0:00:02 > 0:00:03HE SPEAKS IN SPANISH
0:00:08 > 0:00:09CHEERING
0:00:12 > 0:00:16Autumn 2015. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales
0:00:16 > 0:00:20are in Patagonia on the first leg of an ambitious South American tour.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26It's 150 years since Welsh pioneers landed here.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31They arrived with few possessions, but they did bring their music,
0:00:31 > 0:00:33the songs they had sung in the old country.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39So, what better way to mark this historic milestone
0:00:39 > 0:00:41than with a shared musical celebration?
0:00:43 > 0:00:47This is the first time a symphonic orchestra has come to give
0:00:47 > 0:00:49a concert here.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51It's an event in the history of Patagonia.
0:00:53 > 0:00:588,000 miles, 260 instruments, 70 musicians
0:00:58 > 0:01:00and a world-renowned harpist.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04This promises to be quite a journey.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06This is like a jam session, really.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08We could've gone on all night, I think.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12We've been to salsa bands, we've been to old people's homes
0:01:12 > 0:01:14and we've been teaching groups of children.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17It's just been incredible, really incredible.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Seeing how much they enjoy us being here
0:01:19 > 0:01:22and how much it means to them, it really does mean a lot.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24Orchestras don't perform in this part of the world.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27They have never performed in this part of the world before,
0:01:27 > 0:01:29which is why it's so exciting that we're coming.
0:01:29 > 0:01:30CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:01:30 > 0:01:34The value of listening to these musicians perform will be
0:01:34 > 0:01:37absolutely worth every single drop of energy we've put into it.
0:01:37 > 0:01:38CHEERING
0:01:53 > 0:01:57Like the first Welsh families who settled here on the barren Atlantic
0:01:57 > 0:02:02coast in 1865, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales are pioneers.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07This is the first visit to Patagonia by
0:02:07 > 0:02:10an international symphony orchestra.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14The trouble is, they lack a concert venue big enough to host them,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18so the first challenge is to adapt an existing building.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28This is an old wool warehouse on the edge of Trelew.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30They've been working on it for months,
0:02:30 > 0:02:32and it's certainly big enough.
0:02:32 > 0:02:33But four days out from the concert,
0:02:33 > 0:02:38transforming it into a performance venue is a tall order.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41When I first came here, there were bales of wool on the floor
0:02:41 > 0:02:46and it was grey all over, and the stage wasn't there
0:02:46 > 0:02:49and there were holes in the roof, in fact, as well.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52So, it's come on a long way since then, but equally,
0:02:52 > 0:02:57it's not finished yet, and it's Monday and the concert's on Friday.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02There are lots of questions that we don't have answers for,
0:03:02 > 0:03:05and that's the state of things here in Argentina,
0:03:05 > 0:03:07and that's what I'm becoming used to,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10but it makes me very nervous that there are still some things,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12some very big things, that aren't ready yet.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15- Someone's thought about bringing in seating, have they?- Yep.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18That's the person we're meeting now.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20- That was...- Now.- Ten minutes ago. Ten minutes ago.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24This is Patagonia.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28There is, undoubtedly, a little bit of a "manana mentality",
0:03:28 > 0:03:32but meeting some of the technical staff,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35I'm completely confident that it's all going to happen.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41With the orchestra yet to arrive,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44and little opportunity to test the acoustics,
0:03:44 > 0:03:47it's far from certain how this huge space will shape up
0:03:47 > 0:03:48as an auditorium.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53You never go out on stage without that element of risk.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55You don't ever really have control
0:03:55 > 0:03:57and know exactly what's going to happen.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00That's the thrill of live music-making.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04Yeah, there are a few more variables here.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07You know, we're throwing in five or six school groups,
0:04:07 > 0:04:09two or three choirs,
0:04:09 > 0:04:13a couple of local soloists whom we haven't auditioned yet, even.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18Half Welsh, half Spanish. What's to worry about?
0:04:25 > 0:04:28An advance party of a dozen musicians
0:04:28 > 0:04:30has arrived for a week-long residency,
0:04:30 > 0:04:34holding workshops in community centres and schools.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38The children at this school are taught through the medium of Welsh.
