0:00:02 > 0:00:03MALE VOICE CHOIR SINGS
0:00:08 > 0:00:10There's a part of the world
0:00:10 > 0:00:14where the hills and the valleys are alive with the sound of music.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21So, as we've just celebrated St David,
0:00:21 > 0:00:24the patron saint of Wales, what better time
0:00:24 > 0:00:27to explore the past, present and future
0:00:27 > 0:00:30of a sound that's synonymous with the land of song?
0:00:33 > 0:00:37In a Songs Of Praise dedicated to male voice choirs,
0:00:37 > 0:00:39we have the men from Treorchy,
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Classical Brit winners the Fron,
0:00:41 > 0:00:45plus the winners of BBC One's Last Choir Standing, Only Men Aloud,
0:00:45 > 0:00:47and their proteges, Only Boys Aloud.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56CHORAL SINGING
0:01:01 > 0:01:05For well over a century, male voice choirs have provided the soundtrack
0:01:05 > 0:01:09to much of Welsh life, particularly the lives of working men.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14What the Welsh call the Cor Meibion, or male choir tradition,
0:01:14 > 0:01:16emerged in the late 19th century,
0:01:16 > 0:01:19fuelled by the non-conformist Christianity
0:01:19 > 0:01:21that was dominating Welsh churches,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24and the Industrial Revolution that brought large groups of men together
0:01:24 > 0:01:26in a tough working environment.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34Above the noise, dirt and danger of the mines,
0:01:34 > 0:01:36quarries and heavy industry,
0:01:36 > 0:01:39men's voices were raised in harmony.
0:01:39 > 0:01:40SINGING CONTINUES
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Our first hymn comes from the Fron,
0:01:45 > 0:01:48short for Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51They've enjoyed success in both the pop and classical charts
0:01:51 > 0:01:54and they're singing for us in the splendid setting
0:01:54 > 0:01:56of St Asaph Cathedral.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09HARMONISING
0:04:12 > 0:04:15SOFT SINGING IN WELSH
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Male voice choirs are to be found all over the country,
0:04:18 > 0:04:21but in the valleys of South Wales,
0:04:21 > 0:04:25almost every community has its own male choir.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29At one time, many men spent their lives down the pits and in the pubs,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32punctuated by attendance in chapel on Sundays.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38This is the Rhondda Heritage Centre, formerly the Lewis Merthyr pit,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41at the heart of a community which, for over a century,
0:04:41 > 0:04:45was dominated by the pursuit of coal, or black gold.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47SINGING CONTINUES
0:04:47 > 0:04:50The mine generated certainly a sense of danger.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54I mean, this idea of walking in the valley of the shadow of death,
0:04:54 > 0:04:59this had a great, I think, immediacy to the people of these valleys.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02There's a high casualty and fatality rate here,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04you know, colossal accidents.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06In Wattstown, 1905 - 119 people killed.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Senghenydd - 439 killed.
0:05:08 > 0:05:13You know, villages decimated by these explosions.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Men and boys. So they're living constantly on the edge of danger
0:05:16 > 0:05:21and chapels and singing are solace and especially when those words
0:05:21 > 0:05:25are both spiritually uplifting and they're about struggle
0:05:25 > 0:05:27and conflict and sacrifice
0:05:27 > 0:05:31and coping with almost overwhelming odds.
0:05:32 > 0:05:37The sacrifices men made are now a memory as the pits have closed.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40The decline of traditional industries has also affected
0:05:40 > 0:05:42the membership of male voice choirs.
0:05:42 > 0:05:47However, there are definite signs of a resurgence, like the youth choir,
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Only Boys Aloud, who sing our next hymn.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54It's sang at every match involving the Welsh national team.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58But the real meaning of Calon Lan is far from macho.
0:05:58 > 0:06:03It places a pure heart above all the fame and riches of the world.
0:08:12 > 0:08:24# Calon...lan. #
0:08:27 > 0:08:30MALE CHORAL SINGING
0:08:33 > 0:08:36The village of Froncysyllte in the Vale of Llangollen
0:08:36 > 0:08:38may seem like an unlikely home
0:08:38 > 0:08:42for an amateur choir that's broken records in the music charts.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45SINGING CONTINUES
0:08:45 > 0:08:48But in 2006, their debut album
0:08:48 > 0:08:52became the fastest-selling classical record of all time.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54# ..home again... #
0:08:54 > 0:08:57They've been called the oldest boy band in the charts,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59the Fron Male Voice Choir.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05- 75 members. Do you know what the average age is?- The average age...
