"Diwedd y Gân?" Canu'r Cymoedd
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Transcript
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-Tonight, my choir, Pendyrus, -joins Dowlais Male Voice Choir... | 0:00:05 | 0:00:10 | |
-..to sing in a concert in Morriston. | 0:00:10 | 0:00:13 | |
-Like all other choirs, -we're getting older. | 0:00:14 | 0:00:17 | |
-The hair is going grey -and there's less of it. | 0:00:17 | 0:00:21 | |
-Is the long day closing on the -choral tradition in the Valleys? | 0:00:21 | 0:00:24 | |
-The number of choirs -in this neighbourhood... | 0:00:25 | 0:00:28 | |
-..is still remarkable even today. | 0:00:28 | 0:00:30 | |
-Apart from the Tabernacle choir... | 0:00:30 | 0:00:33 | |
-..there's the Morriston Orpheus and -the Morriston Rugby Club choir... | 0:00:33 | 0:00:37 | |
-..both with over 100 members each. | 0:00:37 | 0:00:40 | |
-And there's -the Morriston Ladies choir... | 0:00:40 | 0:00:43 | |
-..and the Morriston -Salvation Army Songsters. | 0:00:43 | 0:00:46 | |
-There's a concert here today, -so I'd better get a move on. | 0:00:46 | 0:00:50 | |
-There are 250 choirs in Wales today. | 0:00:52 | 0:00:54 | |
-There were 2,000 choirs here -a century ago. | 0:00:55 | 0:00:58 | |
-Given what the Valleys have gone -through in the past century... | 0:00:59 | 0:01:03 | |
-..it's a surprise to see -any choirs there at all. | 0:01:03 | 0:01:06 | |
-Choral tradition in the Valleys... | 0:01:11 | 0:01:13 | |
-..has gone hand in hand -with economic fortunes. | 0:01:13 | 0:01:16 | |
-Between the World Wars, -the Depression hit the Valleys. | 0:01:16 | 0:01:23 | |
-It had a catastrophic effect -on choral singing. | 0:01:23 | 0:01:26 | |
-"How's the tenors in Dowlais?" asked -Dylan Thomas in 'Under Milk Wood'. | 0:01:26 | 0:01:31 | |
-"Not well," was the answer. | 0:01:31 | 0:01:33 | |
-The steelworks closed... | 0:01:34 | 0:01:36 | |
-..and the Dowlais choir was -disbanded by the end of the 1920s. | 0:01:36 | 0:01:40 | |
-At the beginning of the 1920s... | 0:01:42 | 0:01:44 | |
-..there were over 250,000 miners -in south Wales. | 0:01:44 | 0:01:47 | |
-When the world market -for Welsh coal collapsed... | 0:01:47 | 0:01:51 | |
-..the number halved -by the beginning of the 1930s. | 0:01:51 | 0:01:55 | |
-Once, thousands of people had poured -into the Valleys looking for work. | 0:01:55 | 0:02:00 | |
-Now, thousands were looking -for a way out. | 0:02:00 | 0:02:04 | |
-The Rhondda lost a fifth of its -population between the World Wars. | 0:02:05 | 0:02:10 | |
-A thousand people left Merthyr -each year. | 0:02:11 | 0:02:14 | |
-The institutions -that upheld society... | 0:02:14 | 0:02:18 | |
-..the churches, -the football and rugby clubs... | 0:02:18 | 0:02:21 | |
-..the unions and the choirs - -all buckled. | 0:02:22 | 0:02:26 | |
-Pendyrus Male Voice Choir -was formed in 1924... | 0:02:26 | 0:02:29 | |
-..in the mining town -of Tylorstown in the Rhondda. | 0:02:30 | 0:02:33 | |
-They walked straight -into the Depression... | 0:02:34 | 0:02:37 | |
-..and within a few years, -80% of Pendyrus' 140 choristers... | 0:02:37 | 0:02:42 | |
-..were unemployed. | 0:02:42 | 0:02:43 | |
-West Wales also suffered -during the Depression. | 0:02:44 | 0:02:47 | |
-But the tin plate industry -was healthier... | 0:02:47 | 0:02:50 | |
-..than the mining industry -in east Glamorgan. | 0:02:50 | 0:02:52 | |
