0:00:00 > 0:00:00- Subtitles
0:00:00 > 0:00:02- Subtitles- - Subtitles
0:00:03 > 0:00:08- Writing poetry, stories...
0:00:08 > 0:00:12- ..scripting for television, - film and radio...
0:00:12 > 0:00:15- ..has given me a lot of pleasure.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21- Looking back, - one question interests me.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25- Where does my inspiration come from?
0:00:26 > 0:00:28- Is it the same for every artist?
0:00:31 > 0:00:34- In other words, what is the Muse?
0:00:43 > 0:00:45- THIS IS WHERE I BELONG
0:00:48 > 0:00:52- "The rubble of generations - of rough hands
0:00:52 > 0:00:55- "Lie in the shadow - of the raven's nest
0:00:55 > 0:00:59- "Moving at night, - like the bones of the dead
0:00:59 > 0:01:03- "In the empty trough - between the silent mountains"
0:01:04 > 0:01:08- There is something old - about the sound here.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11- Generations worked in the quarry.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14- There comes a time...
0:01:14 > 0:01:18- ..in the dark, when I think, - 'What are we doing here?'
0:01:23 > 0:01:26- What inspired me to compose...
0:01:26 > 0:01:30- ..was my upbringing...
0:01:30 > 0:01:33- ..and the community I belonged to.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36- It's part of me.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41- I started thinking, - 'What is the essence of this place?
0:01:42 > 0:01:47- 'What does it have - that nowhere else has?'
0:01:54 > 0:01:57- These are columns of slate.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02- They were put in the town centre...
0:02:02 > 0:02:05- ..where they stand majestically...
0:02:06 > 0:02:10- ..to celebrate the life - that was here...
0:02:10 > 0:02:14- ..and to express hope - for the future.
0:02:14 > 0:02:19- There are lines of poetry - and quarry sayings here.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22- There are also local sayings.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27- This is a line...
0:02:27 > 0:02:30- ..I wrote a few years ago.
0:02:31 > 0:02:37- "And you'll see a bracelet of a town - against the bare rock"
0:02:37 > 0:02:41- The huge rock looks down - on the town.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45- The mountains...
0:02:46 > 0:02:49- ..close in around us.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53- The town is in the middle - of this muscular majesty.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59- These things - subconsciously influenced me.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02- The place made an imprint on me...
0:03:03 > 0:03:05- ..and stayed with me for life.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13- ARTIST
0:03:15 > 0:03:18- Gareth Parry - depicts local landscapes.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22- I'm interested...
0:03:22 > 0:03:26- ..in what inspires him, - what drives him on.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31- Is it the same sort of thing - that inspires me?
0:03:31 > 0:03:33- The medium is completely different.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38- BELL RINGS
0:03:43 > 0:03:45- Hello, stranger!
0:03:45 > 0:03:48- How are you? This is a big gate.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51- To protect my privacy.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53- To keep dangerous people out!
0:03:54 > 0:03:57- Don't get paint on your clothes.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01- I have no time to keep - the place tidy.
0:04:03 > 0:04:08- This is your new painting style.
0:04:08 > 0:04:13- It's because I'm painting - more indoors than outdoors.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16- That gives me more time...
0:04:17 > 0:04:19- ..to create mood in my paintings.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24- Outdoors, - I had an hour to finish a subject.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27- There was no time to be fancy.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30- I'm able to use more colour.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32- Colours are my adjectives...
0:04:33 > 0:04:35- ..and I have more freedom.
0:04:36 > 0:04:41- When it comes to the landscape...
0:04:41 > 0:04:43- ..you must be proud of the place.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47- Is that pride in the paintings?
0:04:47 > 0:04:50- I hope I convey pride.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55- More than that, I hope I convey - my love for the place.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00- Whatever I am, good or bad, - I owe it all to this area.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03- The land, nature and the people.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08- Like you, I spend a lot of time - on my own, taking it all in.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11- It's part of my work.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15- Is this a local landscape?
0:05:15 > 0:05:16- Cynfal?
0:05:16 > 0:05:17- Cynfal?- - Yes.
0:05:18 > 0:05:23- How do you go about - starting a painting?
0:05:24 > 0:05:26- I go through my sketches.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29- They're done quickly in charcoal.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32- That one is Tryfan.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35- I decide what I want to paint.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39- Then I have to choose - what colours to use.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41- Once I've started a painting...
0:05:42 > 0:05:47- ..each brushstroke - reacts to the one before.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52- Walter Sickert said, - "If I think, all is lost."
0:05:53 > 0:05:55- I understand that.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00- We have to allow - our instinct take over.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03- After mastering the craft...
0:06:03 > 0:06:08- ..we must allow our instinct - to take over, and not analyze it.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12- I don't like to analyze - how I do things.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16- How long does it take you - to write a poem?
