:00:12. > :00:16.Musical Eisteddfod at clan goth Lin. It has been a scorching week.
:00:16. > :00:20.have been enjoying some of the best choirs, dance he issers and
:00:20. > :00:26.instrumentalists from around the world plus some fantastic evening
:00:26. > :00:36.performances. We will have the Choir of the World competition. But first,
:00:36. > :00:54.
:00:54. > :00:58.of the World competition. But first, start our highlights programme than
:00:58. > :01:08.with this, one of the most spectacular sights of the week and
:01:08. > :01:13.
:01:13. > :01:17.definitely the best way to get it to Where are you from Kurdistan.How
:01:17. > :01:23.are you enjoying your time? Amazing. It is my eighth year here. I have
:01:23. > :01:33.been eight times, it is really good. Why do you come back? It is great a
:01:33. > :01:40.
:01:40. > :01:43.great environment. And to come first The carnival has definitely arrived.
:01:43. > :01:48.The carnival has definitely arrived. How are you enjoying Wales? Enjoying
:01:48. > :01:51.myself very much. I appreciate it. It is great. Awesome. It's awesome.
:01:51. > :02:01.I'm really enjoying it. The people waving for us. I really appreciate
:02:01. > :02:14.
:02:14. > :02:24.How are you enjoying this? It is brilliant. Where are you guys from?
:02:24. > :02:36.
:02:36. > :02:41.Washington DC. First time in Wales? New Zealand. How has the trip been
:02:41. > :02:51.so far Long.Are you ready to sing We got here two days ago. Excellent.
:02:51. > :03:07.
:03:07. > :03:17.We got here two days ago. Excellent. Show me your moves. Let's do some
:03:17. > :03:23.
:03:23. > :03:32.President, Terry Waite has his own unique way of travelling at the
:03:32. > :03:36.parade. Terry, how are you? Nice to see you. What a wonderful day.
:03:36. > :03:40.has to be one of the most special parts of the week, hasn't it?
:03:40. > :03:46.think so, when we have so many people and all the nations out on
:03:46. > :03:52.the street. A great occasion You are a little bit big for this car these
:03:52. > :03:57.days. A bit. It is 1970s. Our old one broke down. Modern cars aren't
:03:57. > :04:07.as good as they used to be. Lovely to see you. I will let you
:04:07. > :04:09.
:04:09. > :04:14.get on. All the best, bye. And following the parade, the
:04:14. > :04:19.International visitors are welcomed to the Pavilion Stage as part of the
:04:19. > :04:29.Carnival of Nations. 2,400 competitors from 36 countries in the
:04:29. > :04:33.
:04:33. > :04:37.global town that is clan goth Lin. -- Llangollin. A highlight for me is
:04:37. > :04:41.the Children's Folk Dance. In this competition, performers from all
:04:41. > :04:45.over the world were up against not one but two groups from China. We
:04:45. > :04:48.travelled to Beijing to meet them on their home ground. More about that
:04:48. > :04:57.later. Here are the top three performances from this colourful
:04:57. > :05:07.competition. Third place went to the Haidan school from Beijing and this
:05:07. > :05:34.
:05:34. > :05:39.beautiful dance, pe dicting spring Second place in the Children's Dance
:05:39. > :05:49.Competition went to the Bayi Middle School also from Beijing. A very
:05:49. > :06:07.
:06:07. > :06:11.School also from Beijing. A very awarded to the Emerald Isle Irish
:06:11. > :06:21.Dancers, deemed by the judges to have the more authentic, traditional
:06:21. > :06:43.
:06:43. > :06:48.have the more authentic, traditional If only we could find a way of
:06:48. > :06:53.travelling back in time. Something like a time machine or something.
:06:54. > :06:57.You have a look over here. I will look over here. In 1953 the
:06:57. > :07:01.Eisteddfod was six years' old. It had been set up in the wake of the
:07:01. > :07:05.Second World War to rebuild international cultural links, and it
:07:05. > :07:12.worked. From those early nervous days, visitors came in huge numbers
:07:12. > :07:17.to enjoy the unique hospitality and to forge life-lasting friendships.