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Well, the oldest in the choir I believe is 86,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11- but the combined age is about 3,995. - LAUGHTER
0:09:11 > 0:09:15# ..to be free... #
0:09:15 > 0:09:19But at their heart, the Fron's members epitomise values
0:09:19 > 0:09:21and a commitment that's replicated
0:09:21 > 0:09:24in countless male voice choirs across Wales.
0:09:24 > 0:09:29# When I survey the wondrous... #
0:09:29 > 0:09:34'The male voice choir, when you're singing, when the music starts up,'
0:09:34 > 0:09:37my best description would be to have 70 arms around you.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39It's a lovely warm feeling.
0:09:39 > 0:09:40You feel safe.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47'My father was in the choir, in the bottom basses,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50'so, as a young lad, I grew up with my dad shaving
0:09:50 > 0:09:54'and singing these songs. So it's a great comfort to me.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57'Whenever we sing one, I can still hear my dad's voice.'
0:09:57 > 0:10:00That comes into play as well with my faith, you know.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03I believe that, one day, I'll see my dad again,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06so when I hear these songs again, I feel good.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12You've heard the Fron rehearsing it. Now hear them perform it,
0:10:12 > 0:10:16as they sing Issac Watts' heartfelt words of humble praise
0:10:16 > 0:10:19When I Survey The Wondrous Cross to a tune which has become
0:10:19 > 0:10:24a classic of the Welsh male voice choir repertoire - Morte Criste.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39# Down by the... #
0:12:39 > 0:12:41'How do you feel, then,
0:12:41 > 0:12:44'when you're singing as part of a male voice choir?
0:12:44 > 0:12:46'Excited. Often moved.'
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Emotionally engaged with the words and with the music
0:12:50 > 0:12:52and not least when singing
0:12:52 > 0:12:54some of these powerful hymn tunes,
0:12:54 > 0:12:58which have been arranged particularly for what we call TTBB,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01which is the two tenor parts and the two bass parts.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04SINGING CONTINUES
0:13:04 > 0:13:07And we find that our audiences, not only in Wales,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10but in England and on the Continent, wherever we go,
0:13:10 > 0:13:15they expect and will be disappointed if we did not include
0:13:15 > 0:13:20some Welsh hymns and traditional Welsh numbers in the Welsh language.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22SINGING IN WELSH
0:13:28 > 0:13:31I believe, I think many people do as well,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34that the male voice sound is distinctive,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36but the Welsh male voice sound
0:13:36 > 0:13:39is even more distinctive within that tradition.
0:13:42 > 0:13:47Religion hit the Rhondda Valley like a Mills bomb 150 years ago
0:13:47 > 0:13:50and we're still carrying pieces of spiritual shrapnel around within us.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53We might not all be as chapel going as we were.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57There were 150 chapels in the Rhon, many now in a state of dilapidation,
0:13:57 > 0:14:01but the continuation of that spiritual element, and in the fervour
0:14:01 > 0:14:04with which we sing particularly hymns
0:14:04 > 0:14:07and other religious items is crucial to the repertoire.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13However, for decades, this fervent singing has been
0:14:13 > 0:14:17just as much at home in the pub and rugby field as in the chapel.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20And the male voice choir repertoire has expanded to include
0:14:20 > 0:14:25contemporary songs, like our next number.
0:15:02 > 0:15:08OTHERS HARMONISE: # Sit with me
0:15:08 > 0:15:13# Sit with me... #
0:16:50 > 0:16:54# Luck be a lady tonight! #
0:16:54 > 0:16:58In 2008, Only Men Aloud were the high-profile winners
0:16:58 > 0:17:03of BBC One's competition for choirs, Last Choir Standing.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08They walk and often dance the line
0:17:08 > 0:17:12between a traditional male voice choir and a more showbiz approach.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14# ..offers me protection... #
0:17:14 > 0:17:18'I wanted to form a young small male choir
0:17:18 > 0:17:22'with a big accent on performance, so that when people saw a concert,'
0:17:22 > 0:17:26it was more of a show. When I look back at those early performances now,
0:17:26 > 0:17:28they were very, very basic indeed,
0:17:28 > 0:17:32certainly not the big choreographed shows we do nowadays.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38But with all of that showbiz element to it,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41it's still got at the very heart of it the Welsh male choir tradition
0:17:41 > 0:17:45and we wouldn't be doing what we do if it wasn't for that tradition.