0:04:49 > 0:04:50CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Just the reaction from the kids is brilliant,
0:04:56 > 0:04:57and I think a lot of them
0:04:57 > 0:05:00haven't heard classical music or any kind of live instruments
0:05:00 > 0:05:04before in school, so they're really appreciative of what we're doing.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07ORCHESTRA PLAYS
0:05:13 > 0:05:16It's a new experience for many adults here, too.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37The music workshops will extend across the region,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40including the far west of Patagonia,
0:05:40 > 0:05:44lands claimed by the Welsh after they heard the native Indians' tales
0:05:44 > 0:05:46of fertile valleys where the sun set.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53And it's here at the foot of the Andes mountains that harpist
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Catrin Finch starts her journey.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02I am first time here, yeah. I didn't know what to expect, to be honest.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05I mean, you get your own picture and you see footage before,
0:06:05 > 0:06:09but it's never quite the same as coming and being here yourself.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13It's an amazing place, you know, these amazing Andes.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Yeah, it's very inspirational.
0:06:18 > 0:06:23She may be 8,000 miles from Wales, but her fame precedes her.
0:06:23 > 0:06:24Catrin.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Aww! Beautiful.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Catrin will spend four days here before joining
0:06:36 > 0:06:39the rest of the orchestra 400 miles to the east.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44Her first session is a workshop for schoolchildren in Trevelin.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52It's a chance for her family, who are travelling with her, to join in.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55- Hello!- Hello!
0:06:55 > 0:06:57- Hello. Catrin.- Hello.
0:06:57 > 0:06:58CATRIN PLAYS HARP
0:07:20 > 0:07:21I was watching their faces,
0:07:21 > 0:07:25and it was the first time that some of them had heard a harp,
0:07:25 > 0:07:27and definitely the first time that they'd heard a harp
0:07:27 > 0:07:31played by a professional harpist, and just watching their faces,
0:07:31 > 0:07:35it was worth every moment that we've spent trying to organise things
0:07:35 > 0:07:36in the last few months.
0:07:36 > 0:07:37HARP PLAYING CONTINUES
0:07:47 > 0:07:49WOMAN REPLIES IN SPANISH
0:07:52 > 0:07:53CHILDREN JOIN IN MELODY OF HARP
0:08:04 > 0:08:05HARP ACCOMPANIES RECORDERS
0:08:07 > 0:08:08I don't speak Spanish.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10Not very many of them speak Welsh or English.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13But we can somehow communicate through music.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16The nicest thing about these kinds of projects is to be able
0:08:16 > 0:08:18to share music with them,
0:08:18 > 0:08:20and that process is really very fulfilling,
0:08:20 > 0:08:24and if you think about the history here and, you know,
0:08:24 > 0:08:26the Welsh history here,
0:08:26 > 0:08:30and to think that these kids have maybe some Welsh in their blood,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33so it's a great pleasure for me to be able to give them
0:08:33 > 0:08:37a bit of Welsh culture, really, and some of our music.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42Back over on the eastern side of Patagonia,
0:08:42 > 0:08:44the orchestra's advance party
0:08:44 > 0:08:48are visiting a secondary school in Trelew, and giving the pupils
0:08:48 > 0:08:52their first opportunity to play alongside the professionals.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Muy bien.
0:08:54 > 0:08:55OK.
0:08:55 > 0:08:56Tutti.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00Eh!
0:09:00 > 0:09:01ORCHESTRA PLAYS
0:09:21 > 0:09:22Crescendo!
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Crescendo, crescendo, crescendo, crescendo!
0:09:25 > 0:09:27And!
0:09:27 > 0:09:28MUSIC STOPS
0:09:28 > 0:09:30CONDUCTOR SPEAKS IN SPANISH
0:09:30 > 0:09:31MUSICIANS CHEER
0:09:32 > 0:09:37And the next workshop is drawing a big crowd.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Principal flautist Matthew Featherstone is shaking the room
0:09:40 > 0:09:44with a session more associated with an urban hip-hop artist
0:09:44 > 0:09:48than a classical musician. It's vocal percussion, or beatboxing.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51HE BEATBOXES
0:09:53 > 0:09:55CHILDREN IMITATE HIM AND GIGGLE
0:09:55 > 0:09:57OK. So, three sounds.