:07:17. > :07:20.1953 was a special year. The festively welcomed the newly-crowned
:07:20. > :07:25.Queen which attracted the attention of the world but it was the
:07:25. > :07:35.outstanding performance by a group of German war orphans that cat
:07:35. > :07:38.
:07:39. > :07:43.putted the festively to another -- the if hes Taff.
:07:44. > :07:49.This choir's humble beginnings epitomised the Eisteddfod's dream
:07:49. > :07:57.that song and dance to be used to heal traditional wounds of conflict
:07:57. > :08:01.and war. This is the town today. After the Second World War, this
:08:01. > :08:06.area of north-west Germany was overflowing with orphans and
:08:06. > :08:10.refugees and two resourceful local women decided to tackle some of the
:08:10. > :08:15.problems head-on. They provided a home for a dozen children, but they
:08:15. > :08:21.also set up a choir. Eight children attended the first rehearsal in
:08:21. > :08:28.1949. Before long, the choir was over 100 strong. But it was their
:08:28. > :08:32.visit to Llangollen that put them on the world stage. Their song, the
:08:32. > :08:36.Happy Wanderer, became a kind of signature tune for both the choir
:08:36. > :08:41.and the festival. It was heard throughout the world that same night
:08:41. > :08:45.in a BBC Radio broadcast which somehow seemed to touch hearts. The
:08:45. > :08:48.press loved the story. This choir of young German children seemed to have
:08:48. > :08:56.succeeded in building international relations, where politicians had
:08:56. > :09:01.struggled for so long. On their return to Oberkirchen, the community
:09:01. > :09:11.gave them an overwhelming welcome home party. These two women were
:09:11. > :09:11.
:09:11. > :09:59.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 47 seconds
:09:59. > :10:04.home party. These two women were Happy Wanderer kept its place in the
:10:04. > :10:07.record charts for 26 weeks and the choir signed a contract with
:10:07. > :10:12.Columbia Artists in United States of America. The financial proceeds
:10:13. > :10:17.secured a new home for the children. When the choir founder died in 1976,
:10:17. > :10:27.a music school was founded in her memory, in order to safeguard the
:10:27. > :10:32.
:10:32. > :10:37.choir's existence and to plan for first trip to Wales, they've
:10:37. > :10:41.received an invitation from the Eisteddfod organisers to attend the
:10:41. > :10:51.festival. Before leaving they were given a special send-off by the
:10:51. > :11:11.
:11:11. > :11:15.stage once again, 60 years on, and a Welsh choir, as a tribute, gave
:11:15. > :11:25.their interpretation of the of The their interpretation of the of The
:11:25. > :11:33.
:11:33. > :11:37.their interpretation of the of The Happy Wanderer. Qulr Now a break
:11:37. > :11:41.away from the stage and competitions. Music-making goes on
:11:41. > :11:47.all over the town during International Eisteddfod week. Here
:11:47. > :11:49.is a clier from Indonesia singing. is a clier from Indonesia singing.
:11:49. > :11:55.-- a choir. The group was visiting the
:11:56. > :11:59.Eisteddfod for the very first time. And travel travelled 7,500 miles to
:11:59. > :12:09.reach Llangollen. This traditional song describes children playing
:12:09. > :12:09.
:12:09. > :13:09.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 47 seconds
:13:09. > :13:14.night during the festival, with international stars, including
:13:14. > :13:17.international stars, including American tenor Noah Stewart. Thank
:13:17. > :13:22.you very much for sparing the time to talk to us before you go on
:13:22. > :13:27.stage. My pleasure.Welcome to Llangollen. The first time for you
:13:27. > :13:30.to be here? It is my debut. It is so special to be here. There is an
:13:30. > :13:34.energy coming off of every individual here. It is jam-packed
:13:34. > :13:44.with choirs and dancers and I can't believe that I was just in New York
:13:44. > :13:45.