0:17:45 > 0:17:50# Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad, gwlad Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad, gwlad... #
0:17:53 > 0:17:56# Guide me, O thou great Jehovah
0:17:56 > 0:18:00- HARMONY REPEATS: - Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad, gwlad
0:18:00 > 0:18:09- # Pilgrim through this barren land - Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad, gwlad
0:18:09 > 0:18:18- # I am weak, but thou art mighty - Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad, gwlad
0:18:18 > 0:18:24- # Hold me with thy powerful hand - Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad, gwlad
0:18:24 > 0:18:30# Bread of heaven, bread of heaven
0:18:30 > 0:18:35# Feed me till I want no more
0:18:35 > 0:18:41# Feed me till I want no more
0:18:41 > 0:18:46# Gwlad, gwlad Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad, gwlad
0:18:46 > 0:18:52# Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad, gwlad Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad, gwlad
0:18:52 > 0:18:58# Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad, gwlad Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad, gwlad
0:18:58 > 0:19:03# Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad, gwlad Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad, gwlad
0:19:03 > 0:19:05# Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad!
0:19:05 > 0:19:11# When I tread the verge of Jordan
0:19:11 > 0:19:16# Bid my anxious fears subside
0:19:16 > 0:19:22# Death of death and Hell's destruction
0:19:22 > 0:19:28# Land me safe on Canaan's side
0:19:28 > 0:19:34# O, am aros! O, am aros!
0:19:34 > 0:19:40# Yn Ei gariad ddyddiau f'oes
0:19:40 > 0:19:46# Yn Ei gariad ddyddiau f'oes
0:19:46 > 0:19:52# Bread of heaven, bread of heaven
0:19:52 > 0:19:57# Feed me till I want no more
0:19:57 > 0:20:02# Feed me till I want no more
0:20:02 > 0:20:09# Amen! Amen, amen! Amen! Amen, amen!
0:20:09 > 0:20:12# Amen! Amen, amen!
0:20:12 > 0:20:22# Amen! #
0:20:28 > 0:20:31If singing in a male voice choir is a powerful experience,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34what's it like to conduct one?
0:20:34 > 0:20:37SINGING IN WELSH
0:20:37 > 0:20:42'It's great, a real sense of power, although I don't say that to them.'
0:20:42 > 0:20:44But yes, it's really enjoyable, um,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47and when they're singing well, I feel like I can
0:20:47 > 0:20:51sort of play the choir in the same way that I'd play the cello or piano
0:20:51 > 0:20:54when they're on form and that's a really great feeling.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57I know that dynamics, they'll come with me.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Phrasing, breathing, everything is there, you know.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02It's a great feeling, yeah.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09One of the legendary conductors of male voice choirs
0:21:09 > 0:21:11made his name in the 1870s.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14He was a valleys man, born in Aberdare, and his name was
0:21:14 > 0:21:18Griffith Rhys Jones, or Caradog, as he was commonly known.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21And it says something about the esteem in which
0:21:21 > 0:21:24he was held that a statue was erected in his honour.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Caradog was a publican in Treorchy
0:21:28 > 0:21:32and the town's male voice choir has a long and proud history.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35They've gone on to make many TV appearances...
0:21:35 > 0:21:39Ladies and gentlemen, the Treorchy Male Voice Choir.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42..even singing on primetime television with stars such as
0:21:42 > 0:21:47Ella Fitzgerald, Julie Andrews, Burt Bacharach and Tom Jones.
0:21:47 > 0:22:00# ..but now I see. #
0:22:00 > 0:22:02STUDIO AUDIENCE APPLAUDS
0:22:02 > 0:22:07The legendary conductor of Treorchy would be proud to know
0:22:07 > 0:22:09that his choir is still in fine voice today.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13They'll perform Bryn Myrddin, which was written in 1945
0:22:13 > 0:22:16for a hymn-singing festival, or Cymanfa Ganu,
0:22:16 > 0:22:20which took place near Caradog's home town of Aberdare.