0:09:57 > 0:09:58HE IMITATES A BASS DRUM
0:09:58 > 0:10:00GIRL SPEAKS IN SPANISH
0:10:00 > 0:10:01- GIRL:- Hey.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04THEY ALL IMITATE DRUMS
0:10:04 > 0:10:06THEY LAUGH
0:10:06 > 0:10:09OK, and the second sound is T-S.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12- ALL:- Tss, tss, tss, tss, tss, tss.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15OK, the third sound, it's like C-L.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17- HE MAKES A THUDDING CLICK - Easy.
0:10:17 > 0:10:18THEY ALL IMITATE HIM
0:10:18 > 0:10:20OK, so watch me now.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22And I'm going to play you like a drum kit.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24CHILDREN IMITATE DRUMS
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Tss.
0:10:26 > 0:10:27- CHILDREN MAKE THUDDING CLICK - Tss.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29- DRUM - Tss.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31- CLICK - Tss.
0:10:31 > 0:10:32THEY ALL SPEED UP
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Good.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40'It was very high-energy and they all get really involved,'
0:10:40 > 0:10:46in a way, I think, that maybe UK teenagers might not, you know.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48'So a good time together, yeah.'
0:10:48 > 0:10:50OK, shall we go?
0:10:50 > 0:10:53THEY ALL BEATBOX TOGETHER
0:11:00 > 0:11:01OK, you're very good!
0:11:01 > 0:11:04CHEERING
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Just down the corridor,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15the search is on for local talent to sing in the gala concert.
0:11:15 > 0:11:22# Holl amrantau'r ser ddywedant
0:11:22 > 0:11:26# Ar hyd y nos... #
0:11:26 > 0:11:30'We thought it might be a good idea to find some local voices
0:11:30 > 0:11:33'to sing in a rather beautiful arrangement of Ar Hyd Y Nos,'
0:11:33 > 0:11:36where we've got three verses available and we thought,
0:11:36 > 0:11:40"Well, maybe we could find three exceptional voices -
0:11:40 > 0:11:42"any age, any shape, any size,
0:11:42 > 0:11:45"as long as they can sing in tune and sing the words."
0:11:45 > 0:11:52# Teulu'r nefoedd mewn tawelwch
0:11:52 > 0:12:00# Ar hyd y nos. #
0:12:02 > 0:12:05IN SPANISH:
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Muchos gracias, senor. Tambien?
0:12:16 > 0:12:17Beautiful voice.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22'Every voice we've heard has qualities and colour and warmth.'
0:12:22 > 0:12:24And I think we're going to be spoiled for choice.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27I think we're going to have some really tough decisions to make
0:12:27 > 0:12:28in the next couple of days.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38Out west, in the town of Esquel, Catrin is on her way
0:12:38 > 0:12:42to give a special performance for the Welsh communities of the Andes.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Few people can make the 400-mile road trip
0:12:50 > 0:12:52to hear the full orchestra in Trelew,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55so tonight's concert is a sell-out.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00APPLAUSE
0:14:05 > 0:14:07It was the first time I've seen her,
0:14:07 > 0:14:11so it's been a very special and amazing night for us.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15It was a privilege to be able to hear Catrin
0:14:15 > 0:14:17when she is such a famous harpist,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20playing for us here in Trelew and in Esquel.
0:14:20 > 0:14:21It was really beautiful.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25'You know, what's different about a concert like tonight
0:14:25 > 0:14:28'is that you feel it's for the community.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30'It's a celebration, and you feel that.'
0:14:30 > 0:14:33You know, an event like tonight stays with you for much longer.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35It stays with you for your life, really.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38It's an experience that you don't easily forget.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Back east, too, music is making strong emotional connections.
0:14:48 > 0:14:49At a home for the elderly in Trelew,
0:14:49 > 0:14:54songs from the old country call to mind the Welsh colony's early days.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58THEY PLAY MYFANWY
0:15:12 > 0:15:15For 99-year-old Uriena Rhys Lewis,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18the first settlers are a living memory.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53Meanwhile, in the state capital, Rawson,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56another group is bringing musical inspiration
0:15:56 > 0:15:57to a school for disabled children.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00- Hey! - THEY PLAY UPBEAT MUSIC
0:16:00 > 0:16:01Hey!