:13:45. > :13:51.a couple of days ago. Pavorroti took part when oafs an
:13:51. > :13:56.unknown. Do you think in years to come, people will be saying - Noah
:13:56. > :14:00.Stewart, he sang at Llangollen, I heard him. I hope so. He was one of
:14:00. > :14:05.my idols. I remember studying at school, listening to his voice,
:14:05. > :14:08.wanting to emulate him. When I got the call that Llangollen was
:14:08. > :14:16.interested in me singing, I thoughted it was an incredible
:14:16. > :14:26.experience. I got to hear him live. I will never forget the tone of his
:14:26. > :14:56.
:14:56. > :15:06.voice. It is one of my favourite range, I would say, but everyone
:15:06. > :15:16.loves golden old ones. There are a couple of songs there from that
:15:16. > :15:16.
:15:16. > :16:07.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 47 seconds
:16:07. > :16:13.your physique, that you used to not waste a little. Yes, I was a 42 size
:16:14. > :16:18.waist, I went on the Atkins diet. My family are from Louisiana in the
:16:18. > :16:23.South and so there is always a lot of potatoes and meet in the food
:16:23. > :16:30.with soda. So I cut out a lot of that and it has helped me with my
:16:30. > :16:33.health and my career. And you arrived earlier than
:16:33. > :16:42.expected so you could soak in the atmosphere, what are your
:16:42. > :16:47.impressions so far? The weather has been amazing. I packed jumpers and I
:16:47. > :16:57.haven't been able to use them. I've got to go for a run along the
:16:57. > :17:32.
:17:32. > :17:42.canal, it was unbelievable for me. Rapturous applause and a standing
:17:42. > :17:43.
:17:43. > :17:53.ovation. And I our next, the first prize
:17:53. > :18:19.
:18:19. > :18:29.and many maestro, were you nervous on the stage? No? You are happy on
:18:29. > :18:35.
:18:35. > :18:38.the stage and happy to when? Yes. A successful trip to Wales. Yes.I
:18:38. > :18:42.watched Justin played earlier, I think I could do something special
:18:42. > :18:52.with a double bass, will you give me some instruction so I can play like
:18:52. > :18:52.
:18:52. > :19:02.Justin? Can I borrow your base? Walter will like this. -- hold your
:19:02. > :19:08.
:19:08. > :19:18.ball. And relax. I can't relax. What are the names of the strings?
:19:18. > :19:28.
:19:28. > :19:31.one is deep. And then go to a. HE SCRATCHES NOTES OUT. Does it
:19:31. > :19:34.normally takes three people to play twinkle, twinkle, Little Star? Does
:19:34. > :19:43.it normally takes three people to play twinkle, twinkle, Little Star?
:19:43. > :19:53.Yes, sure. Yes, sure. Double bass playing is obviously best left to
:19:53. > :19:53.
:19:53. > :20:59.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 47 seconds
:20:59. > :21:09.And Harold Thomas knows something about singing and competitions, she
:21:09. > :21:17.won the wire of the world here. -- quire. We sent her halfway round the
:21:17. > :21:21.world to catch up with competitors coming from China.
:21:21. > :21:28.Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China. The city's
:21:28. > :21:31.history dates back over three millennia. This has been the
:21:31. > :21:41.cultural, political and educational centre. It is famous for a sumptuous
:21:41. > :21:47.palaces, magnificent gardens and the Olympic Bird nest stadium. And it is
:21:47. > :21:54.home to a massive population. This is the new China. Buildings are
:21:54. > :22:01.claiming higher and higher. It is hard to believe that as recent as 20
:22:01. > :22:04.years ago the bank wrote the rest of Beijing. I have become on behalf of
:22:04. > :22:10.Llangollen to show you the incredible city sites and introduce
:22:10. > :22:20.you to choose schools who are coming for the first time ever. The dancers
:22:20. > :22:24.