0:06:16 > 0:06:21- The same as you. - Either three hours or three days.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23- It's wonderful.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31- "This is where I belong, - in the rugged highlands
0:06:31 > 0:06:37- "Where the raven, curlew and sheep - are lost souls
0:06:38 > 0:06:41- "Ancient, primitive Welsh things
0:06:42 > 0:06:46- "That are, and forever will be
0:06:46 > 0:06:49- "Etched deeply on my being"
0:06:56 > 0:06:59- I was born in the chapel house.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04- My father was a baker, - my mother a primary school teacher.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07- We lived next door to a chapel.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12- My grandfather was a deacon - and my grandmother the organist.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16- We attended chapel regularly, - from when I was young boy.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25- Being here, after all these years...
0:07:25 > 0:07:28- ..brings it all back.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31- It's almost as if I'm three again.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35- I can almost feel Mam's presence...
0:07:36 > 0:07:38- ..sitting there...
0:07:38 > 0:07:42- ..and glancing over - to make sure I was behaving.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48- The chapel wasn't just - a place of worship.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51- There were all sorts - of cultural activities.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54- Reading, discussions...
0:07:54 > 0:07:58- ..plays and so forth.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01- It was a creative community.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04- They were energetic and creative.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07- The religion, - or at least the building...
0:08:08 > 0:08:10- ..encouraged them - to do those things.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16- "The wheel of time - annihilates generations
0:08:17 > 0:08:20- "And creates new souls
0:08:20 > 0:08:23- "To take over the old Blaenau"
0:08:26 > 0:08:30- The community changes, - like all communities in Wales.
0:08:32 > 0:08:37- But there is an awareness - of what was once here.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39- More importantly, perhaps...
0:08:40 > 0:08:44- ..people find new ways - to express that awareness.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48- Several members - of the younger generation...
0:08:48 > 0:08:51- ..or the new generation...
0:08:51 > 0:08:55- ..are doing that - in the Welsh language.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00- MUSICIAN
0:09:04 > 0:09:07- Gai Toms responds to this area - in his own way...
0:09:07 > 0:09:10- ..through music and words.
0:09:10 > 0:09:15- He has set up a studio - in the old chapel vestry.
0:09:17 > 0:09:22- There is a hive of activity here, - as far as I can see.
0:09:22 > 0:09:27- He continues to do creative work - here.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32- Yes, well.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36- How are you?
0:09:37 > 0:09:39- Welcome to the studio.
0:09:40 > 0:09:40- Sbensh.
0:09:40 > 0:09:41- Sbensh.- - Yes.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45- It's a big vestry.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48- It came on the market.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51- As soon as I walked in...
0:09:51 > 0:09:55- ..I realized it - had a unique feeling.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57- There is a silence...
0:09:57 > 0:09:59- ..and quiet acoustics.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02- There isn't much echo.
0:10:02 > 0:10:03- It's quiet.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06- That was the catalyst - to invest in it.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09- Would you like to sit?
0:10:12 > 0:10:14- I wanted to talk to you...
0:10:14 > 0:10:19- ..about the creative energy - that came from the chapels...
0:10:19 > 0:10:22- ..fifty years ago.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26- Has something replaced that - creativity?
0:10:26 > 0:10:28- The pub!
0:10:30 > 0:10:34- Personally, the pub - has been a big influence on me.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38- In Blaenau now...
0:10:40 > 0:10:44- ..we're repossessing - the old chapels...
0:10:44 > 0:10:47- ..to create something new.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51- Blaenau has a strong sense - of its Welsh identity.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56- But we have to be careful - or it will disappear.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00- We have to find a way - of using the language...
0:11:01 > 0:11:03- ..and to continue to create.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09- Y Ddinas Gadarn - was the title of my poem.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14- Radio Cymru asked us - to write a song.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17- I gave you the words.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20- What happened next?
0:11:20 > 0:11:24- I read the poem over and over...
0:11:25 > 0:11:28- ..to get the feel of the words.
0:11:30 > 0:11:36- The line that struck a chord with me - was the last line of the chorus.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39- "Creating bread from stone."
0:11:40 > 0:11:46- The quarrymen mined slate...
0:11:46 > 0:11:49- ..to put food on the table.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53- Some people think my songs - come from nothing.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56- It's not nothing.
0:11:56 > 0:12:02- An idea has come to me, - and I've brought it to life.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05- One thing turns into something else.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07- That's how the imagination works.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09- That's how the imagination works.- - Metamorphosis.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20- # In the light
0:12:21 > 0:12:22- # That seeps in
0:12:23 > 0:12:26- # In the strength - of the old, old stone
0:12:27 > 0:12:30- # Here we are
0:12:32 > 0:12:34- # Living our lives
0:12:36 > 0:12:38- # Creating
0:12:41 > 0:12:43- # Creating
0:12:45 > 0:12:47- # Creating
0:12:47 > 0:12:49- # Bread
0:12:50 > 0:12:53- # From stone #
0:12:57 > 0:12:57- .