0:16:03 > 0:16:04Hey!
0:16:04 > 0:16:08Leading the activity is outreach specialist Andy Pidcock.
0:16:08 > 0:16:09Hey!
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Hey!
0:16:13 > 0:16:16The orchestra has built up an expertise
0:16:16 > 0:16:18in providing creative learning sessions like this one.
0:16:18 > 0:16:19Hey!
0:16:21 > 0:16:22Hey!
0:16:22 > 0:16:24So we're working alongside staff.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27This is quite a new way of working for them.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31I think there's music goes on here because we're in South America.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34But in terms of the ways that we are delivering
0:16:34 > 0:16:36some of the music workshops that we're doing,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40I think that will be a different and new experience for them.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42They are asking us lots of questions,
0:16:42 > 0:16:46so hopefully this will be something they will be able to continue
0:16:46 > 0:16:48and add into their own work as well here.
0:16:50 > 0:16:51Hey!
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Well, I think as long as each individual child
0:16:55 > 0:16:57that we're working with will remember a moment,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00then that's the most important thing.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04So, hopefully, each of those will go away with a moment.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07CHEERING
0:17:07 > 0:17:10APPLAUSE
0:17:14 > 0:17:16No stay in the Andes would be complete
0:17:16 > 0:17:19without a trip on the Old Patagonian Express -
0:17:19 > 0:17:22the legendary steam train that departs from Esquel.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28STEAM HISSES
0:17:34 > 0:17:36And with Catrin on board,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39this promises to be a very musical journey.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45We're here on a train, through this amazing countryside.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Looking out, you've got the Andes over there.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50Yeah, an incredible journey.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53So I thought, you know, I should probably bring my harp. Seeing as...
0:17:53 > 0:17:55Well, not MY harp. But I should probably bring A harp
0:17:55 > 0:17:59so I could play a few little bits of Welsh music whilst I was there.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02CATRIN PLAYS THE HARP
0:18:07 > 0:18:09'I've just been playing to these wonderful people
0:18:09 > 0:18:12'who are sharing the carriage with us.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15'A piece by Robert ap Huw - the manuscripts of his
0:18:15 > 0:18:17'are supposedly the oldest in existence in Wales,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20'so I've recently started playing some of his music,
0:18:20 > 0:18:22'and I find it quite interesting.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30'To be honest, I've never played on a steam train before,
0:18:30 > 0:18:33'so it's going down on the CV. Brilliant.'
0:18:33 > 0:18:36SHE CONTINUES PLAYING
0:18:40 > 0:18:44Back at the old wool warehouse in Trelew, the pressure is on.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49Concert night is fast approaching.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55At least the chairs have arrived!
0:18:55 > 0:18:57But the venue is far from ready.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03The orchestra's fixer on the ground in Argentina is Mariano Bachrach.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08'It was hard work, coordinating this big tour,'
0:19:08 > 0:19:12where never an orchestra of this name has been.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17'The work was coordinating the cargo coming from London,
0:19:17 > 0:19:19'the truck from Buenos Aires.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22'Things that we have to bring, like music stands, from Buenos Aires,
0:19:22 > 0:19:24'because here they don't have that many.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27'We have to, you know, rent the chairs, build part of the stage.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29'It's an amazing job.'
0:19:32 > 0:19:35'It's been a huge amount of work to get to this point.'
0:19:35 > 0:19:37It isn't quite finished. The toilets are not finished yet.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39There's no toilet paper, there's no soap,
0:19:39 > 0:19:41there's not enough water for people.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45You know, this really is a desert of a building in a desert of a land.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47And there are a number of things
0:19:47 > 0:19:50that aren't as I ordinarily would want them to be.
0:19:52 > 0:19:53'But I told Michael that, um...