:22:24. > :22:32.and singers here will represent rehearsal, it's mind blowing. They
:22:32. > :22:35.are so flexible, they look like gymnastics team. I love dance
:22:35. > :22:45.because it gives me the chance to challenge myself and it purifies my
:22:45. > :22:49.
:22:49. > :22:52.soul. I have been dancing for five years, I cannot be without dancing.
:22:52. > :23:02.We gain great relationships between all of us, we have become best
:23:02. > :23:08.friends. The spinning looks easy, I had a shot, it is far, far harder
:23:08. > :23:18.than it looks. It is obvious to me that the Chinese are prepared to
:23:18. > :23:49.
:23:49. > :23:53.to see something that is very close to my heart, choral singing, and as
:23:53. > :23:56.soon as I watched and I could see the love that the conductor had for
:23:56. > :24:06.the children, and it was mirrored by the love and respect that the
:24:06. > :24:23.
:24:23. > :24:29.many things from it and gain a lot of friends. I love music because I
:24:29. > :24:34.have a very helpful teacher and she taught me a lot. I like music
:24:34. > :24:42.because when I sing with my friends I think I am being loved and I am in
:24:42. > :24:50.a happy atmosphere. I was lucky to have a chat with judging pink, the
:24:50. > :25:00.conductor, they had books with numbers unlike the music that we
:25:00. > :25:04.
:25:04. > :25:14.would see. Does this mean the fifth note of the squeal? Yes.-- scale.
:25:14. > :25:18.
:25:18. > :25:20.So it is like Sol fa? Yes. Very good. So even though their music
:25:21. > :25:30.sounds different there are common similarities between how we write
:25:31. > :25:48.
:25:48. > :25:58.gifts. And we also have this book of wheels which shows you pictures of
:25:58. > :26:10.
:26:10. > :26:20.where you are going to visit, this is Llangollen. The Bayi Middle
:26:20. > :26:20.
:26:20. > :27:01.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 47 seconds
:27:01. > :27:11.It was an emotional reunion. Well done!
:27:11. > :27:15., could you hear me cheering? Although the school had given out
:27:15. > :27:25.omitted performance is the first prize went to England and Cantabile
:27:25. > :27:59.
:27:59. > :28:09.meet some of the stars from Strictly Come Dancing. Is it difficult to be
:28:09. > :28:11.
:28:11. > :28:16.married and work together all the time? No! Not at all! Yes, the
:28:16. > :28:26.six-hour journey here was amazing. We have been to Wales before, we did
:28:26. > :28:26.
:28:26. > :28:30.one last year. And we have danced with Alex Jones, she was Welsh. She
:28:30. > :28:37.kept on asking for a cuddle in Welsh, and I did not understand her
:28:37. > :28:42.but now I do. Dancing is physical, do you get jealous when you're
:28:42. > :28:48.buying is dancing with someone else? Yes sometimes you have to get
:28:48. > :28:54.physical. I think to say you never get jealous you would be lying.
:28:54. > :29:00.think jealousy is human nature. When she is weatherman for Peter ten
:29:00. > :29:10.hours everyday you do get a little bit jealous and touchy. And I'm sure
:29:10. > :29:23.
:29:23. > :29:32.vice versa, I mean, you wouldn't get evening? Loads of sequins. Only on
:29:32. > :29:42.me, James doesn't like the sequins. Now, I won't even with a high heels,
:29:42. > :29:42.
:29:42. > :29:47.I want whether Cuban heels. You were my high heels! That's on a Sunday,
:29:47. > :29:51.that's different. Do not know if you know but I am a very good dancer
:29:51. > :29:58.myself will stop headway make that step from exceptionally good amateur
:29:58. > :30:03.to professional. I heard rumours that you are coming on strict become
:30:03. > :30:13.dancing next year, but I hope I am not the one that is replaced. --
:30:13. > :30:43.