-This explains the rise -of Morriston's two famous choirs... | 0:02:53 | 0:02:57 | |
-..the United and the Orpheus. | 0:02:57 | 0:02:59 | |
-This area was once the busy hub -of the tin plate and alcam world. | 0:03:00 | 0:03:05 | |
-It was also the hub -for other things. | 0:03:05 | 0:03:08 | |
-Morriston is one of Wales's -most musical towns. | 0:03:08 | 0:03:13 | |
-Most of the musical activity -has taken place here... | 0:03:13 | 0:03:18 | |
-..in the Tabernacle - -the Welsh nonconformist cathedral. | 0:03:19 | 0:03:23 | |
-The Tabernacle -dominates the landscape. | 0:03:25 | 0:03:27 | |
-Look at its thrusting steeple -and its classic columns. | 0:03:28 | 0:03:31 | |
-It's been a focal point for music -lovers in the Swansea Valley... | 0:03:32 | 0:03:36 | |
-..since it was built in the 1870s. | 0:03:36 | 0:03:38 | |
-The rows of seats in the gallery -were designed to accommodate... | 0:03:41 | 0:03:46 | |
-..the area's large choirs. | 0:03:46 | 0:03:48 | |
-Its walls have echoed to the sound -of electrifying 'cymanfaoedd'. | 0:03:49 | 0:03:54 | |
-There was a strong choral tradition -in west Wales... | 0:03:56 | 0:04:00 | |
-..which stretched from Swansea -to the Amman Valley... | 0:04:00 | 0:04:03 | |
-..and on to Pontarddulais -and Llanelli. | 0:04:03 | 0:04:06 | |
-Choirs from this area had a chance -to gain national recognition... | 0:04:06 | 0:04:10 | |
-..in the years -following World War I. | 0:04:10 | 0:04:12 | |
-They seized that opportunity -with open arms. | 0:04:13 | 0:04:16 | |
-# I hear Thy welcome voice | 0:04:17 | 0:04:21 | |
-# That calls me, Lord, to Thee, | 0:04:21 | 0:04:26 | |
-# For cleansing -in Thy precious blood | 0:04:26 | 0:04:31 | |
-# That flowed on Calvary. # | 0:04:31 | 0:04:36 | |
-Singers from the Swansea Valley -made a great impression... | 0:04:37 | 0:04:41 | |
-..in the 1920s and 1930s. | 0:04:41 | 0:04:43 | |
-On August Bank Holiday... | 0:04:43 | 0:04:45 | |
-..thousands congregated -at the Eisteddfod pavilion... | 0:04:45 | 0:04:48 | |
-..to hear the main -choral competitions. | 0:04:49 | 0:04:51 | |
-The most successful choir at -the time was the Ystalyfera choir... | 0:04:51 | 0:04:56 | |
-..conducted by W D Clee. | 0:04:56 | 0:04:59 | |
-At the height of its success, -it had over 300 members... | 0:04:59 | 0:05:04 | |
-..reminiscent of Victorian choirs. | 0:05:04 | 0:05:05 | |
-Their arch rivals were the choirs -from Llanelli and Pontarddulais. | 0:05:06 | 0:05:09 | |
-Both industrialised towns -with a strong choral tradition. | 0:05:10 | 0:05:14 | |
-Llanelli's musical saucepan -had been boiling since the 1880s. | 0:05:14 | 0:05:18 | |
-The town's people knew as much -about the cynghanedd... | 0:05:19 | 0:05:23 | |
-..as they did the scrum. | 0:05:23 | 0:05:24 | |
-When the Eisteddfod was held -in Llanelli in 1903... | 0:05:25 | 0:05:28 | |
-..the congregation -was so familiar... | 0:05:29 | 0:05:31 | |
-..with Mendelssohn's -St Paul's Oratorio... | 0:05:31 | 0:05:34 | |
-..that they couldn't resist -singing along... | 0:05:34 | 0:05:37 | |
-..during the choral competitions. | 0:05:37 | 0:05:40 | |
-The exciting signing -had a lasting effect... | 0:05:42 | 0:05:46 | |
-..on the English adjudicators. | 0:05:46 | 0:05:48 | |
-The tradition -was totally alien to them... | 0:05:49 | 0:05:51 | |
-..until they came face-to-face -with it on the Eisteddfod stage. | 0:05:52 | 0:05:56 | |
-When Ystalyfera won -in Neath in 1934... | 0:05:56 | 0:05:59 | |