0:13:00 > 0:13:00- Subtitles
0:13:00 > 0:13:02- Subtitles- - Subtitles
0:13:04 > 0:13:08- THESE WORDS
0:13:11 > 0:13:14- "In the beginning was the Word"
0:13:14 > 0:13:17- The Word has been with me...
0:13:18 > 0:13:20- ..since I was a very young boy.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25- When I was about seven years old...
0:13:25 > 0:13:30- ..I started - to read the Bible in bed.
0:13:30 > 0:13:35- Doing that through the years - has left its mark on me.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40- It enhances vocabulary, - for one thing.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44- There are strong rhythms - in this translation.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54- I'd heard the local dialect...
0:13:54 > 0:13:57- ..when I was growing up.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59- There was a variety.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03- The two come together in my work.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07- I mixed them up.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14- "Then I heard - what sounded like a voice saying
0:14:14 > 0:14:17- "Where is the Sunday School trip - going?
0:14:17 > 0:14:20- "The answer came
0:14:20 > 0:14:24- "In a deafening roar
0:14:24 > 0:14:26- "Butlins"
0:14:30 > 0:14:34- I started to write poems - in Bangor University.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39- I was a student here.
0:14:39 > 0:14:44- I returned and remained here - until I retired.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48- The buildings and library...
0:14:48 > 0:14:50- ..mean a lot to me.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00- This is a commissioned poem.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03- I wrote it - for the college centenary.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07- I had an idea - of a college on a hill...
0:15:07 > 0:15:10- ..that was like a lighthouse...
0:15:10 > 0:15:14- ..spreading knowledge and wisdom - over Wales and the world.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19- It's quite pleasing to see it.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25- I'm used to it now.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33- It was my duty as a lecturer...
0:15:33 > 0:15:39- ..to make sure the students - mastered the Welsh language.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43- If you master the basics...
0:15:43 > 0:15:46- ..exciting things can happen.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48- You can go on from there.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54- The department - should safeguard the past...
0:15:55 > 0:16:00- ..so the students can go out - and do something worthwhile.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07- POET AND ACADEMIC
0:16:09 > 0:16:12- I've kept my distance - since retiring.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16- I don't interfere - because I know it's in safe hands.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21- Hello, Gwyn. How are you?
0:16:21 > 0:16:23- I'm glad to see you.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25- I'm glad to see you.- - Take a seat.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30- It's strange to see you - the other side of the desk.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34- It's stranger to see you that side!
0:16:34 > 0:16:39- I thought of my student days - as I walked down the corridor.
0:16:39 > 0:16:44- It was a highly academic course.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48- We traced the origin of words, - and so on.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51- Does that still happen?
0:16:52 > 0:16:55- There are history of language - elements.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59- We're flexible. - We tailor to all needs.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04- The creative course - has developed greatly...
0:17:05 > 0:17:08- ..alongside the usual courses.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10- The balance is important.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14- As one of your former students, - Gwyn...
0:17:14 > 0:17:18- ..I remember the pioneering - translation courses.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20- There were also courses on film.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24- You introduced - different disciplines.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27- I saw the link between them.
0:17:27 > 0:17:33- Do you get a chance to write poetry?
0:17:33 > 0:17:37- A friend said there's - no such thing as the Muse, but time.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41- I need time to compose.
0:17:41 > 0:17:47- It can be hard, with the various - academic demands that are on me.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51- It's important to make time.
0:17:51 > 0:17:56- The academic courses - can inspire my creativity.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01- If I lecture about - a poet in the morning...
0:18:01 > 0:18:04- ..an idea might come...
0:18:04 > 0:18:07- ..or the seed is sown.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09- Ah, well.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11- Isn't that what the Muse is...
0:18:12 > 0:18:14- ..that the seed has been sown?
0:18:15 > 0:18:17- Isn't that the Muse?
0:18:17 > 0:18:20- I like the romantic concept - of the Muse.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24- I'll stick to the idea - that it's time we need!
0:18:24 > 0:18:28- It's not romantic. - It's as old as Ceridwen's cauldron!
0:18:28 > 0:18:29- True enough.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40- In my time, the study of words were - an important part of the course...
0:18:40 > 0:18:44- ..their meaning and origin.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51- We all come across - the meaning of words.
0:18:51 > 0:18:56- Words have associations that - are irrelevant to their meaning.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00- Words like Mam, bread, sea...
0:19:00 > 0:19:02- ..and so on.
0:19:02 > 0:19:07- To what extent does our experience - of the world...
0:19:07 > 0:19:10- ..influence our reaction to words?
0:19:12 > 0:19:15- "A combination - of vowels and consonants
0:19:15 > 0:19:19- "All the sounds coming together
0:19:19 > 0:19:22- "To convey meaning, feelings
0:19:22 > 0:19:26- "That is in all - the world's languages"
0:19:30 > 0:19:34- PSYCHOLOGIST
0:19:36 > 0:19:39- I'm pleased that - the Welsh Department in Bangor...