:30:43. > :30:45.Strictly Come Dancing. I think you by his wife and daughter, came to
:30:45. > :30:50.the International Eisteddfod. He had been commissioned to write and
:30:50. > :30:55.broadcast a series of talks by the BBC, including one on the poet's
:30:55. > :31:00.experiences here at Llangollen. Well, as part of this year's opening
:31:00. > :31:07.carnival of nations concert, the audience was transported back to
:31:07. > :31:11.1953 with actor Robert Pew, reading the immortal words of Dylan Thomas.
:31:11. > :31:16.An accompanying archive film was enjoyed by the audience Everything
:31:16. > :31:21.is strange in Llangollen. You wish you wore a scar et hat and bangles
:31:21. > :31:26.and a bagpipe to call your own, but it doesn't matter. Green-packed
:31:26. > :31:32.banks run swarming down to the huge marquee there, that groans and
:31:32. > :31:37.strains and sings in the sudden swauls like an airship full of
:31:37. > :31:43.choirs. Here they come to this cup and echo of hills. People who love
:31:43. > :31:48.to make music. From France, Ireland. Norway. Italy. Switzerland. Spain,
:31:48. > :31:57.and swaels. All countries, shapes, ages and colours. -- and Wales.
:31:57. > :32:03.Sword dancers, court dancers, cross dancers, Morris, ceilidh, flamenco,
:32:03. > :32:09.heel and toe. They love to make music move. Then, in the ship of the
:32:09. > :32:15.tent, under the wind-filled sales, watchers and listeners grow slow and
:32:15. > :32:21.close into one cloud of shadow. They gaze from the dark into the lighted
:32:21. > :32:26.deck where the country dancers weave in shifting pallors of light. You
:32:26. > :32:31.will remember that nobody was surprised that the turn the town
:32:31. > :32:35.took and the life of danced for one week of the long little year. The
:32:35. > :32:39.town sang and danced as though it were right and proper as the rainbow
:32:39. > :32:45.or the sun to celebrate the bright, turning earth and its great people.
:32:45. > :32:49.Are you surprised that people still can dance and sing in a world on its
:32:49. > :32:58.head? The only surprising thing about miracles, however small, is
:32:58. > :33:02.about miracles, however small, is that they sometimes happen. Well,
:33:02. > :33:12.every competition here is keenly contested. I'm joined by the winners
:33:12. > :33:20.
:33:20. > :33:27.of the Folk Song Competition, a choir from Russia. They have made
:33:27. > :33:31.their mark. As well as winning the Folk Choir, they won the Female
:33:32. > :33:33.Choir Category. This song describes the battle between winter and
:33:33. > :33:43.the battle between winter and the battle between winter and
:33:43. > :34:17.
:34:17. > :34:21.Another star of the evening concert was Dame Evelyn glenny. On a night
:34:21. > :34:24.like this, you are going to get extra warm playing all your
:34:24. > :34:27.percussion instruments, aren't you? It was a beautiful evening. A
:34:27. > :34:31.fantastic night for people to be walking around and enjoy a really
:34:31. > :34:36.nice concert. Very happy to be here. Tell us about your repertoire. What
:34:36. > :34:44.are you going to be playing? I will be playing a percussion conchert yoe
:34:44. > :34:47.by Jennifer Higdon. That uses a myriad of instruments. Lots of
:34:47. > :34:57.different things, bold and sharp different things, bold and sharp
:34:57. > :35:02.
:35:02. > :35:06.fit to play that long without stopping. Actually, any musicians
:35:06. > :35:12.needs to be resupple indeed and the body really needs to be kind of very
:35:12. > :35:15.flexible and supple and you need to be very adaptable to the situations.
:35:15. > :35:18.The rooms you are in and the atmosphere. You have an amazing
:35:18. > :35:23.personal collection of percussion instruments. Is there any percussion
:35:23. > :35:28.instrument that you haven't played? Yes. Probably hundreds and hundreds.
