Episode 3 Only Boys Aloud

Choral conductor Tim Rhys Evans has a huge challenge on his hands.

He has handpicked 32 teenagers

from his Only Boys Aloud choir to take part in a top academy.

I want to see those boys that were like me, really.

Boys who had a love of singing, have a need to make music

and have the potential to do that at a high level.

On offer the musical education of a lifetime -

a week's intense training

at one of Wales' most prestigious private schools.

The boys have no idea what's in store

But Tim's planned 13 hour days of singing lessons,

dance classes and demanding rehearsals.

So, let's do all four phrases. Ready? So, back at the gym.

And, at the end of it, a live performance for the paying public.

It's the first time they've sung in public together.

So, for them, on the stage is going to be very scary, I think.

I'm kind of worried, because I don't know all the words at the moment.

And, on top of choreography, I don't know if I'll remember it all.

Tim's high standards and heavy schedule

may not fit in with a bunch of high spirited teenagers.

Why, why, why aren't you watching me?

Stars of the West End and opera will offer up some last minute home truths.

It was great. But you may as well be singing the shopping list!

And there's an early morning wake-up the boys will never forget.

Can Tim's academy boys

pull off the biggest choral challenge of their lives?

It's day one of the week long musical boot camp

and the boys are settling into their new quarters.

Tim and his team have just seven days to stage a choreographed

concert of 14 choral pieces, in four different languages.

Some of these boys aren't music readers. Some of them can't read German or Latin.

It's completely outside their comfort zone.

With any course like this, you only have a week to put a show on its feet.

So it's going to be intense and difficult. It's going to be hard work.

With a paying audience of family, friends

and dignitaries turning up, Tim's feeling the pressure.

Yeah, there is a lot of pressure, actually.

But if you think about that all the time

you stop doing the job in hand

which is actually just making sure it works.

But the boys are starting to wonder what Tim's got in store.

We don't know nothing about the timetable

throughout the week.

It's going to be so intense, people are going to wind people up,

keep them up at night and things. There may be a few arguments.

But this doesn't stop them from dreaming.

-I want Lady Gaga to turn up.

-She's not going to turn up!

You never know.

Don't know what's going to happen, do we?

Just got to go with an open mind and look forward to it.

And the other thing they said is there's loads of surprises.

And we have no idea what those surprises are.

One thing is for sure, the boys won't be expecting Tim's first announcement of the day.

There's the Bradenstoke Hall, where we'll be springing a surprise

on them that we're holding the auditions for the solos today.

Tim's looking for 14 boys to sing a solo part in the final concert.

It's a chance for some of them to shine.

But the news has come as a shock.

I'm feeling nervous,

mainly because everyone else is going to be watching

And I don't really like that.

It's often better not to give them time to worry and fret.

So, I'll be looking for somebody that really wants to

do the solo, somebody who has the vocal ability.

and also somebody who's not going to buckle under the nerves.

# How can feel good, when nothing's right? #

# 525,600 minutes. #

# Let's celebrate and remember a year in the life of friends.

# Remember the... #

The pressure of a public audition is starting to tell.

# On the way that she... # I can't do it, I can't.

That's always the danger with auditions,

what you sing getting that choice right.

I did say they could sing anything they wanted to, yet some of them chose to sing solos

from the repertoire that we're doing.

And I think they would have been better

if they'd sung something they knew better.

# All my life.

-# All my life.

-#

# Hold me, love...#

Uch a fi!

Don't worry.

One of the final notes went off. Didn't quite catch it

and it was quite frustrating because I thought the rest of the song went pretty well.

# The truths that she learned...

Some guys just really nailed it.

Ben Bateman blew everyone away. Just, "Wow, where did that come from?"

# Or the way that she di-i-i-i-ed! #

I think it's worse singing in front of a small group

than a large group.

You can see everybody staring at you.

It's more nerve wracking. But I think it was OK.

# When your heart has expired...

That's what's great about holding these auditions is the fact

that your own pre-conceptions are challenged, sometimes.

