0:00:02 > 0:00:06It is one of Europe's largest cultural festivals,
0:00:06 > 0:00:09a pop-up city of poetry, music, performance, art and dance.
0:00:11 > 0:00:12As the BBC's arts editor,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15I'm lucky enough to go to a lot of festivals, but I have to admit
0:00:15 > 0:00:18I've never been to Wales' National Eisteddfod before,
0:00:18 > 0:00:20which I am hugely looking forward to,
0:00:20 > 0:00:24but also slightly intimidated by because everything here happens
0:00:24 > 0:00:29in Welsh, which is fine if you speak the language but, sadly, I don't.
0:00:50 > 0:00:55Every summer, around 150,000 people flock to the National Eisteddfod.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58- Bore da.- Bore da.- Bore da.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02- Is "Eisteddfod" the right way to say it?- It is, yes. Eisteddfod. Yes.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05- Ey-steth-vod.- Eisteddfod. It sounds so much nicer when you say it!
0:01:05 > 0:01:07It's exactly the same.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10- Is it?- Yes.- Eisteddfod. OK.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12No two festivals are ever the same,
0:01:12 > 0:01:14as it changes its location every year.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16This year, it's in Abergavenny,
0:01:16 > 0:01:19a town that sits near the border between England and Wales.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22It's not been here for over 100 years.
0:01:22 > 0:01:27It is weird coming to a country you know really, really well,
0:01:27 > 0:01:31which is kind of part of the United Kingdom, in which you live,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34and not understanding a word people are saying.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37I guess if I'm going to get the most out of my week here,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40I need to learn some of the local lingo.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43And who better to help me with that than Eisteddfod stalwart
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Dewi Pws Morris?
0:01:45 > 0:01:47- Hello, Dewi.- Will, shwmai?
0:01:47 > 0:01:51- Yeah!- Shwmai, boi? Right. - Great to meet you.- Croeso.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55- Welcome. Croeso to the Eisteddfod. - Croeso.- Come over by here, look.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58- Shall we have a Welsh hug? - Yes, go on. Un mawr. Da iawn.
0:01:58 > 0:01:59Gwd boi!
0:01:59 > 0:02:03- Reit, nawr te.- Yes.- I heard you were coming, obviously.- Yes.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05- And I've prepared some things.- Oh!
0:02:05 > 0:02:08- They told me you had an interest in the Welsh language.- I do.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12- Right, come on.- I do.- A quick course now. Can you say anything?
0:02:12 > 0:02:15- Bore da.- Da iawn! Da iawn. That means "good".
0:02:15 > 0:02:16Da iawn. Bore da, right.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18- Now then, first thing.- Bore da. Bore da.- First thing, shwmai?
0:02:18 > 0:02:22- Shwmai.- Shwmai. Will 'dw i. - I'm Will.- Yeah.- Will 'dw i.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26- Da iawn! Dewi 'dw i. Shwmai? - Shwmai!- Will...
0:02:26 > 0:02:30- Shwmai. Will 'dw i.- I will give you this. Bore da, you know this one.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33- Reit, reit.- Bore da. Bore da. - P'nawn da.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36- Afternoon.- Yeah.- P'nawn da. - P'nawn da.- Yeah.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39- So, bore da is good morning.- P'nawn da... P'nawn da is good afternoon.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Good afternoon. The "good" is the "da". It comes after in the Welsh.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44Nos da. No stars... What do you think?
0:02:44 > 0:02:46- Nos da.- Nos da - no sun? - Nos da.- Oh, goodnight!
0:02:46 > 0:02:49- Goodnight.- Good. Nos da.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51Now then, the last one. Diolch.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53- Diolch.- Thank you. Diolch.- Diolch.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57Da iawn, you can say it. You can say it. Gwd boi. Right.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00There we are. Welsh Is Fun, for you, to practise with.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Now then, I want you to stand here now, so that people know you're
0:03:03 > 0:03:07learning Welsh and I want you to say - Shwmai? Will 'dw i.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10- Tell the world.- Shwmai! Shwmai! - Will 'dw i.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13- Will 'dw i.- And I'll see you at the end of the week.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15- OK!- Shwmai! Will 'dw i. Carry on! Carry on! Carry on!
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Go on. Oh! And here's "dysgwr", a Welsh learner's badge for you.
0:03:19 > 0:03:20Da bo!
0:03:20 > 0:03:22- Ta-ra!- Ta-ra!- Will 'dw i.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28Armed with my Welsh Is Fun book,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31I'm off for a sense of what this festival is all about.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34And that means having a go at singing in a choir and
0:03:34 > 0:03:35a spot of traditional clogging.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43You know what they say at an Eisteddfod - if you see
0:03:43 > 0:03:47a pair of clogs, whack 'em on. Sorry about the socks.
0:03:48 > 0:03:54This is the first time I have ever worn a pair of dancing clogs.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57They feel like they were made to measure.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01All I need now is to find somebody to show me how to use them.
0:04:01 > 0:04:02- Ho-ho!- Hello!
0:04:02 > 0:04:04- Tudur, shwmai?- Shwmai, Tudur?
0:04:05 > 0:04:09- You're a man who can operate a pair of clogs.- Just about, yeah.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13- I have never worn clogs before, of this nature.- So be careful...
0:04:13 > 0:04:15- Don't...- What do I do?
0:04:15 > 0:04:18- The first thing I'll teach you is pitter-patter.- Pitter-patter.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20- I love a bit of pitter-patter! - It sounds like pitter-patter.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23It sounds like this... Pitter... Pitter... Pitter-patter...
0:04:23 > 0:04:24That's nice. That's nice.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28So, slowly, you put one foot down and then kick the bottom.
0:04:28 > 0:04:29That's the one.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35- It's controlling the sound off the right, though.- Then it's...
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Nearly a jog, but you're kicking between a jog.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43- Oh.- Do you want to try something a bit harder?
0:04:43 > 0:04:45No, I can't even do this!
0:04:45 > 0:04:47You do this.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50Oh, you're joking, man!
0:04:50 > 0:04:52I'm 50 years old!
0:04:52 > 0:04:54Well, it's probably safer to do there...
0:04:54 > 0:04:59Jump as high as you can, knees up, and then pull it under, if you can.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01- You can do it!- Oh, I won't do that!
0:05:01 > 0:05:04I won't do that, I can barely wear these clogs.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07I think it'll be close.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09New form of dancing here.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12CHEERING
0:05:12 > 0:05:15CHEERS AND APPLAUSE Oh, right.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17I need a cup of tea!
0:05:19 > 0:05:22At the heart of the Eisteddfod is the big Pavilion.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28This is magnificent. The only pity for me, of course,
0:05:28 > 0:05:32is that I can't join in because the golden rule of the Eisteddfod
0:05:32 > 0:05:35is that all performances have to be in Welsh,
0:05:35 > 0:05:38so unless I consume the contents of this book really quickly and
0:05:38 > 0:05:42remember them, I won't be performing on this stage any time soon,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45which is a shame for me, but not, I should imagine,
0:05:45 > 0:05:47for the rest of the audience.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52And for one local choir, that's been quite a challenge.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55In 155 people - that's how many are in the choir -
0:05:55 > 0:05:57only five speak Welsh.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59One or two, like me, are learning it,
0:05:59 > 0:06:03so it's been hard work for a lot of people to learn that much new
0:06:03 > 0:06:06language to them, but they felt they really wanted to support the
0:06:06 > 0:06:09festival and support the Eisteddfod.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12CHEERS AND APPLAUSE
0:06:16 > 0:06:20It's a massive journey. We've been rehearsing for over ten months.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24# Oooh-oooh... #
0:06:24 > 0:06:27- We are certainly going to be very entertaining.- Yes.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30- That's for sure.- That's right. I mean, we give our all.
0:06:30 > 0:06:31# O-o... #
0:06:31 > 0:06:33# O, nefol ddydd! #
0:06:33 > 0:06:34# O, nefol... #
0:06:34 > 0:06:38When you hear these singing, it's a really musical thing.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40# O fe ddaeth i'r byd
0:06:40 > 0:06:42# Fe ddaeth i'r byd
0:06:42 > 0:06:44# I'n uno
0:06:44 > 0:06:47# Mewn un ffydd
0:06:47 > 0:06:49# Oo, mewn un ffydd
0:06:49 > 0:06:52# Mewn un ffydd... #
0:06:52 > 0:06:56Lots of these people are singing for health and they're singing
0:06:56 > 0:07:00for social benefits, singing to join each other in having good fun and
0:07:00 > 0:07:03at the end of the day, they never thought that they would ever
0:07:03 > 0:07:06compete on the National Eisteddfod stage.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08# O, nefol ddydd
0:07:08 > 0:07:11# O, nefol ddydd... #
0:07:11 > 0:07:13They're proud of living in Wales.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16I think a lot of people wanted to celebrate that really.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18# ..Yr Ior
0:07:18 > 0:07:21# Pan ddaeth yr Ior
0:07:21 > 0:07:24# Pan ddaeth yr Ior
0:07:24 > 0:07:26# I olchi'n beiau'n rhydd
0:07:26 > 0:07:28# O, nefol ddydd. #
0:07:28 > 0:07:33CHEERS AND APPLAUSE
0:07:33 > 0:07:36It was wonderful. It was so exciting!
0:07:36 > 0:07:37It really was!
0:07:40 > 0:07:44The history of the Eisteddfod goes back centuries to old bardic
0:07:44 > 0:07:47traditions, which have developed over time into
0:07:47 > 0:07:50a national institution of Welsh arts, as chronicled in this essay
0:07:50 > 0:07:54by Hywel Teifi Edwards, the father of a colleague of mine at the BBC.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58What came through the book,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01which surprised me, was how political it is in a way.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Very.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07It is a complete nonsense to imagine that you can have an event of
0:08:07 > 0:08:11this size, proclaiming itself to be a huge cultural event,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14which wants to make an impact on all areas of Welsh life and
0:08:14 > 0:08:18try to claim at the same time that it's not "political"
0:08:18 > 0:08:21because it's an event that in my father's eyes was a big statement.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24And a statement not just in Welsh terms but
0:08:24 > 0:08:27a statement in European terms, very important for him.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30What does it tell us about cultural life in Wales?
0:08:30 > 0:08:32What does it tell us about national self-confidence?
0:08:32 > 0:08:35What does it tell us about self-assertion in Welsh life?
0:08:35 > 0:08:37For him, at a time when Wales didn't have
0:08:37 > 0:08:41a lot of institutions that could project Welshness,
0:08:41 > 0:08:45this really did fulfil a very important function.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49- And today?- It still does, but in a slightly different way.- Go on.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Because today, we have clearly a different structure in the UK,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55we have a devolved government in Cardiff Bay - that clearly is
0:08:55 > 0:08:58a big voice for Wales, so you could turn round and say,
0:08:58 > 0:09:00"OK, what does the Eisteddfod do now?"
0:09:00 > 0:09:03I would argue that in terms of its function,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06it still is important, in terms of reaching out.
0:09:06 > 0:09:11For me, the real triumph is to bring an Eisteddfod to Abergavenny
0:09:11 > 0:09:15and to areas of Wales where they are not immersed in Welsh culture
0:09:15 > 0:09:19and to have it make a natural home and for people to feel welcome.
0:09:19 > 0:09:20In your dad's book,
0:09:20 > 0:09:24- he talks about the Eisteddfod being peripatetic, within Britain.- Yeah.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Scotland, London, all over the place, Liverpool.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30- Well, some of the best ones were in London.- Yeah.- The Albert Hall.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Exactly. Will that happen again?
0:09:32 > 0:09:34I'd love the National Eisteddfod to come to London.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Some of the famous Eisteddfods of the past, in Liverpool,
0:09:37 > 0:09:39in Birkenhead, for example, or in London, elsewhere,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42they've said something. You know, if you were talking about
0:09:42 > 0:09:45putting Wales on an international platform,
0:09:45 > 0:09:48- an Eisteddfod at the Royal Albert Hall is pretty good, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Yeah? Those of us today who value our Welshness and value what it
0:09:51 > 0:09:54means look at the Eisteddfod and look at the way that it's come
0:09:54 > 0:09:57to this part of south-east Wales and think - it's worth fighting for
0:09:57 > 0:10:00and it's a great sign of what modern Welshness is all about.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03- Huw, that's fantastic. I'm sold. - Nice to meet you, Will.- I'm sold.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07- I'll see you back in the newsroom. - Yes, see you back in the newsroom!
0:10:07 > 0:10:10The vast majority of these festival-goers speak Welsh.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15That's in stark contrast to the 80% of the population who do not.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19So, how do you attract the country's non-Welsh speakers to come
0:10:19 > 0:10:20to the Eisteddfod?
0:10:23 > 0:10:26I'm in the wings of the main festival hall.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29The finale's about to happen and I feel like Ant and/or Dec from
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Britain's Got Talent, but this isn't some cheesy TV show.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34It's way better than that.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37This is the real thing and Wales has got masses of talent.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39Just there are dancers from Ballet Cymru, the first time
0:10:39 > 0:10:43the national ballet company has danced at the Eisteddfod.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Wonderful to see them here.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47Incredible show!
0:10:56 > 0:10:59Internationally acclaimed harpist Catrin Finch has curated
0:10:59 > 0:11:01a concert to the stars.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05I wanted to use everything that the Eisteddfod represents,
0:11:05 > 0:11:08- basically, in one show.- Right.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11And by that, I mean music, dance, poetry, singing.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14I wanted it to include all these things,
0:11:14 > 0:11:16but maybe in a different way to what it's used to.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19And, you know, this was the first time that ballet
0:11:19 > 0:11:23has ever been seen on the stage here at the Eisteddfod.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27So I wanted to just include these traditions,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29but possibly in a new way.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35Do you think, with the Eisteddfod,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38that it's kind of a little hermetically sealed,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41that the Welsh speaking part of Wales knows it, loves it,
0:11:41 > 0:11:45attends it, but the rest of Wales and particularly the rest of
0:11:45 > 0:11:49Britain, kind of don't know anything about it?
0:11:49 > 0:11:50Language can be a barrier,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53but sort of the point of what we were trying to do tonight was
0:11:53 > 0:11:56that to ensure that it didn't mean that you couldn't enjoy it if
0:11:56 > 0:11:59- you didn't understand Welsh. - Why is Welsh so important?
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Well, Welsh isn't more important than any other language, it's just
0:12:02 > 0:12:05that for us as Welsh people, I think it's a celebration of who we
0:12:05 > 0:12:09are and like I say, it's lovely that you have another language, isn't it?
0:12:09 > 0:12:13It's like if you went to France and people didn't speak French,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16it would just be completely wrong.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19And that's what makes Europe so fantastic,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22for me, is that you can travel around and you go to
0:12:22 > 0:12:24a new country and there's a completely different language.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26Shows like your show,
0:12:26 > 0:12:29which is conceived to be something which would fit on any world
0:12:29 > 0:12:32stage, which just happens to be at the Eisteddfod,
0:12:32 > 0:12:36is a sort of new work that's needed, that can travel.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39And some people will engage with this in Reykjavik and go,
0:12:39 > 0:12:43- "My goodness, that's a beautiful language. I didn't know that."- Yeah.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47- But to keep it just here... - It would be a great show.- I think.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52So the challenge is now to ensure that this investment that we've put
0:12:52 > 0:12:56in here is paid off and there is a push now to make these things
0:12:56 > 0:12:59travel outside of Wales.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03And to celebrate our culture around the world.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05CHEERS AND APPLAUSE
0:13:10 > 0:13:14FANFARE
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Over the week,
0:13:16 > 0:13:196,000 people will compete in various competitions in the Eisteddfod.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23The highlight for many here are the poetry prizes,
0:13:23 > 0:13:26officiated by the colourful Druids from the Gorsedd of the Bards.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32I spot a familiar face. My Welsh tutor, Dewi Pws.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34- (Shwmai?)- Shwmai?
0:13:34 > 0:13:35Bore da!
0:13:35 > 0:13:37Da iawn!
0:13:39 > 0:13:43'I want to find out a bit more about this seemingly ancient tradition
0:13:43 > 0:13:47'and to do so, I'm meeting the Keeper of the Costumes backstage.'
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Now, I can see from here there's a variety of robes.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53- Can you just talk me through what means what, please?- Yes.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57The sort of general Druids that are accepted either wear white,
0:13:57 > 0:13:59green, or blue.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02- Do they have different status?- Yes.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04In as much, everybody's equal in status,
0:14:04 > 0:14:08it's just that the white - they're the competition winners.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10What does the green and the blue signify?
0:14:10 > 0:14:13They're worn by people who have been in the community, working hard.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16So, nothing to do with the Eisteddfod at all?
0:14:16 > 0:14:17No, not necessarily.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20I've got to be honest, if I was a Druid,
0:14:20 > 0:14:24I'd be satisfied with those, but what I'd be looking for is these.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28These look a little bit more glamorous.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31- They're a little bit more showy. - Right.- What are these?
0:14:31 > 0:14:35- The Archdruid wears this gown.- So that is the boss.- That is the boss.
0:14:35 > 0:14:36- Yes.- OK.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39And what about this, the red and the purple here?
0:14:39 > 0:14:44It's the Mother and Maiden of the Area who wear these cloaks.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47- It's all very mystical, isn't it?- Yes.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50It feels like something out of the Hobbit or something like that.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54- Well, it's been going on centuries, hasn't it?- Yeah.
0:14:54 > 0:14:59And some of these haven't changed in their design since the 1920s.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03- Really?- And previously to that perhaps as well.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07- Is the whole thing sort of like a pagan concept?- No, no, no.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09How does it work?
0:15:09 > 0:15:12Obviously, I know Druids were sort of the intelligentsia,
0:15:12 > 0:15:14I suppose, of the Middle Ages.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16- At one time. Yes.- But what now?
0:15:16 > 0:15:21- It's the culture, isn't it? The poetry and the music.- Yeah.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24That is basically the Welsh way of life.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27But you have to be a Welsh speaker to be a Druid, right?
0:15:27 > 0:15:29- Yes.- You can't just be Welsh, that won't do.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32No, you need to be a Welsh speaker before you can be accepted.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34- OK.- But there are...
0:15:34 > 0:15:38It's been pointed out recently even the Queen is a Druid.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41But she can't speak English. Sorry, can't speak Welsh.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43I think she can speak English!
0:15:43 > 0:15:46- She can't speak Welsh. - That's your damehood gone.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Now, over here. What have we got over here? There's a massive sword.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Oh, my goodness! That is properly heavy!
0:15:52 > 0:15:56- This is carried by Robin McBryde. - The old rugby player?- Yes.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Look at that! My goodness!
0:15:58 > 0:16:04The theory behind it is it's never taken out of its case because
0:16:04 > 0:16:06it's a sword of peace.
0:16:06 > 0:16:11Ah. You are the Keeper of the Costumes. Are you also a Druid?
0:16:11 > 0:16:14- I am a Druid, yes. - Oh, you are a Druid.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16- What colour do you get to wear? - Green.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20- So, you're green for doing good works?- Yes. Basically, yes.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22Yeah. Are you elevated within the community?
0:16:22 > 0:16:24- You're no different to anybody else. - Are you sure?
0:16:24 > 0:16:26And I wouldn't want to be elevated at all.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29You don't find yourself going in to restaurants and saying,
0:16:29 > 0:16:31- "Lady Druid!"- Definitely not.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34"We have a much better table for you over here."
0:16:34 > 0:16:35Thank you very much indeed.
0:16:38 > 0:16:43Look, I can see that to the uninitiated this might seem weird,
0:16:43 > 0:16:46maybe even a bit silly, but you've got to respect it.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50It's kind of an honours system for people who speak the Welsh language
0:16:50 > 0:16:53and they take it really seriously.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55And the costumes might look, I don't know, odd
0:16:55 > 0:16:58and the whole concept of being a Druid,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01but actually if you can just get over that and appreciate what
0:17:01 > 0:17:04these people have achieved for their society and their culture,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07and their commitment and their sincerity, well,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10I think hats off to them, frankly.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13One person who has been honoured for his work with male voice choirs
0:17:13 > 0:17:16is Tim Rhys-Evans.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18#..Wedi brifo
0:17:18 > 0:17:21# A Dafydd y gwas ddim yn iach, oi-oi. #
0:17:21 > 0:17:25Tim is the creator of the choirs Only Men Aloud and Only Boys Aloud.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28Both made their names on shows like Britain's Got Talent and
0:17:28 > 0:17:29Last Choir Standing.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33At this year's Eisteddfod, he's encouraging everybody to sing,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35including, I'm afraid to say, me.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38THEY APPLAUD
0:17:38 > 0:17:42- Well, Tim, that was good. Not by me, but by you.- You did very well.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45- You didn't hear me. - Thank you for bearing with me.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47- I did hear you, yes. - Oh! I can't sing.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50What's this all about?
0:17:50 > 0:17:54Well, we started Only Boys Aloud because I originally come
0:17:54 > 0:17:57from not very far away from here at all,
0:17:57 > 0:17:59a little village called New Tredegar,
0:17:59 > 0:18:01and growing up as a Valleys boy,
0:18:01 > 0:18:05the only access I had to live music was male choirs and the
0:18:05 > 0:18:10male choir tradition has been ageing in recent years.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13- And therefore dying out? - It's certainly not dying out.
0:18:13 > 0:18:18There are a proliferation of male choirs still going in Wales.
0:18:18 > 0:18:23However, you hear of choirs closing down and how difficult it is
0:18:23 > 0:18:25to engage young boys.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Of course, Tim's been here before.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Not least at the 2010 Eisteddfod, when Only Men Aloud and
0:18:30 > 0:18:34Only Boys Aloud sang together for the first time.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38It helped popularise and change the image of male voice singing.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40# A Dafydd y gwas yn ei fedd, oi-oi... #
0:18:40 > 0:18:43If you saw them hanging around on a street corner in their
0:18:43 > 0:18:46hoodies and whatever, you'd be forgiven for crossing the road.
0:18:46 > 0:18:47Right.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51But actually, you engage our lads in conversation - they're witty,
0:18:51 > 0:18:55they're funny, they're bright, and they're a joy to be around.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00Wales' global reputation for singing isn't limited to its male
0:19:00 > 0:19:03voice choirs. The Manic Street Preachers and the Stereophonics,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06of course, are world famous rock bands,
0:19:06 > 0:19:10but they can't sing here because of the Welsh language only rule.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15I could see you doing a fantastic session with the Stereophonics.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18- Don't you think?- I would love to. - That would be great, wouldn't it?
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Absolutely amazing!
0:19:20 > 0:19:22- One or two people might come down. - Yeah, yeah.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25A couple might even cross the border, Tim.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29Oh, I think if the 'Phonics were to play the Eisteddfod, my goodness,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32there would be tens of thousands of people walking round this Maes.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37We have a responsibility to make sure that the Eisteddfod is
0:19:37 > 0:19:42welcoming, that it is warm, and it is shown to be the vibrant,
0:19:42 > 0:19:46hotbed of culture that it is.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48- Tim, great stuff. Thank you very much indeed.- Cheers.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50That's fabulous.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53- # Oi-oi! # - CHEERS AND APPLAUSE
0:19:55 > 0:19:59OK, so I'm about halfway through my Eisteddfod experience
0:19:59 > 0:20:02and I have to say, by and large, I'm really enjoying myself.
0:20:02 > 0:20:03There's so much to get into,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06the welcome is as warm as I was promised.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08But - and there is a but -
0:20:08 > 0:20:11it does feel a little like a private party and that's not just
0:20:11 > 0:20:13because the whole event takes place
0:20:13 > 0:20:15in the Welsh language - I respect that.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17In fact, I enjoy that.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20I'm one of very few people I've met who is
0:20:20 > 0:20:23a natural English speaker who doesn't speak the Welsh language.
0:20:23 > 0:20:24And you look at things like this,
0:20:24 > 0:20:28the big National Pavilion behind me, this is the main venue,
0:20:28 > 0:20:32and there's no guidance whatsoever to the uninitiated about what
0:20:32 > 0:20:33might be going on in there.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36There's no sense of a welcome there at all.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39And yet, this, that, is the heart of this whole event,
0:20:39 > 0:20:41so that feels strange.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44There is an element of it being a gated community and I think
0:20:44 > 0:20:47that's just such a huge shame because this is a jewel,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50this festival. It's got so much to offer,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53not just the rest of the British Isles, but the world.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56I've arranged to meet Professor Derec Llwyd Morgan,
0:20:56 > 0:21:00who sits on the ruling council of the Eisteddfod.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03The raison d'etre of the Eisteddfod is to celebrate Welshness
0:21:03 > 0:21:04through the Welsh language.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08Now, that is why it is. If it wasn't like that...
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Why don't the English people,
0:21:10 > 0:21:15non-Welsh speaking people of Wales, set up something for themselves?
0:21:15 > 0:21:18They haven't done so. This has been going since the 1860s.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21It's changed throughout the generations.
0:21:21 > 0:21:22But it is still,
0:21:22 > 0:21:27still the self-confident spirit and sound of Welshness.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30And it should be that, not any other language.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32I understand that,
0:21:32 > 0:21:36and maybe there are English-speaking Welsh artists -
0:21:36 > 0:21:39I'm thinking about pop acts maybe, or even poets -
0:21:39 > 0:21:42who may be able to help that transition...
0:21:42 > 0:21:46I don't want it to be transited. I don't want it to be changed.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49What you're talking about is taking the Welshness of the
0:21:49 > 0:21:52Eisteddfod into another field, isn't it?
0:21:52 > 0:21:55To make it more accessible to English speakers and English
0:21:55 > 0:21:59- listeners.- I suppose what I'm talking about is Welsh culture.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02There is no reason to justify what we have here as
0:22:02 > 0:22:07a monoglot eisteddfod because it's monoglot only on the stages.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09Around the field,
0:22:09 > 0:22:12there is as much English as Welsh in Monmouthshire this year.
0:22:12 > 0:22:18Do you think, in ten or 20 years' time, that maybe this sort of famous
0:22:18 > 0:22:2220% of Welsh speakers within the country of Wales will have
0:22:22 > 0:22:24expanded, maybe to 30 or 40?
0:22:24 > 0:22:28- That would be miraculous. - Would it? Why?
0:22:28 > 0:22:32Well, it takes time for people to learn languages, doesn't it?
0:22:32 > 0:22:35It means there should be a great shift.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39I know the Government in Cardiff this week stated it wanted
0:22:39 > 0:22:42a million speakers by the year 2050.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44And that would represent a third of Wales.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47It would represent a third of Wales and I don't know what
0:22:47 > 0:22:50percentage of increase, but it's massive.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53Massive. And we don't have that many teachers.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55It's going to be a slow thing, but I hope it happens.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59The question, I suppose, is how?
0:22:59 > 0:23:02Right now, the overall number of Welsh speakers in Wales is
0:23:02 > 0:23:05declining but there is an increase in young people speaking the
0:23:05 > 0:23:11language and with that generational shift may come a new-found confidence.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14Folk band 9Bach give a fresh twist on traditional Welsh music on
0:23:14 > 0:23:17the international folk scene.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21# Wylodd ddynoliaeth
0:23:21 > 0:23:23# Drwy'r oesoedd
0:23:23 > 0:23:28# Ac mae drysau hiraeth yn agor
0:23:28 > 0:23:33# I gerddoriaeth pibydd hud
0:23:33 > 0:23:36# Pob ddoe a aeth... #
0:23:36 > 0:23:38Fantastic. I loved it.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40Thank you. Thank you very much.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42The thing about you two,
0:23:42 > 0:23:48is although you're completely rooted in the Eisteddfod and the Welsh language,
0:23:48 > 0:23:52your show and your act is all actually about getting out, isn't it?
0:23:52 > 0:23:53Absolutely.
0:23:53 > 0:23:58We do play and we do have a big massive fan base outside of Wales.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02Which is very refreshing, and great for us - you know,
0:24:02 > 0:24:05when we're standing on stages in Vietnam or when we're, you know,
0:24:05 > 0:24:07in front of thousands of people
0:24:07 > 0:24:09in a big international festival in Germany or wherever,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12- it's amazing that you sing in your mother tongue.- Yeah.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14It's like a brilliant, brilliant feeling, do you know what I mean?
0:24:14 > 0:24:17When you're in Vietnam, it's just another language for them.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19Yeah, and it's an attraction.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22# Y galon weddw. #
0:24:25 > 0:24:27- Normalise the Welsh language.- Yeah.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Go out there, sing your song that happens to be in the Welsh language.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Don't make a big thing about it.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Because it's important that, because,
0:24:35 > 0:24:37if you start thinking in, um,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40and keeping everything safe and Welsh, then that's the problem,
0:24:40 > 0:24:43I think we're going to suffer as a Welsh nation,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46- if we try and keep everything pure and precious.- Yeah.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50And I'm very, very strong in my belief that we need to be inclusive.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52We need to be outward thinking.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54We need to get our stuff out there.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57# Weddw... #
0:24:59 > 0:25:03The issue of how you maintain AND take forward the Welsh language
0:25:03 > 0:25:06is clearly highly charged, if not political.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09There seems to me to be a divide between the traditionalists,
0:25:09 > 0:25:10who are more about isolation,
0:25:10 > 0:25:14and the modernists, who are more about collaboration.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18And far be it for me to come in here and make any comment whatsoever,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20other than to say, that what is here,
0:25:20 > 0:25:25what I've discovered at the Eisteddfod is rich and wonderful
0:25:25 > 0:25:29and in some way, shape or form, needs to be treasured.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Now, there is one thing I feel a little more confident about
0:25:32 > 0:25:34commenting on, and that is fine art
0:25:34 > 0:25:36and there's a tent here which I haven't been into yet,
0:25:36 > 0:25:38which I want to go and explore,
0:25:38 > 0:25:42which is over there and there's absolutely no issue about language!