-..the adjudication group -was chaired by Sir Edward Bairstow. | 0:05:59 | 0:06:04 | |
-He was a choirmaster, organist and -music teacher at Durham University. | 0:06:04 | 0:06:08 | |
-These were his exact words. | 0:06:09 | 0:06:11 | |
-"We have been through -a great experience. | 0:06:12 | 0:06:15 | |
-"The emotional feeling imparted -by the music was so great... | 0:06:15 | 0:06:19 | |
-"..that I feel like a wet rag. | 0:06:19 | 0:06:21 | |
-"I would not have missed it -for the whole world." | 0:06:21 | 0:06:24 | |
-# Coming now to Thee! | 0:06:24 | 0:06:28 | |
-# Wash me, cleanse me in the blood | 0:06:29 | 0:06:33 | |
-# That flowed on Calvary! | 0:06:33 | 0:06:37 | |
-# Amen. | 0:06:39 | 0:06:43 | |
-# Amen. | 0:06:45 | 0:06:50 | |
-# Amen. # | 0:06:51 | 0:06:59 | |
-Reading through the newspapers -of the time... | 0:07:08 | 0:07:11 | |
-..we see that outsiders couldn't -understand what drove Ystalyfera. | 0:07:11 | 0:07:15 | |
-"It's a choir," -wrote one commentator... | 0:07:16 | 0:07:18 | |
-.."of coal miners, tin-plate workers -and their families. | 0:07:18 | 0:07:22 | |
-"A quarter are unemployed, -the choir has no wealthy sponsors. | 0:07:22 | 0:07:27 | |
-"Goodness knows how Ystalyfera -finds the money... | 0:07:27 | 0:07:30 | |
-"..to keep the choir -and the band alive. | 0:07:30 | 0:07:32 | |
-"It costs 350 to travel to -the Eisteddfod for a prize of 150. | 0:07:32 | 0:07:37 | |
-"Why? To ask the question is to -show an Englishman's incapacity... | 0:07:37 | 0:07:42 | |
-"..to grasp the fact that to -these people, music is life." | 0:07:42 | 0:07:46 | |
-Allied to the Welsh way of singing -dramatically and passionately... | 0:07:49 | 0:07:55 | |
-..the Depression added -a new element of intensity... | 0:07:55 | 0:07:59 | |
-..to create a very special -and unique sound. | 0:07:59 | 0:08:02 | |
-We're dealing -with a choral tradition... | 0:08:04 | 0:08:07 | |
-..that stretches -from Caradog to Clee. | 0:08:07 | 0:08:09 | |
-What were the characteristics -of this choral singing? | 0:08:09 | 0:08:12 | |
-The singing was full of emotion. | 0:08:13 | 0:08:15 | |
-It was strong and fiery. | 0:08:16 | 0:08:18 | |
-That's how everyone knew it. | 0:08:18 | 0:08:21 | |
-The adjudicators, especially -those from outside Wales... | 0:08:21 | 0:08:25 | |
-..noted these as characterising -Welsh choral singing. | 0:08:25 | 0:08:30 | |
-That became the accepted norm -in Welsh choral singing. | 0:08:30 | 0:08:35 | |
-The singing was full of emotion. | 0:08:35 | 0:08:38 | |
-It was almost singing -beyond all control. | 0:08:38 | 0:08:42 | |
-The singing was full of feeling... | 0:08:42 | 0:08:44 | |
-..and it summed up -people's desire to sing. | 0:08:45 | 0:08:50 | |
-This way of signing had its critics. | 0:08:51 | 0:08:53 | |
-That's apparent in the history -of Ystalyfera's choir and W D Clee. | 0:08:53 | 0:08:59 | |
-There was a feeling -that they were over-singing. | 0:08:59 | 0:09:03 | |
-People felt the climaxes -were over-exaggerated... | 0:09:04 | 0:09:07 | |
-..and that was condemned -as choral stunts and vocal stunts. | 0:09:08 | 0:09:13 | |
-That was partly due to the fact -that the choir was so large. | 0:09:13 | 0:09:17 | |
-It was difficult to keep a rein -on a choir of over 300 members. | 0:09:17 | 0:09:23 | |
-Apart from one defeat against Haydn -Thomas's choir from Pontarddulais... | 0:09:26 | 0:09:31 | |