And you are surprised at what they can achieve.

And it makes you look at the group in a different way.

With every boy auditioned,

Tim and his team gather to decide on the solo stars for the concert.

Solo one for Rhys Powell. Solo three for Josh Hughes.

After long deliberations,

Tim calls a meeting to reveal his decision on the solo parts.

Just got to give them results now, which is never easy for me.

I just want everyone to be very happy and have a nice time.

But that's the nature of the beast.

Don't be too disappointed, just know that you did well.

For Mama who Bore Me. Gareth, that solo, please.

And In Seasons Of Love, the tenor solo is Ben Bateman.

Thank you very much.

What stops me sleeping sometimes is realising that

the responsibility we have to these young lads is massive.

All too often, nowadays, it's just all about,

"Oh, yes, he's got a lovely voice."

"I'll just go on the X Factor and that's me set for life."

And it's a very unhealthy culture.

The idea that you have to work towards something and hopefully that's going to lead somewhere.

But, even if it doesn't, you'll be a much better individual at the end of the day.

You'll have done something with your life that you didn't think you could do.

With a lot to get through before Sunday,

Tim's invited a star from the West End

to give the boys a masterclass to remember.

So please give it up, boys, for Connie Fisher.

Because of our connections within the music industry,

it's bribe some mates to come in and do some masterclasses with the boys.

Hi, guys.

It really makes the boys feel special, when they can meet somebody that they recognise.

# Before I change my mind! #

Well, thanks, Tom. You've got the job!

It's difficult for me to sit here and say anything bad about the performance.

-How old are you?

-Seventeen.

OK. So, big career ahead of you.

The thing is, it's a rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar.

What I would say is perhaps there's more energy within his character.

I want you to look exhausted. He's giving himself up.

# Then, I was inspired... #

Tom. Oh, what a glorious voice.

And he had that poppy inflection, which is fine for rock opera.

I can see him being that part.

As long as he commits to everything he does,

whether that be a thought intention or whether that be a gesture.

If he wants to do a gesture, he sometimes did a half gesture

which was, like, a bit eggy.

# Nail me to your cross! #

So, send him to Drama School with people who know what they're talking about

and he'll be like John Barrowman.

"I think I'm going to do an action, no, I'm not doing it."

"Am I doing the cross? No, I'm not doing the cross."

You have to commit to it. If you're going to do it, do it with energy

and feel the energy going through you. And don't be afraid of looking silly.

# Nail me to your cross!

# And break me, bleed me, beat me. #

Ben's up next, in line for some good advice.

I think the masterclass went really well.

I sang the anthem from Chess.

I didn't know much about the character who sung the song in the show.

So, she told me about the character.

She said it went well, so I was glad.

You're a soldier, aren't you?

Singing about your country. It's very patriotic, anthemic.

It's an anthem. And I think you need to earn the right to sing those big notes,

as your character. And I want to believe your passion for your country.

I love Ben. He was very pliable, as a performer.

I told him to do something and he'd take it on board.

And I saw his confusion between his relationship, and then his country.

And I saw a soldier in him, for a second.

And that's what I want to believe, as an audience.

And I did.

# My heart... #

'The boys asked me lots of questions about what it's like to be in a musical

'and one thing I could answer,

it's exhausting, and I think they've probably had a taster for that at this academy.

In the concert, Tim's expecting the boys to sing without any musical copies.

The onus is on them to become note and word perfect.

We've jam packed this week full.

The schedule has been full of all sorts of activities for the boys

and today we felt that maybe actually what they needed

is a bit of own time when they can just maybe learn some words.

We are trying to learn our words in our spare time

but a lot of things get in the way.

Well, I mean after twelve hours rehearsing a day, singing non-stop,

when we get one or two hours free time,

we don't really want to spend it singing.

I know we should learn our words but none of us really want to.