0:19:40 > 0:19:43- ..is working with - the Psychology Department...
0:19:43 > 0:19:47- ..to prove that Welsh speakers...
0:19:47 > 0:19:50- ..react instinctively to Cynghanedd.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53- Hello. Are you alright?
0:19:54 > 0:19:58- Manon Jones and Awel Vaughan-Evans - are hard at work.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02- We're conducting an experiment...
0:20:03 > 0:20:08- ..to record electrical activity - in the brain.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11- This cap has electrodes.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14- We can measure brain activity.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17- The data is fed into the computer.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22- Thanks for taking part, Ceri.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26- I'll ask Ceri to read sentences...
0:20:27 > 0:20:30- ..and react - as naturally as possible.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32- What interests us...
0:20:32 > 0:20:36- ..is how her brain - reacts to the Cynghanedd.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44- We make sure Ceri is comfortable - throughout the experiment.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47- We can see the electrical activity.
0:20:47 > 0:20:53- The data is collected - on 32 different channels.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56- Is that simplified later?
0:20:57 > 0:21:01- We can't base our findings - on one person.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04- We analyze data using the average.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09- We view Cynghanedd and - examples of rules being broken...
0:21:09 > 0:21:12- ..in a systematic way.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16- Here are the results.
0:21:16 > 0:21:22- Cynghanedd comes out on top.
0:21:23 > 0:21:28- This proves how quickly - Cynghanedd is recognized...
0:21:28 > 0:21:31- ..before the person is aware of it.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35- The brain clocks it.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37- That's fascinating.
0:21:37 > 0:21:43- How did it feel to know - the theory is true?
0:21:43 > 0:21:45- Thrilling, brilliant!
0:21:46 > 0:21:46- Eureka!
0:21:46 > 0:21:48- Eureka!- - Yes.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50- To be honest...
0:21:50 > 0:21:53- ..as scientists, - we fell to our knees!
0:21:53 > 0:21:55- It was thrilling!
0:21:55 > 0:22:00- This explains why people - who know nothing about Cynghanedd...
0:22:00 > 0:22:02- ..use catchy phrases.
0:22:02 > 0:22:08- They hear Cynghanedd's - sounds and patterns.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11- It's in us instinctively.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14- We use these techniques...
0:22:14 > 0:22:18- ..because people - are more likely to listen to us.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22- It proves how special - Welsh speakers are!
0:22:22 > 0:22:23- Exactly!
0:22:25 > 0:22:31- The basics of rhythm are in us - before we are born.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34- A baby in the womb...
0:22:34 > 0:22:38- ..reacts to its mother's heartbeat.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42- As far as I'm concerned...
0:22:43 > 0:22:47- ..I've subconsciously - used Cynghanedd.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51- Perhaps the Cynghanedd - continues for more than one line.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56- That happened - without me planning to do it.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03- "Between Foel and Godre'r Moelwyn
0:23:04 > 0:23:07- "In Tanygrisiau, - there was a bearded, peaty marsh
0:23:08 > 0:23:10- "And stagnant water"
0:23:13 > 0:23:13- .
0:23:17 > 0:23:17- Subtitles
0:23:17 > 0:23:19- Subtitles- - Subtitles
0:23:21 > 0:23:25- KEEPING THE LEGENDS ALIVE
0:23:30 > 0:23:32- When I first came here...
0:23:33 > 0:23:35- ..I was captivated...
0:23:36 > 0:23:38- ..because of its association...
0:23:39 > 0:23:41- ..with the Blodeuwedd legend.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47- This was called River Cynfael - long ago.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51- It's easy to imagine Lleu...
0:23:52 > 0:23:56- ..neither on water or on land, - after he was struck by a spear.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00- You'd expect him - to fall into the river.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03- But he turns into an eagle...
0:24:03 > 0:24:06- ..and flies away.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13- After hearing - the centuries old myths...
0:24:13 > 0:24:16- ..and coming to - the very place they happened...
0:24:17 > 0:24:19- ..it links us to our past.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22- You know where you belong...
0:24:23 > 0:24:26- ..and see that - it's a very old relationship.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31- It was exciting to me as a boy.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33- It's still exciting now.
0:24:37 > 0:24:38- No!
0:24:39 > 0:24:41- Aah!
0:24:41 > 0:24:43- I was commissioned...
0:24:43 > 0:24:47- ..to adapt the Four Branches - of the Mabinogion for children.
0:24:48 > 0:24:53- The legends have a magical quality. - That's why they still entertain.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57- There are elements deep in us all...
0:24:57 > 0:25:01- ..that have been transmitted - over thousands of years.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07- Listening to them, maybe we don't - understand what's behind them.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09- But I think most of us...