:35:28. > :35:33.Within the percussion family, even within my lifetime I wouldn't be
:35:33. > :35:39.able to address or come across them all. At home I have over 1,800
:35:39. > :35:44.instruments. Ranging from tiny to the largest in the world. So, it's
:35:44. > :35:47.quite an array of instruments. But, nevertheless, you know, it is just a
:35:47. > :35:57.fantastic hobby that happens to be fantastic hobby that happens to be
:35:57. > :35:57.
:35:57. > :36:43.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 47 seconds
:36:43. > :36:49.Hundreds of children have travelled here to Llangollen to enjoy a
:36:49. > :36:53.matinee performance. The highlight was a futuristic piece by Welsh
:36:53. > :37:01.composer Gareth Glynn, narrated by composer Gareth Glynn, narrated by
:37:01. > :37:06.Danny Graham. Special crew, welcome aboard the first starship powered by
:37:06. > :37:12.music, SP M1. We'll now have a systems check of the various drives
:37:12. > :37:22.to see that they're all working at to see that they're all working at
:37:22. > :37:25.
:37:25. > :37:32.maximum efficiency. Systems check Red drive, verified. Would it be
:37:32. > :37:37.fair to me that it is a piece inspired by Benjamin Brittens a
:37:37. > :37:46.young Person's Guide to the Orchestra? It would.
:37:46. > :37:50.Orchestra? It would. Five, four, three, two, one. Zero.
:37:50. > :37:55.I said we'll turn it into a space adventure. Now, that's still popular
:37:55. > :37:59.with kids. We said - OK we will change the pavilion or hall into the
:37:59. > :38:06.interior of a starship. That will be powered by music and that's the SP
:38:06. > :38:12.M1. Starship powered by music number 1. Clap your hands to the rhythm
:38:12. > :38:19.you'll hear. THEY CLAP.
:38:19. > :38:24.Stamp your feet in the rhythm you'll hear. They stamp their feet If there
:38:24. > :38:31.is a need to introduce the Orchestra to children, which there is, this
:38:31. > :38:39.goes a long way to fulfilling that. Stand by for three bells. Initiate
:38:39. > :38:43.high-pitch whistle check. Is What did you think the
:38:43. > :38:46.performance? Very good. Very interactive with the kids What was
:38:46. > :38:53.interactive? They did stuff like telling the kids to do the code and
:38:53. > :38:58.things. It was really fun. In one word what will you say Epic.
:38:58. > :39:06.Phenomenal Mazing. Out of this world. OK, four words, then! The
:39:06. > :39:14.piece was performed by the BBC BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conduct
:39:14. > :39:18.conducted by Grant Llewellyn. a gem. Gareth Glynn is just a
:39:18. > :39:22.brilliant mind and a genius composer. It is the combination of
:39:22. > :39:27.the skill and the craft and the invention and keeping kids involved.
:39:27. > :39:30.It is complex. He is way ahead of his time How important do you think
:39:31. > :39:33.it is that the BBC BBC National Orchestra of Wales perform to
:39:33. > :39:40.children? I think we are the national Orchestra as well as the
:39:40. > :39:43.BBC Orchestra. A brief part of a mission, as part of it, I think we
:39:43. > :39:49.have a responsibility to reach out to every section of the community,
:39:49. > :39:56.to every section of the community, old, young, even the middle-aged.
:39:56. > :40:06.audiences of all ages enjoyed the Doctor Who theme, performed by the
:40:06. > :40:19.