'I've put on the board, "free time/word learning"

'because in the rehearsal straight after that

'I will be making sure that they do know their words

'and if they don't, I will be singling them out

'in front of the whole group.'

Tim has shared a stage with stars such as Katherine Jenkins

and Bryn Terfel.

His standards are on the high side.

And I'm expecting eyes here, not there.

OK. The most gorgeous piece we're doing now, Lieber.

The first full rehearsal gets off to a bad start.

OK, sit down. James needs the toilet.

THEY SING

Listen to that C. Starting...

That's not helping. It's happening here.

THEY SING

Rubbish opening.

'I think we struggle at the moment on the Gregorian chant.'

It's not English, I think it's Latin.

'So we've got those words to learn,

'we've got the tune to go on top... It's very tricky.'

THEY SING

I think if we all put a bit of work into learning the words now

and concentrate and watch Tim when he's conducting us,

we'll be just fine.

Why, why, why aren't you watching me?

Come on, boys.

Sorry to lose it.

You're doing very well,

but if you'd only just get your heads out of your copies,

we could make music.

'I lost it a little bit which I try not to do but...'

it was mild...ish.

But I just get frustrated when they don't look at me.

'I think there're a lot of boys out there in the academy

'who are really serious about wanting to do this as a career

'or certainly try and get into music college

'and this is nothing compared to that.

'Am I putting too much pressure on them?

'No, I don't think I am.

'They're here. Let's make the most of every moment.'

It's 6am. Tim's idea of an early start

isn't the same as everybody else's.

HORN BLARES

WHISTLES BLOWN

Come on, guys. Get up!

Come on! Let's go.

CACOPHONY OF SHOUTS, WHISTLING AND BANGING

There's a punishing physical workout ahead of the boys

to get them working as a team ahead of the final concert.

Here we go. This time we're going for a hundred, boys. Keep it going!

It's not about the singing, it's about the mentality.

You have to put the work in. If you've got a goal in life, you have to work hard to get there

and this is demonstrating, nothing's easy in life. Got to work for it.

I'm sure the boys think I'm a dictator

but it's really good for them

and secretly I think they're enjoying it.

Oh, it was worse than being in a games lesson.

I'd rather have double games than do this ever again. It was horrible.

-Coming to assassinate me?

-You loved it.

-It was lush(!)

Who are we?

ALL: Boys Aloud!

It's three days in,

there's still a lot to do before Sunday's concert

and the heavy schedule is having an effect.

THEY YAWN

'This is a really intensive course. They're singing for eight, nine hours a day.'

You really have to look after yourself if you're not used to it.

'Lots of people are getting a bit ill'

with colds and losing their voices and stuff.

There's been sickness and diarrhoea bug. There's colds going around.

When you see a chorister not put their hand over their mouth and they're coughing and you think,

"Oh, God, there's another eight of them going to come down with it by Sunday."

Basically, I've got no voice left any more.

VOICE CROAKS

It's a constant worry if you'll have a voice by Sunday.

And who better to look after a croaky voice than Mam?

Even if she's travelled 50 miles to do it.

Ben Bateman's mum Sue has turned up with some unexpected rations.

I've brought Ben his money because he's run out of money.

His Manuka honey which he always carries with him.

The only reason he asked for his Manuka honey

was, "I got a bad chest, Mum, and I'm coughing and I'm sneezing, Mam."

His mum's visit has left Ben thinking about the final concert.

My dad has struggled to come to performances because he's ill

and the fact the performances are far from where I live.

It'll be special because he's never come to watch one

and if he's there, it'll just make me want to do better than I already am doing.

ALL: # Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah

# Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah... #

As the boys drag themselves into the final 48 hours,

Tim's choreographer's arrived to get this tired show on the road.

Could you just surge forward and see if you can...?

You want to try and break through these...

Nick Ashton has worked with Tim for several years

on many of his top shows.

There's about twelve pieces in the whole programme.

Some of them will be simply staged

and they'll just be standing and making some shapes.

Some of them need a real kind of musical staging.