0:25:09 > 0:25:13- ..respond to these marvellous - tales at a very deep level.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16- STORYTELLER
0:25:20 > 0:25:24- We still have people - who tell stories.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28- In Felin Uchaf Centre - on the Llyn Peninsula...
0:25:28 > 0:25:32- ..there's a place - specifically to tell these stories.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36- I have to stay on the farm.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40- "Will you do me a favour?" - asked Gwydion.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44- "Tomorrow morning, - before opening the sty gate...
0:25:44 > 0:25:47- "..will you wake me - and take me there?"
0:25:48 > 0:25:52- Lleu picked up the spear - on the river bank.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56- He lifted it up - and said a prayer to the spear.
0:25:56 > 0:25:57- And...
0:25:58 > 0:26:02- The spear went straight - through the long stone...
0:26:03 > 0:26:06- ..and to the heart of Gronw Pebr.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08- He fell dead in that place.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12- The stone still stands there...
0:26:13 > 0:26:15- ..with a hole in it, since that day.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20- We've come to the end - of the Fourth Branch.
0:26:21 > 0:26:22- Thank you.
0:26:26 > 0:26:27- Thank you.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32- Bye. You're welcome.
0:26:34 > 0:26:35- Gwyn.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37- I'm glad to see you again.
0:26:38 > 0:26:39- Thank you.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43- This is a remarkable place.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47- I'm sure it's a great help - when you tell the story.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52- It's a theatre in itself, - with its light and sound.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55- This truly is - a central meeting place.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59- People come together - and share experiences...
0:26:59 > 0:27:02- ..especially when you tell stories.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05- What makes a good story?
0:27:05 > 0:27:08- Strong characters, a strong story?
0:27:08 > 0:27:11- I think it's your - response to the story.
0:27:12 > 0:27:17- A child sees - the entertainment in it.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21- Then when you hear - the different layers again...
0:27:21 > 0:27:24- ..as you go through life...
0:27:24 > 0:27:28- ..you see the depth - of the stories' symbolism.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32- There are elements - in the stories from Wales...
0:27:32 > 0:27:36- ..that are very similar - to stories in many countries.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39- It's so interesting.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43- We can see a root that goes back - very far for us all.
0:27:44 > 0:27:49- Maybe the stories originated - a very long way back...
0:27:49 > 0:27:51- ..perhaps even before - the Bronze Age.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56- It's a memory of an age - when we were closer together.
0:27:56 > 0:27:57- Very interesting.
0:27:57 > 0:28:02- At times, part of the subconscious - comes into the stories.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06- This would be an ideal place - to tell ghost stories.
0:28:06 > 0:28:11- Yes, especially when it's dark - and the fire is the only light.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16- Anything can be made vivid here.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23- "It's the night of the full moon
0:28:25 > 0:28:27- "He stands on a bank, by a pool
0:28:28 > 0:28:31- "Looking into the black water
0:28:33 > 0:28:37- "Something, or someone - is down in the water's depths
0:28:39 > 0:28:44- "Then it begins to rise, - tenderly, tenderly, from the depths
0:28:45 > 0:28:47- "It's a young girl
0:28:48 > 0:28:49- "A lovely young girl"
0:28:53 > 0:28:56- I had an aunt - who told me ghost stories...
0:28:56 > 0:28:59- ..some from her own experience.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03- That's where my interest - in ghost stories began.
0:29:06 > 0:29:11- That is also very ancient, - when you talk about ghosts.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14- Many say they don't believe - in that kind of thing.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17- But a slight uneasiness remains.
0:29:19 > 0:29:24- I once wrote a script - for a ghost, or horror, film.
0:29:27 > 0:29:32- It came about after seeing an item - on Tonight, the TV programme.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36- A famous archaeologist - told a story...
0:29:36 > 0:29:41- ..about the discovery - of a Celtic sculpture of a head.
0:29:47 > 0:29:52- In that script, an ancient artefact - and a ghost story were combined.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56- Both those things created interest.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01- RHYTHMIC BEAT
0:30:07 > 0:30:09- Some stories are mythological.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13- The best definition - of mythology I've heard...
0:30:14 > 0:30:16- ..is that it's a religion...
0:30:16 > 0:30:20- ..but people don't believe in it, - as they used to, long ago.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24- That is, they're traces - of a strong belief.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29- A further interpretation - is that mythology...
0:30:29 > 0:30:34- ..reveals deep truths - about our lives in a unique way...
0:30:35 > 0:30:38- ..usually in the form - of a myth or story.
0:30:39 > 0:30:40- Oh!
0:30:44 > 0:30:46- SCULPTOR
0:30:51 > 0:30:54- There are also - mythological pictures.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59- I was fortunate to observe - the work of an artist...
0:31:00 > 0:31:04- ..who creates pictures - and sculptures.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09- The only way to describe them - is mythological.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16- Well, John, we've arrived. - Nice to see you again.