0:19:55 > 0:19:58'..here in Argentina, it's very common that we have a deadline'
0:19:58 > 0:20:01and nothing happens till half an hour before
0:20:01 > 0:20:04and half an hour before, we have everything on the spot.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06So I think we'll have a good concert.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12While they still have their work cut out at the concert venue,
0:20:12 > 0:20:16the atmosphere is a lot more relaxed at Ysgol yr Hendre.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20This was Patagonia's first bilingual school -
0:20:20 > 0:20:22pupils here get half their education in Welsh.
0:20:36 > 0:20:37For us as an orchestra,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40to come to the other side of the world
0:20:40 > 0:20:42and hear the Welsh language being spoken,
0:20:42 > 0:20:46it's just been incredible. Really incredible.
0:20:48 > 0:20:53Catrin Finch has arrived from the Andes to join her fellow musicians.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56'We've been lucky enough here in Ysgol yr Hendre
0:20:56 > 0:20:58'that the musicians who speak Welsh have come here.'
0:20:58 > 0:21:00Because they speak Welsh,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03they've been interacting with the pupils, and that's been great.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07The children have been practising all of the Welsh they've got.
0:21:07 > 0:21:12SHE PLAYS THE THEME FROM JAWS
0:21:14 > 0:21:15- Argh!- Argh!
0:21:15 > 0:21:16LAUGHTER
0:21:20 > 0:21:24SHE PLAYS DESCENDING NOTES
0:21:30 > 0:21:31- Me!- Yeah? OK.
0:21:31 > 0:21:32- ALL:- Me, me, me!
0:21:32 > 0:21:35LAUGHTER
0:21:36 > 0:21:38There you go.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40You're probably a right-hander.
0:21:43 > 0:21:44STRING SCRAPES
0:21:44 > 0:21:46THEY BOTH LAUGH
0:21:48 > 0:21:50TUNELESS NOTES PLAY
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Hey, bravo!
0:21:53 > 0:21:57TUNELESS WARBLING
0:21:57 > 0:21:58LAUGHTER
0:21:58 > 0:22:01THEY ALL SING IN WELSH
0:22:03 > 0:22:05My girls, they're five and eight years old,
0:22:05 > 0:22:07in a little Welsh school in Pontypool.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09They are learning exactly the same songs
0:22:09 > 0:22:13as these children are learning here in Patagonia.
0:22:13 > 0:22:14SINGING CONTINUES
0:22:21 > 0:22:22CHEERING
0:22:24 > 0:22:26And with the concert only days away,
0:22:26 > 0:22:28where better than Ysgol yr Hendre
0:22:28 > 0:22:31to find young voices to sing Ar Hyd y Nos?
0:22:31 > 0:22:34# Gwir brydferthwch... #
0:22:34 > 0:22:35Good. OK.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37HE ACCENTUATES THE LYRICS
0:22:37 > 0:22:38OK? Again.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41# Gwir brydferthwch... #
0:22:41 > 0:22:43Three. And...
0:22:43 > 0:22:49# Golau arall yw tywyllwch
0:22:49 > 0:22:55# I arddangos gwir brydferthwch... #
0:22:56 > 0:23:00Another Patagonian tradition - almost as important as singing -
0:23:00 > 0:23:01is the Welsh tea.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08It's a custom that arrived with the first settlers on the Mimosa,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11and it's more popular here than back home in Wales.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14CHATTER
0:23:18 > 0:23:21For the musicians, it's a much-needed break.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25Incredible. I haven't had it in Wales before but, um...
0:23:25 > 0:23:27It's amazing to have it here for the first time.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30I must say, the jams I can thoroughly recommend.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32They actually taste like the jams they're supposed to.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35There's a huge variety of cakes, and maybe too much sugar.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38But we will see later on. Maybe we'll need it!
0:23:40 > 0:23:41How about that for a tea cosy?
0:23:41 > 0:23:44You know, I feel well and truly at home,
0:23:44 > 0:23:48as if I was with my nan on the Marsh Road in Dinbych-y-Pysgod.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53As you can see, it breaks every rule of my diet.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58So, as long as you don't tell anybody about this...