:40:19. > :40:27.APPLAUSE One person who certainly knows how
:40:27. > :40:34.to get the best out of a choir is Tim Rees Evans founder of Only
:40:34. > :40:39.Machine aloud. They have had huge success winning the BBC's Last Choir
:40:39. > :40:42.Standing. Tim when you take to the stage tonight it has been billed as
:40:42. > :40:46.your last performance. What is happening with the choir? We are
:40:46. > :40:50.changing the way we work. We're radically restructuring. It is very
:40:50. > :40:53.important we don't stand still. We look to the future and keep things
:40:54. > :40:58.fresh. I wouldn't say it is our last performance altogether. I would
:40:58. > :41:03.never say never. But certainly it is the last for the time being, when we
:41:03. > :41:09.are going to get as many Only Men Alouders on stage. We've had the
:41:09. > :41:14.best time. We've had a wonderful five years since winning Last Choir
:41:14. > :41:19.Standing. It has been 13 years since the choir started. We can't can
:41:19. > :41:23.complien. It is going to be emotional. -- we can't complain. I
:41:23. > :41:27.think I will need to be scooped off the stage at the end. It is nice to
:41:27. > :41:32.be here in this Centre of musical and cultural excellence, to be
:41:32. > :41:36.having one last time together. you feel that evolution, really?
:41:36. > :41:39.That you have to keep moving, otherwise you will stagnate? I think
:41:39. > :41:45.so, certainly. And when you are doing any international travel and
:41:45. > :41:50.things like that, just the logistics are very difficult. So we are taking
:41:50. > :41:55.this radical step. Who knows if it is going to work. But I think if we
:41:55. > :41:59.kept on doing the same thing, people would have got bored of us. We would
:41:59. > :42:05.have become bored and this is' something I don't think anyone in
:42:05. > :42:08.the arts can do, to stand still. Tonight is going to be very special.
:42:08. > :42:13.I'm grateful we can have this experience tonight here in
:42:13. > :42:23.Llangollen. An emotional night for Only Men Aloud. Here they are,
:42:23. > :42:23.
:42:23. > :43:17.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 47 seconds
:43:17. > :43:23.Only Men Aloud. Here they are, competition. It is quite good for a
:43:23. > :43:27.Welsh group to win this wearing Welsh wool on a day like this.
:43:27. > :43:31.Yes, it was and testament to our stamina. We have come back from
:43:31. > :43:41.Korea. They recognised the costume. It is nice to come back to Wales and
:43:41. > :43:42.
:43:42. > :44:39.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 47 seconds
:44:39. > :44:49.It is nice to come back to Wales and Nantgarw. And here is another
:44:49. > :44:49.
:44:49. > :44:54.performance from further afield. No Cuban celebration would be complete
:44:54. > :45:04.without the Buena Vista social club bringing a touch of party atmosphere
:45:04. > :45:43.
:45:43. > :45:51.This year sees the anniversary of Giuseppe Verdi. We are seeing a
:45:51. > :46:00.performance of his requiem, they are rehearsing for it just pay me. --
:46:00. > :46:10.just behind me. The main soloist is this man, Hugh years 13 years ago
:46:10. > :46:26.
:46:26. > :46:31.winning international singing prize. pleasure. It is a big is bass and
:46:31. > :46:36.peace, it's going to be fun. It is one of the most dramatic readings of
:46:36. > :46:43.the requiem that I have ever experienced. And Llangollen is very
:46:43. > :46:48.close to your heart. Very much so, it is where I made my British name.
:46:48. > :46:57.I was a young student here when I came before. I had some success and
:46:57. > :47:03.it was great. Some success? You one! Yes, I managed to drag that trophy
:47:03. > :47:10.all the way back to New Zealand. It sits on my parents house. Included
:47:10. > :47:14.in the choir is the Adelaide singers. Verdi's Requiem is just an
:47:14. > :47:21.amazing piece, everything about it is just incredible. And discussing
:47:21. > :47:30.with the conductor for this evening he told us that Verdi was very known
:47:30. > :47:33.for his prose, but the Requiem is really the pinnacle. I think we can
:47:33. > :47:39.go when with lots of positive energy and really bring it to the
:47:39. > :47:49.performance. Absolutely and it is such a huge work to sing. We need
:47:49. > :48:08.