0:31:16 > 0:31:17- Everyone alright?
0:31:17 > 0:31:18- Everyone alright?- - Quite well.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21- Are you taking me to the studio?
0:31:21 > 0:31:22- Thanks.
0:31:23 > 0:31:24- Well!
0:31:25 > 0:31:29- I'm extremely glad - to see all these again.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36- You do your work here.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40- But everything doesn't happen here.
0:31:40 > 0:31:41- No.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46- Usually, I see an image - early in the morning.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49- There's something about that image.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51- When you're in bed, half asleep?
0:31:52 > 0:31:54- Yes, or rather half awake.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57- That image has so much presence.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01- I don't know - how it can be explained.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05- I have to carry on with it, - that very day.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08- It's very hazy.
0:32:09 > 0:32:14- But there's enough there to inspire - me to keep looking at it...
0:32:14 > 0:32:16- ..like Lleu here.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21- All I could see were - hazy lines going down.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23- Then I saw a tree.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27- The next thing I saw was a woman.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31- As you see, - it's a combination of both.
0:32:31 > 0:32:32- Yes.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35- Then I saw drops of blood falling.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42- In effect, there's - spiritual power up there...
0:32:42 > 0:32:45- ..and a power pulling downwards.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48- It happens in my work endlessly.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50- The uplifting and descending.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56- This is your image of Bendigeidfran, - the giant in the myth.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59- The story says he looks angrily...
0:33:00 > 0:33:02- ..towards Ireland.
0:33:02 > 0:33:07- When I began, I wasn't - conscious of the story.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09- But one day, - as the shape came out...
0:33:10 > 0:33:12- ..I immediately thought of the myth.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15- The eyes and the mouth.
0:33:15 > 0:33:20- There's a kind of fury there, - enough to frighten me, really.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24- It goes down, and once more, - there's a downward pull.
0:33:25 > 0:33:26- Yes.
0:33:26 > 0:33:31- Things that draw towards death, - the earth, and the elevating too.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34- They're both there, as in life.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36- Oddly, with this downward power...
0:33:37 > 0:33:38- ..I relax.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40- Aha.
0:33:40 > 0:33:41- Then I go back.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44- It's as if it was part of a process.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48- Powers come out of this, the anger.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53- It's true about the head too.
0:33:54 > 0:33:55- This one?
0:33:55 > 0:33:56- I've just cast this.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58- I've just cast this.- - You've just finished this.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01- It hasn't been exhibited.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04- It's almost like a Red Indian head.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07- I find it's almost a religious head.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09- It's a metaphor.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12- It's a bird and a person.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14- The bird rises.
0:34:14 > 0:34:15- The eyes....
0:34:16 > 0:34:19- I didn't intend it - to be a bird at first.
0:34:20 > 0:34:21- It just comes.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24- Something in the shape...
0:34:25 > 0:34:27- ..it's meant to go up like that.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30- There's one more image...
0:34:30 > 0:34:33- ..which I hope you'll tell us about.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37- It's this sculpture...
0:34:40 > 0:34:43- ..which you made - after your son, Dylan, died.
0:34:43 > 0:34:44- Yes.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48- Naturally, - I'll never forget the time.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51- I'd been to see him at one point.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58- I had the impression - that nothing could be done for him.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01- It was a matter - of waiting for him to die.
0:35:01 > 0:35:02- I was back home.
0:35:03 > 0:35:04- One morning...
0:35:04 > 0:35:07- ..I saw an image in my mind.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11- A woman's body...
0:35:11 > 0:35:13- ..as if it was - holding something back.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16- It tries to support this heavy body.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23- I felt an odd kind of freedom...
0:35:24 > 0:35:26- ..to cut inwards there.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29- It's emptiness.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35- It was a profound experience. - I lost my son.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40- But this helped me - come to terms with it.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44- I was able to draw - something out of it.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47- The mother feels the emptiness...
0:35:48 > 0:35:50- ..but still supports the body.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54- Love is extremely powerful there.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56- Yes.
0:35:56 > 0:35:57- And loss.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00- It's unlike most of my work.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03- It's an extremely important piece.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13- "After the emptiness and anguish
0:36:16 > 0:36:18- "What remains is love
0:36:19 > 0:36:21- "Which is lasting"
0:36:21 > 0:36:21- .
0:36:27 > 0:36:27- Subtitles
0:36:27 > 0:36:29- Subtitles- - Subtitles
0:36:32 > 0:36:33- STRIKE A CHORD
0:36:35 > 0:36:38- A TELEVISION POEM By GWYN THOMAS
0:36:40 > 0:36:43- In Memory Of - MARTIN LUTHER KING
0:36:46 > 0:36:49- "In Tennessee, in Memphis
0:36:49 > 0:36:51- "The hour came
0:36:52 > 0:36:54- "In Tennessee, on the white walls
0:36:55 > 0:36:57- "Death blushed
0:36:58 > 0:37:01- "In Tennessee, the end came"
0:37:06 > 0:37:09- Poetry, to a great extent, - depends on images.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13- That is, seeing that - one thing is similar to another...