0:23:48 > 0:23:54THEY REPEAT:
0:23:57 > 0:24:08# Amen, amen. #
0:24:12 > 0:24:16Securing the future of male voice choirs in the modern world,
0:24:16 > 0:24:20with all its attractions and distractions, is no easy task.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23It's an issue that Only Men Aloud's founder,
0:24:23 > 0:24:25Tim Rhys Evans, is addressing.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27Back in 2010, he set up ten youth choirs
0:24:27 > 0:24:29in the valleys of South Wales,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32encouraging boys to follow in the footsteps
0:24:32 > 0:24:34of their fathers and grandfathers.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Collectively, they're known as Only Boys Aloud.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40MUSIC: "Don't Stop Believing" SUNG IN WELSH
0:24:40 > 0:24:43The boys have come together to perform at major events
0:24:43 > 0:24:45in front of huge audiences,
0:24:45 > 0:24:47such as the National Eisteddfod and the Ryder Cup.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53When I registered the name of Only Men Aloud back in 2000,
0:24:53 > 0:24:55I also registered the name of Only Boys Aloud,
0:24:55 > 0:24:59cos I'd always had this dream that we would start a choir
0:24:59 > 0:25:02'and, in this part of the world,
0:25:02 > 0:25:06'there's often a lot of blame laid at the feet of teenage lads,
0:25:06 > 0:25:10- 'they're the ones causing all the trouble.'- Backwards footballs!
0:25:10 > 0:25:12'I'm very proud to be a valleys boy,
0:25:12 > 0:25:17- 'but there are lots of problems in this part of the world.'- And release!
0:25:17 > 0:25:21Unemployment, social and economic deprivation in some cases.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25And actually, people, when they're only seeing that,
0:25:25 > 0:25:29they're not seeing the true essence of the valleys, which is
0:25:29 > 0:25:32a deeply proud people with a wonderful spirit,
0:25:32 > 0:25:34with a wonderful sense of humour.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Well, in rehearsals, we do warm ups first, which are quite silly,
0:25:37 > 0:25:41we make a fool of ourselves and some boys are so funny when they do it,
0:25:41 > 0:25:45but none of us get embarrassed, even though we look really silly.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47- LAUGHTER - Good start!
0:25:47 > 0:25:50And shake it out. Shake them out.
0:25:50 > 0:25:51Good!
0:25:51 > 0:25:54'Working with 14 to 19-year-old boys,'
0:25:54 > 0:26:00I just wanted to encourage them to aspire, whatever the circumstances.
0:26:00 > 0:26:05So that none of the boys have to travel more than 15 miles,
0:26:05 > 0:26:08the rehearsals, led by members of Only Men Aloud,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11are held at venues across South Wales.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13'I think I get an amazing sense of pride
0:26:13 > 0:26:17'from being a team captain for Only Boys Aloud.'
0:26:17 > 0:26:20Giving young boys an opportunity to sing is really important.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23That's what's going to keep the choral tradition going.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26One! One!
0:26:27 > 0:26:30I get a really nice feeling when I go home and I get really high,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32go home with a smile on my face.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35It's better than being on the streets, if you ask me.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37It's full of mates, really,
0:26:37 > 0:26:42and gives you confidence and it's taken...taken us to big gigs.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44SINGING IN WELSH
0:26:47 > 0:26:52Being in a choir is cool and I'm thrilled that we attract
0:26:52 > 0:26:56every kind of lad, so you do get people like men and you,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59you know, keen musicians who love singing,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02but you also get boys who've never sung before
0:27:02 > 0:27:05that are just coming along, because they know we don't audition.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09It's open to anyone that can get to one of our ten rehearsal centres,
0:27:09 > 0:27:11um, that rehearse every week.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14I think, if you listen to the hymns and things
0:27:14 > 0:27:16and you understand the words,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19you can understand the whole song as a whole, really,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22and most singers make sure they know what the song means
0:27:22 > 0:27:25before they sing it.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30- What else must we need think about musically?- Listening to other parts?