0:23:58 > 0:24:00It's absolutely delicious.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09But it's only a short break.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11Catrin's next stop is a secondary school
0:24:11 > 0:24:14in one of Trelew's poorest neighbourhoods.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18LATIN MUSIC PLAYS
0:24:18 > 0:24:21It's a chance for her to turn her hand to some Latin American music.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40CHEERING
0:24:40 > 0:24:44Now it's Catrin's turn to share some folk music from Wales.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48I'm teaching them a Welsh song called Ar Ben Waun Tredegar.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51So I'm hoping that they can take a Welsh song
0:24:51 > 0:24:55and put their stance on it and make it into, um...
0:24:55 > 0:24:58you know, a Patagonian song. That's the plan.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00So they're learning the chords at the moment.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04THEY PLAY AR BEN WAUN TREDEGAR
0:25:06 > 0:25:11They've never really heard the violins played like we do.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14And they're just so enthusiastic
0:25:14 > 0:25:17and we just making lots of friends, really, so it's great.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:25:59 > 0:26:02It's just like a jam session, really.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05We could have gone on all night, I think, probably, but it's...
0:26:05 > 0:26:06Yeah, their rhythm is amazing
0:26:06 > 0:26:09and it's what we don't have so much in Wales,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12so living that rhythm is a great experience.
0:26:15 > 0:26:20Many here live and breathe the songs their forefathers brought with them.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23And for those too old and frail to attend the concert,
0:26:23 > 0:26:27musicians are bringing Welsh tunes into their homes.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40Albina Jones de Zampini is 89.
0:26:40 > 0:26:41She and her daughter, Mary,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44are being treated to their own private recital.
0:27:41 > 0:27:46I just think about our history here in Patagonia,
0:27:46 > 0:27:51all those families that came here in 1865.
0:27:51 > 0:27:57And they brought the songs with them, and I think that songs...
0:27:59 > 0:28:02..make you happy.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05SHE SINGS ALONG
0:28:31 > 0:28:34Some 15 miles from where the gala concert will be held,
0:28:34 > 0:28:39the town of Gaiman is enjoying a musical celebration of its own -
0:28:39 > 0:28:42a Welsh Noson Lawen.
0:28:42 > 0:28:49# Dim ond calon lan all ganu
0:28:49 > 0:28:57# Canu'r dydd a chanu'r nos. #
0:29:00 > 0:29:04CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:29:06 > 0:29:11To hear them all singing the second verse of Calon Lan in Spanish...
0:29:11 > 0:29:13They obviously do it every week.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16You know, I mean, terrific. Terrific stuff.
0:29:22 > 0:29:23HE BEATBOXES
0:29:33 > 0:29:40# Nid wy'n gofyn bywyd moethus
0:29:40 > 0:29:46# Aur y byd na'i berlau man
0:29:46 > 0:29:53# Gofyn wyf am galon hapus
0:29:53 > 0:29:59# Calon onest, calon lan
0:29:59 > 0:30:06# Calon lan yn llawn daioni
0:30:06 > 0:30:12# Tecach yw na'r lili dlos
0:30:12 > 0:30:19# Dim ond calon lan all ganu
0:30:19 > 0:30:27# Canu'r dydd a chanu'r nos. #
0:30:30 > 0:30:34CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:30:45 > 0:30:48This is what community music-making should be all about.
0:30:48 > 0:30:53It's something that I think we can take a certain pride in in Wales,
0:30:53 > 0:30:56and to see it being reproduced and replicated out here
0:30:56 > 0:30:58is such a pleasure.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00That's what it is all about,
0:31:00 > 0:31:02and then you just go and eat a couple of cows.
0:31:06 > 0:31:10The evening is rounded off in style with a traditional "asado" -
0:31:10 > 0:31:14meat roasted on an open fire, the Argentinian way.
0:31:18 > 0:31:19Salivating!
0:31:21 > 0:31:25I have never seen so much meat in all my life.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28I love the way they cut it up in chunks,
0:31:28 > 0:31:32because it doesn't matter how thick it is, it's all done to a T.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34Oh, my God.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37It would be a vegetarian's nightmare, wouldn't it?
0:31:52 > 0:31:56Catrin and the orchestra are guests of Gabriel Restucha,
0:31:56 > 0:31:58the Welsh-speaking mayor of Gaiman.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26With the big night fast approaching,
0:32:26 > 0:32:28there's time to audition one more singer
0:32:28 > 0:32:31for the concert performance of Ar Hyd y Nos.