:48:08. > :48:13.at historic times, but at home with a group of young people and an
:48:13. > :48:16.amateur chorus is still actually celebrating the best things about
:48:16. > :48:21.Welsh culture. We produce things through our own culture that go
:48:21. > :48:31.through to the professional world. People go on to perform these great
:48:31. > :48:31.
:48:31. > :49:32.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 47 seconds
:49:32. > :49:37.whole festival with the Choir of the World competition, it takes the best
:49:37. > :49:42.choirs from each category and makes them compete for the ultimate title.
:49:42. > :49:48.This is one of the adjudicators. You are far from being as stranger to
:49:48. > :49:52.Llangollen, you were a very familiar face here having one year for Jeroen
:49:52. > :50:00.choir from South Africa back in 2006. How much hard work goes into
:50:00. > :50:06.preparing for a competition like this? -- your own required. What you
:50:06. > :50:10.see is the tip of the iceberg, behind-the-scenes you rehearse for
:50:10. > :50:14.hours under difficult circumstances, the conductor is both
:50:14. > :50:17.psychologists and musician, you have a team thing going
:50:18. > :50:22.behind-the-scenes. When those things are going in place, the audience
:50:22. > :50:26.will experience a beautiful coming together of all of those skills, and
:50:26. > :50:31.hopefully something more, a little bit of magic from the eyes that
:50:31. > :50:35.reaches out to the audience and changes our lives. Do you think that
:50:35. > :50:41.choir is changed by performing at Llangollen? Music changes people 's
:50:41. > :50:44.lives of course, but having seen competitors from all over the world
:50:44. > :50:49.doing their best, you learn from them and you try to better yourself
:50:49. > :50:55.next time. Many choir is actually do come back because they love this
:50:55. > :50:59.experience. It is an intoxicating experience. You talk about music
:50:59. > :51:06.changing people 's lives, you know it is relevant for you in South
:51:06. > :51:10.Africa, especially right now. yes. It sets the scenes for the bill
:51:10. > :51:20.from different cultures, like in my country, to come together for us --
:51:20. > :51:20.
:51:20. > :51:28.to come together. You get more eggs was -- possibilities of exploration.
:51:28. > :51:34.You become willing to open yourself to new possibilities. And so to the
:51:34. > :51:41.climax, the Choir of the World. You have been following it. Yes and it
:51:41. > :51:44.was very close. But for the Adelaide singers, what did you think?
:51:44. > :51:48.Technically almost perfect but for me the performance was a little bit
:51:48. > :51:58.too technical. I covered wasn't being a performance but more an
:51:58. > :51:58.
:51:58. > :52:56.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 47 seconds
:52:56. > :53:01.Kantilena from the Czech Republic. The blind was lovely but they chose
:53:01. > :53:11.some repertoire that I thought was too mature for their voices. --
:53:11. > :53:11.
:53:11. > :53:58.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 47 seconds
:53:58. > :54:08.Choir. They sang beautifully, the operatic sense was more up my
:54:08. > :54:08.
:54:08. > :55:08.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 47 seconds
:55:08. > :55:11.Choir of Russia. -- Solomonic. hats! They didn't do anything wrong
:55:11. > :55:21.but I wonder if the adjudicators like the second song, it was more
:55:21. > :55:21.
:55:21. > :56:09.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 47 seconds
:56:09. > :56:11.beat a male voice choir and the Male voice choir. You cannot beat a male
:56:11. > :56:13.voice choir in Wales, they were at their strongest when they sang
:56:13. > :56:23.traditional male voice choir music. In Wales, they were at their
:56:23. > :56:39.
:56:39. > :56:45.strongest when they sang traditional jackets off and we had a touch of
:56:45. > :56:55.only men aloud. I am not sure what the best decision of the night. Not
:56:55. > :56:55.
:56:55. > :58:05.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 47 seconds
:58:05. > :58:15.to your taste. THEY SING "THERE'S really. You must be thrilled.
:58:15. > :58:18.