0:37:13 > 0:37:16- ..or seeing something - through another.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21- Poetry on television...
0:37:22 > 0:37:27- ..can sometimes work, when the words - and pictures are fairly similar.
0:37:28 > 0:37:33- But I tend to think they work better - when the words say one thing...
0:37:33 > 0:37:36- ..and the pictures - say something else.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40- You create a third thing, - combining both.
0:37:40 > 0:37:45- That was why I created - the word "llunyddiaeth"...
0:37:45 > 0:37:48- ..when words and pictures - come together.
0:37:49 > 0:37:56- # Shackles in my mind #
0:37:58 > 0:38:00- As regards to music and poetry...
0:38:01 > 0:38:06- ..rhythm is one of the most - important aspects.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12- They belong together, somehow.
0:38:13 > 0:38:18- There are musical elements. - That's what rhythm is in poetry.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23- COMPOSER
0:38:27 > 0:38:32- I was very glad to see that - a young musician, Owain Llwyd...
0:38:32 > 0:38:36- ..had been inspired - by some of my words.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41- I look forward to meeting - Owain Llwyd in Menai Bridge.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44- Hello. How are you?
0:38:44 > 0:38:45- We've arrived.
0:38:45 > 0:38:46- We've arrived.- - Come in.
0:38:46 > 0:38:47- Thank you.
0:38:47 > 0:38:48- Thank you.- - You're welcome.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51- So this is where you work.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54- Yes, this is the studio.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57- This is the equipment - a modern composer uses.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00- Yes, it's quite usual now.
0:39:00 > 0:39:04- You've put up the poem - I wrote long ago...
0:39:05 > 0:39:07- ..about creating the universe.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10- You used the poem with a piano.
0:39:10 > 0:39:15- Yes. It was originally - for Cor Merched Edeyrnion.
0:39:15 > 0:39:17- Why so?
0:39:17 > 0:39:19- To put the music in context.
0:39:21 > 0:39:26- Composers usually want a kind - of story or narrative, and emotion.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29- The poem created all that for me.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32- You mention explosions and burning.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36- There are many pictures - for the piano.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40- I've noted a few things - from the poem on the score.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43- "No day, no night."
0:39:43 > 0:39:46- The piano begins quietly - on very low notes.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50- It starts from almost nothing...
0:39:50 > 0:39:52- ..in the beginning, of course.
0:39:52 > 0:39:53- PIANO PLAYS
0:39:54 > 0:39:56- So the piano player...
0:39:57 > 0:40:02- ..can find inspiration - or some spark in the words.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05- Yes. I like to add - small things like this.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09- Sometimes, it doesn't have - to be serious, like this.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11- It can be light-hearted...
0:40:12 > 0:40:15- ..to create a bit of fun - in the recording session.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18- Do you think music...
0:40:19 > 0:40:21- ..shows aspects of words...
0:40:21 > 0:40:25- ..that aren't in the words - on their own...
0:40:25 > 0:40:27- ..when you read or recite them?
0:40:27 > 0:40:29- Definitely.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31- Music can add emotion...
0:40:33 > 0:40:35- ..to any words...
0:40:36 > 0:40:38- ..or add images.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42- Often, it's very interesting...
0:40:42 > 0:40:46- ..not to repeat - the emotion in the poem.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50- The words say what happens.
0:40:50 > 0:40:54- The music doesn't have - to represent that directly.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58- It can represent - something else all around.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02- So the music and words - create a third thing.
0:41:02 > 0:41:03- That's it.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06- You've worked with my words before.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11- What if I composed some words...
0:41:12 > 0:41:15- ..and see what you make of them?
0:41:15 > 0:41:17- I'd love to do that.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19- I only have a feeling so far.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24- It starts almost - as a physical feeling.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28- I'll give you the words - and you can see.
0:41:30 > 0:41:31- Don't throw them back at me!
0:41:31 > 0:41:32- Don't throw them back at me!- - No problem!
0:41:33 > 0:41:33- We'll see how it goes.
0:41:33 > 0:41:34- We'll see how it goes.- - Excellent.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37- I look forward to working with you.
0:41:37 > 0:41:38- I look forward to working with you.- - Right!
0:41:41 > 0:41:43- CHILDREN PLAY
0:41:45 > 0:41:48- I've been thinking for some time...
0:41:48 > 0:41:52- ..about a poem about - the Muse and how it works.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55- How does inspiration come about?
0:41:57 > 0:42:01- Come on! I have a rake - if you want to gather leaves.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05- Having children - was a marvellous experience.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09- Children bring their - own originality to the world.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14- There's an innocence - and seeing things afresh.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19- The things they do or say...
