TEDxObserver - Tim Rhys-Evans and Only Boys Aloud - Performance

Translator: Maurício Kakuei Tanaka Reviewer: Leonardo Silva I started "Only Boys Aloud" just two years ago, because I come from the valleys of South Wales and a small community called New Tredegar. And when I was a child, it was a very proud part of the world, with a lot of industry, with a lot of ambition, with a sustainable economy. In the mid-80s, that basically disappeared as industries collapsed for a variety of reasons and left a gaping void in the middle of the part of the world I call home. Consequently, there are huge unemployment problems in the south Wales valleys, and all the problems that entails.

I think the biggest and most destructive is the lack of aspirations. And I wanted to use singing to encourage the kids in this area to aspire to be something. That's why our slogan is "inspiring to aspire." I passionately believe in the transformative power of community singing, because in our increasingly virtual world, we have fewer and fewer opportunities to physically gather and interact with other human beings. So "Only Boys Aloud" is designed to encourage these guys to put down their Xboxes, leave Facebook, and come together. Of course, Eric Whitacre has done this online with his fabulous virtual choir.

But I passionately believe that there is no substitute for getting together and singing really well. The tradition of male choir singing is widespread in South Wales. We still have a proliferation of male choirs, but they are aging and there is an argument that singing in male choirs is irrelevant now. I completely disagree with all of this. I think something that unifies anyone like choral singing does is increasingly necessary in our world today. "Why guys?" It's something I'm often asked. Well, because of the strong tradition of male choirs in Wales. That's first and foremost. There is also a huge disparity between the number of

boys

who choose to sing and the number of girls who choose to sing.

And I think that's a problem in general, but in a very masculine environment, like South Wales. Although I have to say that in South Wales the ladies rule. It's a very matriarchal society, but at the same time, there is a lot of pressure on children not to do anything that isn't seen as "sexist." So, with "Only Boys Aloud", we started 10 choirs, predominantly in rugby clubs, around the South Wales area, covering an area of ​​nine hundred square miles, where the idea is that no boy is within 15 or 20 minutes of away. from your local trial. So these choirs enrich their individual communities, but we also bring them together to organize large-scale events, and today we have about half of them here.

Well, over 200

boys

ages 14-19 have committed to "Only Boys Aloud" in the last two years. And I am delighted to say that, with the support of the Welsh Government and the Principality Building Society, in Wales, we can look to a future where we will sign a three-year sponsorship agreement, because I believe this work is absolutely fundamental, especially all because young people are often blamed for our society's problems. I think the guys on stage here will show that, far from the problems, there is a lot of good and that there is something very beautiful about guys getting together and just singing.

First I'd like to introduce you... There was supposed to be a big surprise revealed when we raised the curtain, and there were a lot of them there. But everyone watched the rehearsals, so that went out the window. So act in shock. Give me a good breath of air when they come out, please. May I first introduce our two soloists, who will sing the first piece? One of the things we want to do is move the choir forward, but we also have a lot of respect for our roots and where we come from. And that is why the first song we chose to sing this afternoon is a song called "Calon Lan", which is really a prayer for the good heart, because the lyrics say: "a good heart can sing all day and all night ".

This is "Calon Lan". Let's give a warm welcome to Gareth Evans and Yvonne Jenkin. (Applause) Ah! (Laughter) (Music) (Applause) (Welsh music - "Calon Lan") ♪ Nid wy'n gofyn bywyd moethus ♪ ♪ Aur y byd na'I berlau mвn ♪ ♪ Gofyn wyf am galon hapus ♪ ♪ Calon onest, calon lвn ♪ Calon lвn yn llawn daioni bydol ♪ ♪ Hedyn buan ganddo sydd ♪ ♪ Golud calon lвn, rinweddol ♪ ♪ Yn dwyn bythol elw fydd ♪ ♪ Calon lвn yn llawn daioni ♪ ♪ Tecach yw na'r lili dlos ♪ ♪ Dim ond calon lвn all ga nu ♪ ♪ Canu'r dydd a chanu'r nos ♪ ♪ Hwyr a bore fy nymuniad ♪ ♪ Gwyd I'r nef ar adain cвn ♪ ♪ Ar I Dduw, er mwyn fy Ngheidwad ♪ ♪ Roddi I mi galon lвn ♪ ♪ Calon lвn yn llawn daioni ♪ ♪ tecach yw na'r lili dlos ♪ ♪ Dim ond calon lвn all ganu ♪ ♪ Canu'r dydd a chanu'r nos ♪ ♪ Calon lвn yn llawn daioni ♪ ♪ Tecach yw na'r lili dlos ♪ ♪ Dim ond calon lвn all ganu ♪ ♪ Canu'r dydd ♪ ♪ A chanu'r nos ♪ ♪ Calon lвn ♪ ♪ Calon lвn ♪ ♪ Calon ♪ ♪ Lвn ♪ (Applause) (Greetings) Thank you. (Applause) Thank you very much.