-..Clee's grasp on the prize -was difficult to loosen. | 0:09:31 | 0:09:35 | |
-Ystalyfera won the first prize -so often... | 0:09:35 | 0:09:38 | |
-..that the Eisteddfod -asked them not to compete... | 0:09:38 | 0:09:42 | |
-..and instead, perform in a concert -at the Eisteddfod in Caernarfon. | 0:09:42 | 0:09:47 | |
-When they returned -to the competitive arena... | 0:09:47 | 0:09:50 | |
-..something strange happened. -They started to lose. | 0:09:50 | 0:09:54 | |
-# Sleep my child -and peace attend thee, | 0:09:54 | 0:10:03 | |
-# All through the night. # | 0:10:03 | 0:10:09 | |
-Ystalyfera began to lose because -of the reaction to their stunts... | 0:10:13 | 0:10:20 | |
-..and because of the revival -in the east Glamorgan valleys. | 0:10:20 | 0:10:25 | |
-Choirs in Merthyr and the Rhondda -had been ravaged... | 0:10:25 | 0:10:28 | |
-..by unemployment and poverty. | 0:10:29 | 0:10:31 | |
-But their spirit -were as strong as ever. | 0:10:31 | 0:10:34 | |
-Throughout the dark nights -of the Depression... | 0:10:35 | 0:10:38 | |
-..it wasn't only the men -who suffered. | 0:10:38 | 0:10:41 | |
-Their mothers, sisters -and daughters... | 0:10:41 | 0:10:44 | |
-..suffered the most, -but withstood gallantly. | 0:10:45 | 0:10:49 | |
-During this period, -when times were hard... | 0:10:53 | 0:10:56 | |
-..a woman's work was keeping -the family together. | 0:10:57 | 0:11:00 | |
-She ensured that there -was food on the table... | 0:11:00 | 0:11:04 | |
-..that the children had clean -clothes and that life carried on. | 0:11:05 | 0:11:09 | |
-They were in charge -of the household finances. | 0:11:09 | 0:11:13 | |
-They were under pressure -to make ends meet. | 0:11:13 | 0:11:17 | |
-They would leave the house -sometimes to attend chapel... | 0:11:17 | 0:11:21 | |
-..or sing in a choir. | 0:11:22 | 0:11:24 | |
-Men had a better social life - -they could go to the pub... | 0:11:24 | 0:11:28 | |
-..or the workmen's institute. | 0:11:28 | 0:11:31 | |
-Women were tied to the home. | 0:11:31 | 0:11:34 | |
-Attending chapel -and singing in a choir... | 0:11:35 | 0:11:38 | |
-..was far more important to women. | 0:11:38 | 0:11:42 | |
-If you imagine the experience -of singing... | 0:11:42 | 0:11:45 | |
-..in a beautiful chapel or church... | 0:11:46 | 0:11:49 | |
-..performing an oratorio -with a large choir... | 0:11:49 | 0:11:53 | |
-..it's something that takes you -beyond your daily routine. | 0:11:53 | 0:11:58 | |
-I'm sure that experience -would have given the women... | 0:11:58 | 0:12:02 | |
-..the opportunity, -albeit temporarily... | 0:12:03 | 0:12:06 | |
-..to forget about the trials and -tribulations of their daily lives. | 0:12:06 | 0:12:13 | |
-The Dowlais wives -joined their husbands... | 0:12:13 | 0:12:16 | |
-..as they sought to escape -their depressive lives... | 0:12:17 | 0:12:19 | |
-..to win the main choral competition -in Fishguard in 1936... | 0:12:20 | 0:12:24 | |
-..even though 90% of the men -were unemployed at the time. | 0:12:24 | 0:12:28 | |
-Merthyr came third, -and both choirs... | 0:12:28 | 0:12:31 | |
-..were enthusiastically -welcomed home at midnight. | 0:12:31 | 0:12:34 | |
-The atmosphere was similar -to the days of old. | 0:12:34 | 0:12:38 | |
-In Cardiff, in 1938, choirs from -Merthyr, Rhondda and Dowlais... | 0:12:38 | 0:12:42 | |
-..won the three main competitions. | 0:12:42 | 0:12:44 | |
-There was a renewed confidence -in the Valleys. | 0:12:44 | 0:12:47 | |
-New factories are being built -in the Valleys. | 0:12:47 | 0:12:50 | |
-Light industries -are being introduced. | 0:12:50 | 0:12:53 | |
-Where once the man worked in a mine -and the woman stayed at home... | 0:12:53 | 0:12:58 | |
-..a new dawn emerged with new -factories and a variety of jobs... | 0:12:58 | 0:13:03 | |
-..to alleviate the Depression -in the Valleys. | 0:13:04 | 0:13:07 | |
-There was a revival -in the choral tradition... | 0:13:07 | 0:13:11 | |
-..in the old -coal mining communities. | 0:13:11 | 0:13:14 | |
-The government finally responded... | 0:13:14 | 0:13:16 | |
-..to the industrial crisis -in south Wales. | 0:13:17 | 0:13:20 | |
-Industrial estates, like this one -in Treforest, were established. | 0:13:20 | 0:13:25 | |
-Unemployment figures -began to fall. | 0:13:25 | 0:13:29 | |
-But unemployment had affected -the Valleys greatly... | 0:13:29 | 0:13:33 | |
-..during the Depression years -between the two World Wars. | 0:13:33 | 0:13:36 | |
-888 | 0:13:41 | 0:13:41 | |
-# Oh, Jesus, let Thy spirit bless, | 0:13:41 | 0:13:48 | |
-# This frail one -in the wilderness... # | 0:13:50 | 0:13:57 | |
-Hardship and social adversity -had added a new intensity... | 0:13:59 | 0:14:03 | |
-..to the Valleys' -choral tradition... | 0:14:03 | 0:14:05 | |
-..as some of the principality's most -prominent conductors discovered... | 0:14:06 | 0:14:11 | |
-..when they visited Mountain Ash -at the height of the Depression. | 0:14:11 | 0:14:15 | |
-This is a vast building. | 0:14:18 | 0:14:20 | |
-It now houses a number -of industrial units. | 0:14:20 | 0:14:23 | |
-At one time, -Mountain Ash's pavilion was famous. | 0:14:23 | 0:14:27 | |
-It was built in time -for the National Eisteddfod in 1905. | 0:14:27 | 0:14:31 | |
-Later, it was a venue -for boxing contests and concerts. | 0:14:31 | 0:14:36 | |
-In the 1930s, there was no greater -symbol of the determination... | 0:14:36 | 0:14:42 | |
-..of the depressed communities -of the Rhondda, Cynon and Taff... | 0:14:42 | 0:14:47 | |
-..than to carry on singing -and to live in hope. | 0:14:47 | 0:14:50 | |
-The Cynon Valley's choral tradition -stretched back to Caradog... | 0:14:51 | 0:14:55 | |
-..when Aberdare was one of Wales's -most important musical centres. | 0:14:55 | 0:15:00 | |
-This is where the Choral Union -was formed... | 0:15:00 | 0:15:03 | |
-..and here, 60 years later, -the same idea was revived. | 0:15:03 | 0:15:07 | |
-A thousand singers -would congregate here... | 0:15:08 | 0:15:11 | |
-..to perform in front -of an audience of up to 12,000. | 0:15:11 | 0:15:15 | |
-They were conducted by Henry Wood, -Adrian Boult and Malcolm Sargent. | 0:15:15 | 0:15:20 | |
-Sargent relished working -with the innate voices and talents. | 0:15:21 | 0:15:26 | |
-His aim -was to polish the technique... | 0:15:26 | 0:15:29 | |
-..without comprising -the intensity of the singing. | 0:15:29 | 0:15:34 | |
-Here was a choir -in the same valley... | 0:15:34 | 0:15:37 | |
-..as Caradog's great choir -60 years earlier. | 0:15:37 | 0:15:40 | |
-The choral tradition had been -threatened, but it had survived. | 0:15:40 | 0:15:45 | |
-Caradog would have been proud -of that. | 0:15:46 | 0:15:48 | |
-# Amen, | 0:15:49 | 0:15:51 | |
-# Amen, | 0:15:52 | 0:15:55 | |
-# Amen, | 0:15:56 | 0:16:00 | |
-# Amen. # | 0:16:00 | 0:16:08 | |
-The impression created when Malcolm -Sargent conducted 'The Messiah'... | 0:16:13 | 0:16:18 | |
-..in Mountain Ash -lives on in the memory... | 0:16:18 | 0:16:21 | |
-..of those who were present. | 0:16:22 | 0:16:23 | |
-Mr Morris, you were part -of the festival of three choirs. | 0:16:24 | 0:16:28 | |
-What are your memories of that time? | 0:16:28 | 0:16:31 | |
-I remember going to the concerts -in the 1930s. | 0:16:31 | 0:16:34 | |
-They were held on three nights. | 0:16:34 | 0:16:37 | |
-Malcolm Sargent was the conductor. | 0:16:37 | 0:16:40 | |
-Everyone liked him. -He was very laid-back. | 0:16:40 | 0:16:43 | |
-The venues were always full. | 0:16:43 | 0:16:46 | |
-Every seat was taken. | 0:16:46 | 0:16:48 | |
-There was never enough room. | 0:16:48 | 0:16:52 | |
-I remember singing in the choir -in May. | 0:16:52 | 0:16:56 | |
-The concert finished -and everyone went home. | 0:16:58 | 0:17:03 | |
-I think Malcolm Sargent went down -to see the coal mine. | 0:17:04 | 0:17:09 | |
-He went underground. | 0:17:09 | 0:17:12 | |
-He went down to see -what it was like. | 0:17:12 | 0:17:14 | |
-He was on the same level as us. | 0:17:15 | 0:17:17 | |
-# Hallelujah, hallelujah, | 0:17:19 | 0:17:21 | |
-# Hallelujah, hallelujah... # | 0:17:21 | 0:17:23 | |
-The Second World War -disrupted cultural activities. | 0:17:23 | 0:17:26 | |
-When it ended, -there was hope for a new dawn. | 0:17:26 | 0:17:29 | |
-There was a revival -in the coal industry... | 0:17:30 | 0:17:33 | |
-..and the welfare state -was established. | 0:17:33 | 0:17:36 | |
-Singing in the Valleys -returned with renewed vigour. | 0:17:36 | 0:17:39 | |
-CHORAL SINGING | 0:17:40 | 0:17:42 | |
-Choral singing continued unhindered -for 20 years... | 0:17:51 | 0:17:54 | |
-..but forces were at work -to undermine the tradition. | 0:17:54 | 0:17:56 | |
-Once, choirs were in fashion. | 0:17:57 | 0:17:59 | |
-Now, they seemed old-fashioned. | 0:17:59 | 0:18:02 | |
-With new forms of entertainment -for the younger generation... | 0:18:02 | 0:18:07 | |
-..the population favoured -Elvis Presley over 'Y Pererinion'. | 0:18:07 | 0:18:12 | |
-SOLO | 0:18:12 | 0:18:14 | |
-CHORAL SINGING | 0:18:15 | 0:18:17 | |
-Old favourites, -like 'Martyrs of the Arena'... | 0:18:23 | 0:18:27 | |
-..were as alien to the younger -generation as working underground. | 0:18:27 | 0:18:32 | |
-Choirs tried to adapt -and appeal to the secular tastes... | 0:18:32 | 0:18:37 | |
-..of their members and audiences. | 0:18:37 | 0:18:40 | |
-They sang new arrangements -of pop songs... | 0:18:40 | 0:18:43 | |
-..and shows from Broadway -and the West End. | 0:18:43 | 0:18:46 | |
-But 'Myfanwy' and 'Delilah' -have very little in common... | 0:18:46 | 0:18:50 | |
-..even though some of us have -a place in our hearts for both. | 0:18:50 | 0:18:55 | |
-CHORAL SINGING | 0:18:55 | 0:18:57 | |
-Choral societies have survived -in the Valleys. | 0:19:02 | 0:19:06 | |
-But sustaining an annual oratorio -has defeated most of them. | 0:19:06 | 0:19:11 | |
-There are some superb choirs -in Cardiff and Swansea. | 0:19:11 | 0:19:15 | |
-Their members -are middle-class professionals. | 0:19:15 | 0:19:19 | |
-In the traditional -working-class strongholds... | 0:19:19 | 0:19:22 | |
-..mixed choral singing -has lost its past appeal. | 0:19:22 | 0:19:25 | |
-For me, the traditional sound of -the Valleys is the male voice choir. | 0:19:25 | 0:19:30 | |
-A symbol of the toughness -and strength of these communities. | 0:19:30 | 0:19:35 | |