That's going to be a tough call.

I think the boys are quite tired

cos they've already been working so hard.

This is another layer to put on the top.

I'm kind of worried because I don't know all the words at the moment.

On top of choreography, I don't know

if I'm going to be able to remember it all.

This morning, we've got another masterclass.

The famous Welsh tenor Wynne Evans is coming in this morning.

Also known from a certain well-known insurance comparison website.

Please give it up for Mr Wynne Evans. APPLAUSE

'Wynne's a tenor from Carmarthen.

'A lot of these boys come from that very part of the world'

and he's made a success of it as a singer. So why not some of these boys?

'I think that's a very important message to send.'

HE SINGS

APPLAUSE

I am incredibly rude, but I mean it in the nicest possible way, OK?

All of a sudden, right, you're singing you go,

# Stars out in the darkness a fugitive running... #

Why would you do that, it's mental?

You don't need to do it, OK?

'You've got to be cruel to be kind.

'The type of calibre this guy is singing at.'

If he's bringing in and he's bringing his own skills

and things he's learnt,

I think anything is efficiently helping us, you know?

# Some enchanted evening

# When you find your true love... #

'He's really critical of the singing and he really tore the piece apart.'

But, I mean, it was good, you did sit back thinking

you're not as good as you thought you were.

Very good, you've got a beautiful voice.

But you may as well be singing the shopping list from Sainsbury's.

It's a bit,

# Some enchanted evening... #

Malfunction, malfunction.

'I'm quite tough with them. Some think I'm a bit too rude,

'but the industry is a very tough industry.'

'If I come up here and say, "Oh, that's lovely.

"Yes, you're doing a very lovely job there."

I'm not doing them any favours.

# Some enchanted evening... #

Don't do it. It's a very old-fashioned way

of singing anyway now, yeah.

# Some enchanted evening. #

Think about what you're saying.

'When someone tells you something

'and they say it blunt, as it is, it hits home.'

It's better to be like that than, "Oh, you're all right."

Just tell you straight where the problem is and you can work on it.

I don't know if you were signing it for the deaf

or whether you were just... There's a lot of this going on.

I just wanted to touch the things, you know?

It's lovely right, but either do emotion or don't do it.

'I was absolutely petrified.

'Before I sung the solo I felt sick.'

You just forget that they want you to be good.

They don't want you to be bad, they want to help you.

# Some enchanted evening... #

Keep it spinning the whole time.

# You may see a stranger... #

'This is their magic moment for some of them.

'The penny will finally drop.'

You have to keep plugging

in the hope that the penny will drop for all of them.

# Once you have found her Never let her go

# Once you have found her

# Never let her go. #

Good, good, lad.

'I think the last few days of the Academy'

will be really hectic now, making sure everything's perfect.

The dances are perfect and the timing's perfect.

I think Tim will start getting stressed if we don't listen to him.

So I think we really need to knuckle down and concentrate.

It's the day of the big concert, and it's the first time Tim

and the boys have run through the entire performance.

< LOUD CREAK

LAUGHTER

Beans again?

Let's go, please.

THE CHOIR SING

Good, just have another go, Tim.

It's not boring, that just sounded a bit boring.

It's got to be love.

'It's D-day. It's the first ever concert of the Academy.'

So... Oh...

I had the worst night's sleep you could imagine, appalling.

'There have been times during the week when I haven't enjoyed it

'because it's felt like a real uphill climb.'

-Sorry we do need to go back.

-Where do you get your thoughts from?

'I've learned a lot of lessons this week.

'We've gone into this feet first, in many ways.

'There are some things we'd do differently.

'I think what I've had confirmed'

is that an idea that was once just that, an idea, was right.

Everyone turns in. Go, go, go. The four soloists move.

'Had you asked us a week ago was this a little bit ambitious then

'we probably would all have said yes.'

But seeing how we've come together over the week

with our team building and just learning all the pieces.

I think it's not ambitious. I think we can pull it off.