0:32:33 > 0:32:40# Teulu'r nefoedd mewn tawelwch
0:32:40 > 0:32:48# Ar hyd y nos. #
0:32:54 > 0:32:55SHE LAUGHS
0:33:03 > 0:33:05'It's a bit of a dilemma, actually.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08'Every voice we've heard has real quality.'
0:33:08 > 0:33:11So, actually, we've come up with a cunning plan,
0:33:11 > 0:33:14which is to slightly...
0:33:14 > 0:33:18re-orchestrate the Ar Hyd Y Nos version
0:33:18 > 0:33:23and find a way to use every single one
0:33:23 > 0:33:27of the individual voices we've heard.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32The full orchestra has now arrived.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35They've played in some of the world's great concert halls.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39What will they make of an old wool warehouse in Patagonia?
0:33:42 > 0:33:45Less than 24 hours before the gala concert,
0:33:45 > 0:33:47this is Grant's first real chance
0:33:47 > 0:33:50to get to grips with the acoustic in the hall.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52TROMBONE ECHOES
0:33:54 > 0:33:57Contra trombone, cello, bass.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00Let's see how little we can get away with
0:34:00 > 0:34:03to make this sforzando piano subito.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06You hardly need to touch it in here, I think.
0:34:09 > 0:34:15You come into a bathroom of a place like this and, um...
0:34:15 > 0:34:17you fear for the worst,
0:34:17 > 0:34:21with a large symphony orchestra, playing grand, dramatic repertoire.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23ORCHESTRA PLAYS
0:34:23 > 0:34:26I think that will be enough. I think that will be enough on here.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30But, actually, I think it's taken on a life of its own, almost.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33Yes, it's got a five-second echo and you can't hear
0:34:33 > 0:34:36some of the detail in the middle of the textures,
0:34:36 > 0:34:38but I think it sort of makes up for that
0:34:38 > 0:34:42with a kind of grandiose, dramatic gesture.
0:34:52 > 0:34:57The big night has finally arrived - a historic first performance
0:34:57 > 0:35:00by an international symphony orchestra in Patagonia.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36ORCHESTRA QUIETENS
0:35:52 > 0:35:55CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:36:01 > 0:36:04And a very special moment -
0:36:04 > 0:36:08a chance for local singers to take to the big stage,
0:36:08 > 0:36:11backed by the orchestra and the National Youth Choir Of Wales.
0:36:16 > 0:36:23# O mor siriol gwena seren
0:36:23 > 0:36:30# Ar hyd y nos
0:36:31 > 0:36:38# I oleuo'i chwaer ddaearen
0:36:38 > 0:36:44# Ar hyd y nos
0:36:45 > 0:36:52# Nos yw henaint pan ddaw cystudd
0:36:52 > 0:36:59# Ond i harddu dyn a'i hwyrddydd
0:36:59 > 0:37:06# Rhown ein golau gwan i'n gilydd
0:37:06 > 0:37:14# Ar hyd y nos. #
0:37:17 > 0:37:22CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:37:23 > 0:37:24It was a perfect night.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27I thought the orchestra were on fantastic form.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30You've got 2,000 people just willing them on, just loving it,
0:37:30 > 0:37:32kids everywhere.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35And what I think was really lovely is that, through music,
0:37:35 > 0:37:40two communities, 7,000, 8,000 miles apart, totally united -
0:37:40 > 0:37:42a very, very special evening.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52Can't quite believe it. I've been in tears for most of the evening.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55Those musicians are the best communicators I've ever met.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58We're seeing everyone that we've seen in the week
0:37:58 > 0:38:00has come to the concert.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03It's just really nice to be able to celebrate together in this way.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06I hope this is the beginning of an enduring relationship
0:38:06 > 0:38:08with these groups, these people on the ground here.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11And I've been going around, promising them all,
0:38:11 > 0:38:13"Next time, we'll do it in Wales."
0:38:16 > 0:38:17It's been really fantastic,
0:38:17 > 0:38:21and I hope it's not 150 years before we get another orchestra.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28CHEERING