-That sound continues to fill halls -from Ferndale to Phoenix, Arizona. | 0:19:35 | 0:19:41 | |
-But for how much longer? -There are over 100 choirs in Wales. | 0:19:41 | 0:19:45 | |
-There are half a dozen here -in the Rhondda. | 0:19:45 | 0:19:47 | |
-But the members are getting older. | 0:19:48 | 0:19:50 | |
-Without an injection of fresh, -young blood, things look bleak. | 0:19:50 | 0:19:55 | |
-Choir practices, -with their camaraderie... | 0:19:55 | 0:19:58 | |
-..and opportunities -to travel the world... | 0:19:59 | 0:20:02 | |
-..continue to be an attraction -for a large number of us. | 0:20:02 | 0:20:06 | |
-# The Lord is not distant, | 0:20:08 | 0:20:14 | |
-# Nor is the night starlets. | 0:20:14 | 0:20:21 | |
-# Love is eternal, | 0:20:22 | 0:20:27 | |
-# Love is... # | 0:20:27 | 0:20:28 | |
-How hopeful are our musicians for -the future of our choral tradition? | 0:20:28 | 0:20:34 | |
-I think the next 10 to 20 years -are going to be critical... | 0:20:34 | 0:20:38 | |
-..for the future -of Welsh male voice choirs. | 0:20:38 | 0:20:41 | |
-There's a shortage -of choral conductors. | 0:20:41 | 0:20:44 | |
-There's a shortage -of interesting pieces to sing. | 0:20:44 | 0:20:48 | |
-We always keep one foot in the past -and that is very important. | 0:20:50 | 0:20:55 | |
-We should continue singing -'Myfanwy' and 'Cwm Rhondda'... | 0:20:55 | 0:20:59 | |
-..for years to come. | 0:21:00 | 0:21:02 | |
-I am concerned that the older -generation of choristers... | 0:21:02 | 0:21:09 | |
-..who are steeped -in the choral tradition... | 0:21:09 | 0:21:12 | |
-..and are familiar with singing -in chapels and the sol-fa... | 0:21:13 | 0:21:17 | |
-..are dying out. | 0:21:17 | 0:21:19 | |
-The kind of singer who joins -male voice choirs these days... | 0:21:19 | 0:21:24 | |
-..is not part of that tradition. | 0:21:24 | 0:21:27 | |
-We should do our utmost -to preserve this national treasure. | 0:21:27 | 0:21:33 | |
-Everyone in the world can recognise -the sound of a Welsh choir. | 0:21:33 | 0:21:37 | |
-It's a sound that's full -of passion and emotion. | 0:21:37 | 0:21:41 | |
-It would be a tragedy -to lose such a treasure. | 0:21:41 | 0:21:44 | |
-# God is still, | 0:21:45 | 0:21:51 | |
-# God is still, | 0:21:51 | 0:21:56 | |
-# God is still, | 0:21:56 | 0:22:02 | |
-# God, | 0:22:03 | 0:22:07 | |
-# And his faith shall not ever... # | 0:22:07 | 0:22:15 | |
-In this series, -we've traced the connection... | 0:22:15 | 0:22:19 | |
-..between Wales - Land of Song -and the singing of the Valleys. | 0:22:19 | 0:22:23 | |
-The industrial -and social surroundings... | 0:22:23 | 0:22:26 | |
-..which created a choral tradition -in the mining communities... | 0:22:26 | 0:22:31 | |
-..have long gone. | 0:22:31 | 0:22:33 | |
-I wouldn't want to return -to those days. | 0:22:33 | 0:22:36 | |
-There were choirs in other parts -of Wales, too. | 0:22:36 | 0:22:40 | |
-But the history and unique sound -of Valleys' singing... | 0:22:40 | 0:22:44 | |
-..has left us with -a special legacy... | 0:22:44 | 0:22:47 | |
-..of which the whole Welsh nation -can be proud. | 0:22:47 | 0:22:51 | |
-It's our duty to ensure -that this tradition has a future... | 0:22:51 | 0:22:55 | |
-..that is worthy -of its splendid past. | 0:22:55 | 0:22:59 | |
-# Christ is eternal, | 0:23:00 | 0:23:06 | |
-# Christ is eternal, | 0:23:06 | 0:23:14 | |
-# Eternal. # | 0:23:15 | 0:23:22 | |
| 0:23:23 | 0:23:24 |