0:27:30 > 0:27:34The other parts and to the piano. A few of the notes were a bit under.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38'I've seen a massive growth in the confidence of the boys.'
0:27:38 > 0:27:40- LAUGHTER - I thought it was only them.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43'Certainly, when they're singing, just the way they walk on stage now
0:27:43 > 0:27:48'is very different from the terrified crew that did the first concert.'
0:27:48 > 0:27:51They are proud of the music they make and so they should be,
0:27:51 > 0:27:56cos they work very hard and they do a damn fine job.
0:28:01 > 0:28:12# Prepare ye the way of the Lord
0:28:12 > 0:28:22OTHERS HARMONISE # Prepare ye the way of the Lord
0:28:22 > 0:28:31ALL: # Prepare ye the way of the Lord
0:28:31 > 0:28:41# Prepare ye the way of the Lord
0:28:41 > 0:28:44PACE OF SONG QUICKENS
0:28:44 > 0:28:50# Prepare ye the way of the Lord
0:28:50 > 0:28:57# Prepare ye the way of the Lord
0:28:57 > 0:29:03# Prepare ye the way of the Lord
0:29:03 > 0:29:12# Prepare ye the way of the Lord
0:29:14 > 0:29:19# Oh, bless the Lord my soul His praise to thee proclaim
0:29:19 > 0:29:25# And all that is within me Join to bless his holy name!
0:29:25 > 0:29:28- # Oh, bless the Lord! - Oh, bless the Lord!
0:29:28 > 0:29:31- # Oh, bless the Lord! - Oh, bless the Lord!
0:29:31 > 0:29:33# Oh, bless the Lord my soul
0:29:33 > 0:29:36- # His mercies bear in mind - Oh, bless the Lord!
0:29:36 > 0:29:40# Forget not all his benefits
0:29:40 > 0:29:45# The Lord to thee is kind
0:29:45 > 0:29:47# He will not always chide
0:29:47 > 0:29:50# He will with patience wait
0:29:50 > 0:29:56# His wrath is ever slow to rise!
0:29:56 > 0:29:59- # Oh, bless the Lord! - And ready to abate
0:29:59 > 0:30:02- # Oh, bless the Lord! - And ready to abate
0:30:02 > 0:30:05# And ready to... And ready to...
0:30:05 > 0:30:14# And ready to... And ready to abate!
0:30:14 > 0:30:19# Oh, bless the Lord my soul Oh, bless the Lord my soul
0:30:19 > 0:30:21# Oh, bless the Lord
0:30:21 > 0:30:24# My soul!
0:30:24 > 0:30:27# Oh, bless my soul
0:30:27 > 0:30:30# Oh, bless my soul! #
0:30:31 > 0:30:34MALE CHORAL SINGING
0:30:36 > 0:30:40It is to the famous conductor Caradog that the phrase,
0:30:40 > 0:30:44"Wales, the land of song," is often attributed.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47And Psalm 96 entreats us to praise God
0:30:47 > 0:30:50and make every nation a land of song.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56We'll sing to the Lord a new song
0:30:57 > 0:30:59Sing to the Lord all the Earth
0:30:59 > 0:31:02Sing to the Lord, bless His name
0:31:02 > 0:31:05Tell of his salvation from day to day
0:31:05 > 0:31:08Declare His glory among the nations
0:31:08 > 0:31:12His marvellous works among all the peoples
0:31:13 > 0:31:15For great is the Lord
0:31:15 > 0:31:17And greatly to be praised.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21CHORAL SINGING CONTINUES
0:31:21 > 0:31:24SONG ENDS
0:31:26 > 0:31:28The words for our final hymn
0:31:28 > 0:31:31were originally written in English by an American.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34But with its Welsh translation, tune and passion, it sums up
0:31:34 > 0:31:38the gifts the Welsh male choirs have shared with the whole world.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41So we leave the men of Treorchy with Only Boys Aloud
0:31:41 > 0:31:44spanning the generations with Gwahoddiad.
0:33:29 > 0:33:33Next week, Eamonn is in his hometown of Belfast in advance
0:33:33 > 0:33:38of the centenary celebrations for the Titanic's doomed maiden voyage.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41He introduces hymns from St Thomas' Church
0:33:41 > 0:33:45and takes a look at the world's largest Titanic visitor centre.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd