Part 4 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World

down and 15 performers have already had their moment on the big stage.

Tonight, the last five singers have their chance to show us what they

can do on BBC Cardiff singer of the World and the judges decide on their

line-up for Sunday's Grand Final. young opera singers from across the

globe. Hoping to impress the judges with the performance of their lives.

I'm looking for -- forward to some really amazing singers. I would like

to hear a stunner. Victory can propel the winner to international

fame. The Cardiff Singer of the World really launched my career.

preparation is over. The stage again we're here in the foyer, while

the last round is reaching its climax. It's through there in the

main hall and singers from Poland, England, Argentina, South Korea and

Italy are all hoping to impress the judges tonight. The competition has

already given us three fantastic winners. Jamie Barton from the

United States on Monday. On Tuesday Maria Celeng from Hungary. And last

night's Olena Tokar from Ukraine. Remember, the round winners aren't

guaranteed a place in the final. It's who the judges think are the

best five from across the week, so there's everything to play for. We

hope to get that decision before the end of the programme. We have got

highlights of all of tonight's singers and we are joined by special

guests. Tonight it's a pleasure to welcome Rebecca Evans, who has built

a glowing reputation at all the major Opera Houses worldwide.

International conduct conductor Grant, who conducted in 2005.

Rebecca you have been listening in rehearsal. Are we in for a strong

night? It will be a difficult decision this evening. It will be

really tough. I think you will be very lucky if you get a result.

know what it's like standing in front. How nerve racking is it for

them? I think it raises the bar when you get the audience in front of you

and the light on and it's show time. We listened to the rehearsal this

afternoon, where the singers are understandably marking a certain

amount, but come the show, that's when it just goes up, the octane

level. All that excitement to come and there's lots more through the

show. We'll get on with the competition. First on stage tonight

is a baritone from Poland. Michael Partyka. I'm from Poland and

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make me terribly excited. It was a very safe performance. Beautiful

choice. How could you not fall in love with that aria? It's divine.

His father wanted him to become a tennis player. Do you think he upped

his game tonight? Well, gosh, tennis player with Wimbledon around the

corner. Yeah, I think actual actually the voice is liR kele and

the personality is essentially liR kele and intimate. -- lyrical and

the personality is essential liR kele and intimate. I could have done

with the fore-hand smash, but the killer blow, I didn't feel it was

quite there. I'm loving the analogy. Some countries have more than one

singer here this week. South Korea, Italy and England, but don't be

confused, next up tonight is our second singer from England and he's

a tenor. I'm Ben Johnson and I'm representing England and I'm very

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excited to be taking part in Cardiff the final of this year's Song Prize.

Is he a main contender for the competition? I think there are

several contenders this evening and he so intelligently chose an

incredibly interesting programme and this aria though is one of the most

difficult in the repertoire. Really, really requires the beautiful

Italian voice, which I think was sometimes a little lacking in the

top part of his voice. You know him very well: Yes. I ignore the

singing. His Mozart is glorious. heard him this afternoon and I was

blown way by him. Grant, that's often the case, isn't it, that you

can have a fantastic rehearsal but when the chips are down it's

sometimes difficult? He, in my opinion, seemed to be doing

everything right. As Rebecca said, its with a carefully chosen

programme and wonderful thread and rhythm to this. I just think that

nerves got to him tonight. He's obviously such a great technical

singer and he thinks about what he's doing and he's very musical. The

nerves took the edge off it. It's so high-profile and I love the Bridge,

but it's just it - do you think it was tiredness? I think it was.

You've got such a terribly busy week, with all the interviews, and

we have a rehearsal here and they have several others. He has the

Leader Prize tomorrow so the pressure on him is great. You've got

your 15 minutes on that stage and it's your showcase and you have to

make the most of it. You have to absolutely grab it. Of course, it

takes years of training to become a professional opera singer. Most of

my experience is in musical theatre. We normally use microphones to

amplify the sound, so how do opera singers project their voices over a

full orchestra? I caught up with Catrin win Davies to find out more.

This is where the competitors perform. A massive auditorium and

without amplification, what is the secret? The secret is having a good

singing technique and it's all about the breathing. When you are nervous

your breath gets high and that can affect the quality of the sound. You

will still get the notes out, but they won't have the round or all the

harmony that you want from that voice and sound. Let it all hang

out? Let everything hand out and feel like you have a big tyre around

you. People have this image that it's all up and breathing and

projecting out and actually it's not. If you watch Jamie Barton, she

absolutely sings with her body. sings in this way, the way she

breathes in her lines and she never sends them out. She is very poised.

All the work is happening down, much lower than we imagine. She is

pulling that voice in on the breath. And it's effortless. How do they

choose the right repertoire? Programming is essential. The first

piece must be something that you feel really comfortable with, so

when you're nervous, you can sing it whatever and then your second and

third. By the time you get to the last piece it's really your real

show-stopper. How do they ensure their voice is in the best possible

shape? It's pacing and you can only get that from experience. Don't sing

too much in the rehearsal and warm up the body and find the voice.

Enough just to make sure they have the bottom, middle and top and then

u on. -- you're on. The singer we heard there is Daniela Mack from

Argentina and she is the next performer on stage tonight. She is a

mezzo-soprano. Hello. I'm den yell la mac and I'm from Buenos Aires and

I am so -- Daniela Mack and I'm from Ben airs and I'm so -- Buenos Aires

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Argentina. Grant, she has already sung a lead leading role with the

English National Opera. Some have tipped her. Did you agree? She's got

it all. She's right up there. You were just talking about having to

have the bottom, middle and top. She's got everything in between as

well. Glorious instrument and she uses it so well. Not only is she a

fabulous singer, but she has the whole package. Great actress and

looks There aren't enough words to describe her. When she walked on in

that glorious gown, with the appoints and she faced the audience

like a lion tamer and said, "Right, here a am and this is what you're

getting." It's so exciting when you get that. It was lovely to hear

interesting and different songs. You might expect the Barber of Seville.