0:25:50 > 0:25:53The art pavilion gets 40,000 visitors during the week.
0:25:53 > 0:25:58I was taken around by former winner Angharad Pearce Jones.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01I was particularly struck by the installation by Richard Bevan,
0:26:01 > 0:26:03which won this year's gold medal for fine art.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07This one is The Physicist's Hands.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10- I like that.- It's lovely, isn't it? - Yeah. Describing magnetic force?
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Magnetic force, and when I take people around this show,
0:26:12 > 0:26:17- I say to them, you know, "Years ago, he would have probably drawn that instance."- Yeah.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Um, or he would have painted those hands but now,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22at our disposal as artists, we have so many different ways...
0:26:22 > 0:26:27- Good hands, as well, aren't they? - They're lovely, aren't they? - They're great hands.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29So, and this adds, of course,
0:26:29 > 0:26:31reminds us, what film IS to be shown.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33Yeah. Good old...is it 16 mil?
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Yeah, 16 mil.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39I was very surprised that Angharad, as a former winner, wasn't exhibiting.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42So, Angharad, why isn't there any of your work in here?
0:26:42 > 0:26:45- I was rejected this year. - No!- Yes.- That's rude.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47I've been rejected as many times as I've shown
0:26:47 > 0:26:49and many artists will say that in Wales.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52I think that's really important and really democratic.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56That's absolutely fascinating, cos that wouldn't happen in sort of,
0:26:56 > 0:27:00the London art scene, where artists become brands and they've got to
0:27:00 > 0:27:05be elevated and supported and they can never, ever do a work which is bad. Here...
0:27:05 > 0:27:07- Oh, yeah.- It's...
0:27:07 > 0:27:09You've got a proper criticism going on,
0:27:09 > 0:27:10so an established artist like you,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13or the ones who have won this year, can be completely rejected.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15- Yeah, I think that's really democratic.- Wow!
0:27:15 > 0:27:18And you get artists coming back. I mean, established artists of a
0:27:18 > 0:27:20certain age are sometimes scared of putting their work in,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23- cos, you know, they don't want to be rejected.- Right.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25But that pushes them to make brand-new work, doesn't it?
0:27:25 > 0:27:27So for the visual artist, is this sort of their Turner Prize?
0:27:27 > 0:27:33This is Wales' contemporary national art gallery for one week
0:27:33 > 0:27:37every year, because we don't have a national contemporary art gallery.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39This is it for the time being.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43That's beautifully put and an important point.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46This is an excellent opportunity for me to see some
0:27:46 > 0:27:49Welsh contemporary art, and, of course, I make the most of it.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54You know what? I really like this piece by Susan Phillips.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57Is it a sculpture? Is it a piece of pottery? Does it really matter?
0:27:57 > 0:27:59If I could afford it, I would definitely buy it.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02It is, for me, the standout part of this exhibition.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05I actually also like these works by her.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07The show is fascinating, because it's so broad.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11There's sculpture, there's painting, there's photography, there's installation, there's film.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15It is, of course, like all these things with contemporary art, hit and miss.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17There's some work in here, I have to say, I like a little less.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20There are some naive paintings which have taken the naive concept
0:28:20 > 0:28:24a little too far but I think it is fantastic
0:28:24 > 0:28:27that there is an environment like this where contemporary artists
0:28:27 > 0:28:31with some sort of connection to Wales and the Welsh language
0:28:31 > 0:28:32can show their work.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35I find it staggering, absolutely staggering,
0:28:35 > 0:28:39that there is no national museum of modern art,
0:28:39 > 0:28:44or contemporary art in Wales and this kind of...the period of the Eisteddfod
0:28:44 > 0:28:46for six or seven days is that thing.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49That seems to be short-changing the public a bit to me.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01It's the final afternoon in the Eisteddfod and time for me to go home.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03I was really looking forward to it,
0:29:03 > 0:29:06but I have to say, I had no idea how great it was going to be -
0:29:06 > 0:29:10the vitality, the variety and the quality of all the arts on show
0:29:10 > 0:29:12has been absolutely extraordinary.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14I've loved every single second of it.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16Next year, it's going up to Anglesey.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19I'm going to go along. I hope to see you there.