'Everyone today is feeling a bit nervous about the concert.'

But they're also, in a way, sad that we're leaving everyone.

-I'm sad that we're leaving everyone.

-I'm sad we're leaving.

# Oh, love... #

'I think the boys have grown massively during this process.'

# Yeah, oh... #

'It's about so much more than singing and I have to really watch myself'

in the final thing of the show because it's...

They sing with so much passion and it's, um...

it's...it's really lovely to see.

because, um...

I'm getting so emotional about some singing.

These guys are really proving that there is optimism.

There is aspiration, and in a part of the world I care about deeply,

it's difficult not to end up a blubbering wreck.

# I'll cover you, oh... #

-ALL:

-Oo-o-o-oh!

Good, well done. Well done, very good.

As the paying audience starts to arrive,

Tim's also got an emotional bunch of boys on his hands.

This is the last performance we will do on the Academy weekend.

It's going to be...

Well, I don't know. It's going to be sad.

It's going to be really sad.

People have got a sense of "it's all over".

I might have a little tear in my eye when we finish

because of all the hard work we've done together

and it's just going to go straight down to nothing.

I'm feeling quite excited at the moment, actually.

The Academy's definitely given me

more confidence to go for music and theatre or whatever.

The highlight of a week of intense preparation is now just moments away.

And it's good news for tenor Ben Bateman.

His father has made it for the big performance.

'I'm excited about my parents coming.

'They haven't come to watch an Only Boys Aloud performance yet

'because they're so far away.'

It makes me want to try and do my best

cos they're two people I don't want to mess in front of.

The croaky voices are gone

and Tim wants the start of the concert to make a big impact.

The boys file in slowly, performing a Gregorian chant.

THEY CHANT

I think I'll be nervous walking on to the stage.

Probably about halfway through the first song

the adrenaline will start and the nerves will go away.

I'll just feel comfortable

like I always do when I start singing on stage.

# 500, 25,000, 600 minutes

# How do you measure a life of a woman or a man?

# In truth that she learned or times that he cried

# Bridges he burned or the way that she died

# It's time now to sing out the story never ends

# Let's celebrate remember a year in the life of friends.

# Remember to love

# Remember to love

# Remember to love

# Measure in love

# Blah, blah, blah blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah

# Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah

# Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah

# Blah, blah, blah, blah... #

'We've been here for a week and got to know each other so well.

'We started off in a room all together'

where we had our first rehearsal and now we've ended it.

As it will be tonight on that stage with all of our mentors.

It will be absolutely amazing. I'll probably shed a tear.

# One life of mine

# A-a-a-a-a-a-h... #

'It would be great to just think that we've started something

'that is going to continue to enrich the lives of young people

'across South Wales, UK, I don't know.'

But what is deeply, deeply important to me

is the fact that the boys have a positive experience

and that their work, their hard work pays off

and that they can feel that they've done something special.

# Oh

# I can feel, yeah

# Oh, I'll cover you

# 500, 25,000, 600 minutes

# 500, 25,000, 600 minutes

# I'll cover you, oh

# Love

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

An ecstatic reception for the Only Boys Aloud Academy choir's first concert.

We've got 32 teenage boys from the South Wales Valleys

in a castle crying their eyes out after just singing their hearts out

of some repertoire that they've never even heard of before.

I couldn't be prouder. I'm a bit emotional, a bit choked.

They did amazing work they did.

-It was fabulous, fabulous.

-It was fantastic.

All right, darling? Good boy.

-Unbelievable. All of them.

-Oh, they looked so smart. Cracking.

-Brilliant he was, really good.

-What's this now?

I've said this so many times,

but it is about so much more than singing.

It's about a positive mental attitude

towards and from young men and...

Yeah, brilliant.

Brilliant.

# Mama who bore me

# Mama who gave me

# No way to handle things

# Who made me so sad

# Mama, the weeping

# Mama the angels

# No sleep in heaven

# Or Bethlehem. #

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