 0:27:43# Turn around
0:27:43 > 0:27:47# Together nothing can stop us now
0:27:48 > 0:27:51# Listen, baby, turn around
0:27:51 > 0:27:54# Floating so high above the ground... #
0:27:54 > 0:27:57A private gig from Conor has lifted the kids' spirits,
0:27:57 > 0:28:00but can they bounce back from their first disappointment?
0:28:02 > 0:28:06Next time, a new pop superstar comes to HQ.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08I'm, like, really excited.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Molly and Ben debut their World War I songs.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14That was one of the sternest-looking crowds I've ever seen.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18And the group are asked to dance, but will it end in disaster?
0:28:18 > 0:28:20It doesn't look balanced at the moment.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23I don't want this to be a step backwards.