The musicality is rare in a singer? To have the courage and the sheer

nerve to single it as delicately and understated as she managed in

between the fireworks either side was truly impressive. That shows

real nerve. You could have heard a pin drop during the singing. There

have been criticisms that many people have been using a repertoire

beyond them, but to have someone that accomplished to choose the

simplicity of the second aria. can become overambitious in this

situation. It's what it's all about. She chose so cleverly. She is a

salsa dancer so she has great vocal moves. No wonder she is so slim.We

have already heard highlights from three of tonight's singers and

remember, if you want to see a longer version of tonight's concert,

to tune in 7. 30pm and you can follow the competition on Radio 3

and radio Wales and on our website. We'll hear tonight's fourth singer

and he's a base baritone from South Korea. I'm Jeongcheol Cha. Call me

JC. I'm representing South Korea and it's really an honour to be invited

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have never had a South Korean winner, so do you think Jeongcheol

Cha could be the first? I'm going to call him JC because he said we

could. Absolutely. What an all-rounder and playing a really,

really convincing drunk to the appoints and elegance of the Handel

and the bule of romantic of the Russian piece. To hear Rachmaninoff,

that is quite rare in this competition, because they didn't

write that many operas? He made it sound like he's to the manor born. I

only had to listen to the first two or three notes of that yaR to think

this is worth the admission fee. That is such a lovely voice.

Glorious depth and to choose Handel with that, you would think that

maybe a singer of that weight might not choose to include Handel, but

great that he did. He had the agility and he proved that he can

sing anything really. You were talking about how many great South

Korean singers are coming out. are popping out of the woodwork all

the time and that's very exciting. There are schools of music and they

are doing the right thing and sending them out to us. The finished

article. There are two in the competition this year. Double the

chances. Indeed. We already have their violinists taking over the

orchestras, so it's about time the singers came out. I'm a fan of

Jeongcheol Cha because he like gang naple, so hopefully he'll be

celebrating with that. You never know. On to the last performer in

the whole competition. I can't believe we are at the final singer

already. She has had a long wait. The last of 20 to take the stage

this week. She is a soprano from Italy. I'm Teresa Romano and I'm

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from Italy. I'm proud to be here in round to a close. Grant, did they

save the best until last? It was certainly The Italian Job! I think

they've had a bit of smash and grab about it as well actually. It was -

it's high octane and heart on sleeve. It was histrionics from

beginning to end and if you like that sort of thing, that she is your

woman. I could have done with a little more light and shade and

contrast, but she certainly didn't pull back. Rebecca, did you like

that sort of thing? Three Italian aRias, bang, bang -- arias, bang,

bang, bang. It wasn't my favourite programme of the evening, I have to

be honest and not my favourite performance either. Nevertheless,

she was very elegant on the stage. She had beautiful presence. And

projected well into the hall. I don't like all this personally and

butterfly, she is 15, we must forget she is 15 and the characterisisation

was of a much older and mature woman. Do you think she has less end

her chances by doing it all in Italian? Yes. I I think you have to

perform in different languages and styles and - After all it's Cardiff

Singer of the World. We are hoping to have the decision soon, but it's

complicated tonight. They're not just choosing the winner of this

round, but also picking the best five from across the whole week. A

big job to do that. Have you got any favourites that you would like to

see? For me, I loved ark Tina. I would definitely put her in the

final and America. I would also put her in the final. Tonight's South

Korea. I would put him in. Last tight's winner, Ukraine. And the

fifth is, well, shall we call it a wild card. Yes. This is the wonder

of this competition, because there could be a whole night when someone

was victorious and they're not in the final. That's tough. You know,

it might just be Argentina's year. We have a new Pope and something

even more important like Cardiff Singer of the World, that would be a

real act. Well, we have had a chance to watch and for us to pick our

winner. I think I'm going for Olena Tokar. What about you? Definitely

Olena Tokar. The winner for me tonight I think has to be Daniela

Mack. We have an announcement. That's who we would have gone for,

but it's the judges' votes. Nicola pain has tonight's winner.

winner we have chosen from tonight's concert is Daniela Mack.

APPLAUSE Our choice here in the studio and I

think St David's Hall audience as well. Such a accomplished singing.

Looking absolutely delighted there in that gorgeous frock. Meeting the

panel. I'm sure she is going to be one of the finalists. We think she

will be. She is greeting all of the jury there. She is looking delighted

obviously. Live shots from St David's Hall there as she holds

aloft the winner of round four of Cardiff Singer of the World 2013.

What do we think about that? It was the right decision? Definitely. Her

career has - this is the first day of the rest of her life. How

exciting. World-class talent I won't be able to afford her. That is

sadness. Get in quick, because that's an enormous career. If you

think of the great mezzos. She is up there with Katirina and Suzie

Graham. We have an announcement for you. Straight to that now. Those of

you who have been following this throughout. Jamie Barton,

mezzo-soprano from the United States. Marco from Croatia. Olena

Tokar sopra narks o from Ukraine. -- soprano from Ukraine. Daniela Mack

from Argentina and Teresa Romano soprano from Italy. That's our final

soloists. Some surprises there. And Teresa Romano. What do we think

about that? It just proves the point that we saw perceive voices in a

different way. Thank goodness otherwise some of us would be

constantly in work and others not. Sadly, our time has run out, but we