0:42:20 > 0:42:22- ..are amazing.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24- Do you want to play?
0:42:25 > 0:42:28- It was the same - with my grandchildren.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31- They have their own way - of looking at things.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36- They're not full - of preconceptions or experiences...
0:42:36 > 0:42:40- ..and set in their ways, - like someone my age.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43- They're much more fluid.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47- They're much more - open to experiences.
0:42:48 > 0:42:53- One tries to capture a little - of that wonder and innocence...
0:42:56 > 0:43:00- ..and that enjoyment - I had in their company.
0:43:01 > 0:43:05- That's what I tried to do - in the poems about them.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11- "At six weeks old, as is well known
0:43:11 > 0:43:15- "It's not easy - to find anything in the world
0:43:15 > 0:43:18- "Half as glorious as curtains
0:43:19 > 0:43:21- "Stare at their stability
0:43:21 > 0:43:24- "Their shapely perfection
0:43:24 > 0:43:26- "Respond to their draped forms
0:43:26 > 0:43:29- "And wide, contemplative hovering"
0:43:32 > 0:43:37- Most of us fortunate enough to - have children and grandchildren...
0:43:37 > 0:43:39- ..have this experience.
0:43:39 > 0:43:43- There's a new wave, - a renewal, with your children...
0:43:44 > 0:43:47- ..then again - with your grandchildren.
0:43:47 > 0:43:51- After that, you turn - your sights towards the exit...
0:43:51 > 0:43:53- ..to another existence.
0:43:59 > 0:44:04- I go back to Blaenau because - I like the places I'm familiar with.
0:44:07 > 0:44:08- As you grow older...
0:44:08 > 0:44:13- ..inevitably, interest - in the past increases.
0:44:13 > 0:44:18- Some of us remember the past - better than events last week.
0:44:20 > 0:44:23- But life must always carry on.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26- Even if you're old, - you have to look forward.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30- I think there are - two types of remembering.
0:44:31 > 0:44:36- One is when you're certain - of the details about the past.
0:44:36 > 0:44:37- The second kind...
0:44:37 > 0:44:42- ..is when the feeling - you had as a child comes back.
0:44:43 > 0:44:47- That is the most rewarding - type of remembering.
0:44:50 > 0:44:55- Once every two years, there was - a reunion of former pupils.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58- But usually, we lose someone.
0:44:59 > 0:45:04- We lost Meredydd Evans this time - and one or two other friends.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09- I'm at that state - of existence now...
0:45:10 > 0:45:13- ..where we lose friends, one by one.
0:45:19 > 0:45:23- "Let us, as spiritually as we can
0:45:23 > 0:45:24- "And while we can
0:45:24 > 0:45:26- "Challenge death
0:45:26 > 0:45:28- "And say, say
0:45:29 > 0:45:30- "Shabby or not
0:45:31 > 0:45:32- "In this old age
0:45:33 > 0:45:35- "I, I still exist
0:45:37 > 0:45:38- "And so far
0:45:38 > 0:45:40- "I still remember
0:45:40 > 0:45:43- "Life hasn't passed by"
0:45:50 > 0:45:55- As I get older, the impetus to - create with words is still there...
0:45:55 > 0:45:57- ..as strong as ever.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02- After writing for decades...
0:46:03 > 0:46:06- ..I think there is - such a thing as the Muse.
0:46:07 > 0:46:11- There's a yearning - to try and create something.
0:46:13 > 0:46:15- As far as I'm concerned...
0:46:15 > 0:46:20- ..even if no-one read the stuff, - I'd still create.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30- The essence of the Muse - is in an old story...
0:46:30 > 0:46:34- ..about Ceridwen, who was - a kind of witch or sorceress.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36- She had a cauldron.
0:46:36 > 0:46:40- In it, there was an infusion - that created things.
0:46:44 > 0:46:49- Something gives one an impetus - and inspiration to do something.
0:46:51 > 0:46:53- That's the Muse, in essence.
0:47:10 > 0:47:11- MUSIC PLAYS
0:47:18 > 0:47:20- "Ceridwen's cauldron
0:47:20 > 0:47:24- "There is a sorceress - through the ages
0:47:24 > 0:47:26- "Who owns the Muse's cauldron
0:47:28 > 0:47:30- "And boiling in the cauldron are
0:47:31 > 0:47:33- "Vowels and consonants
0:47:34 > 0:47:36- "Syllables and accents
0:47:36 > 0:47:40- "And rhythms that colour - the meanings of words
0:47:42 > 0:47:44- "Creating a myriad worlds
0:47:44 > 0:47:46- "A myriad beings
0:47:47 > 0:47:50- "This sorceress - whose name was
0:47:50 > 0:47:53- "Whose name is Ceridwen"
0:47:54 > 0:47:56- MUSIC PLAYS
0:48:27 > 0:48:29- S4C Subtitles by Gwead
0:48:29 > 0:48:29- .