Now, one of the reasons we've been asked to end this day off... is the completely wrong words. I have no intention of finishing anything. But "the end" of this day is because it is time for you to sing, ladies and gentlemen. Oh, look at the enthusiasm there is! Oh, it's amazing! One of the ways... Oh, people are running for the doors now. Close the doors! We do not have any audition requirements for "Only Boys Aloud." So it's okay for all of you to go with the flow. Now, ladies and gentlemen, one of the things you should try to do with "Only Boys Aloud" is think about choral singing and what's relevant to young people.

So the first song we did, you might think it's a little cheesy, but I'd really love it if you did it for me, ladies and gentlemen. I'm going to show you, in three parts, a small four-bar riff. If you're really good, I'll do an eight-bar riff. But we will start small and continue if we can. OK. I would like people who enjoy singing bass. Not really. Can I bring them down here? Since you're down, you'll be the bass part for me, please. Okay, so let's do this. And if anyone guesses what... There is an elaborate prize for whoever guesses what the piece is.

Well, then let's do, ♪ Dum duh-duh-dum duh-duh-dum ♪ ♪ Duh-duh-dum duh-duh-dum ♪ Just that, please; These are the positions. One two three four. Audience: ♪ Duh-duh-dum duh-duh-dum ♪ ♪ Duh-duh-dum duh-duh-dum ♪ TRE: Okay, okay. Let's all stand up, please, because that was a bit rubbish. (Laughter) Well, can you shake me, ladies and gentlemen? That includes you in the fancy seats and also those in the cheap seats at the top. (Laughter) Give me your hand, ladies and gentlemen, please. Give me a "Brrrrr!" Audience: Brrrrr! TRE: That's better. Now shoulders back, please; circulate them well and back again. Above! Really squeeze. You've been sitting there all day listening to people talk, and let it go: "Ah!" You were very good at panting.

Thanks for that! (Laughs) And up! Moving your fingers, moving your knees. Make a noise, "Aaaaahhhhh!" Audience: "Aaaaahhhhh!" TRE: And let go! I never thought the first time I walked on stage at Sadler's Wells I'd be doing that. (Laughs) Now let's do it again. Posts, ♪ Duh-duh-dum duh-duh-dum ♪ ♪ Duh-duh-dum duh-duh-dum duh-duh-dum... ♪ And now, continue, okay. Good, thank you. There is some very good singing down here, well done! Let's take the middle to make the middle part. Yours says, ♪ Duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh ♪ ♪ Duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh ♪ (Lower tone) ♪ Duh- duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh ♪ Cases of the last measure.

Do you think you can handle that, middle row? Means, a big circle, "Mmmm!" (Speaking in Welsh) Oh, sorry, that was Welsh. One two three four. ♪ Duh-duh duh-duh ♪ Audience: ♪ Duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh ♪ TRE: ♪ Duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh- duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh ♪ ♪ Duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh ♪ (Lower tone) ♪ Duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh ♪ Okay. In fact, there are two different notes here. (laughs) It would be great if you could use them. OK. (Laughter) So, big circle, they're on that note, unless they get them off the bottom. ♪ Dummmm... ♪ One, two, three, four. ♪ Dum... ♪ Audience: ♪ Duh-duh-dum... ♪ TRE: ♪ Duh-duh-dum duh-duh-dum duh-duh... ♪ ♪ Duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh- duh duh... ♪ Audience: ♪ Dum... ♪ TRE: ♪ Duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh, duh... ♪ Thank you.

Above! All of you tops say, "Hoo!" That's what I like, a little enthusiasm! Okay, then come on, ♪ Duh duh duh duh ♪ (Higher tone) ♪ Duh duh duh duh ♪ (Lower tone) ♪ Duh duh duh duh ♪ (Even lower tone) ♪ Duh duh duh duh ♪ (Higher tone) ♪ Duh duh duh duh ♪ (Even higher pitch) ♪ Duh duh duh duh ♪ (Lower pitch) ♪ Duh duh duh duh ♪ ♪ Duh duh duh duh ♪ Again. Audience: ♪ Duh duh duh duh ♪ ♪ Duh duh duh duh ♪ ♪ Duh duh duh duh ♪ TRE: Middle part, you're joining noooooow. ♪ Duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh ♪ ♪ Duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh... ♪ And down ! Audience: ♪ Dum duh-duh-dum duh-duh-dum ♪ ♪ Duh-duh-dum duh-duh-dum ♪ TRE: ♪ Duh duh duh duh ♪ (Higher tone) ♪ Duh duh duh duh ♪ ♪ Duh duh duh duh ♪ (Lower tone) ♪ Duh duh duh duh ♪ Well done!

Well done! We're getting somewhere. I'm going to do this quickly. I'm going to turn this four-bar phrase into an eight-bar repeating phrase. All we have to do, below, is say: ♪ Dum duh-duh-dum duh-duh-dum duh-duh-dum... ♪ Not really. Forget it. We will stick with the four-bar phrase. (Laughs) We're not in the land of songs anymore, guys. (Laughter) (Applause) (Applause) Correct. OK. (Music - "Don't Stop Believin'") Here we go. That's all. Be good. ♪ Duh duh duh duh ♪ ♪ Duh-duh-dum duh-duh-dum duh-duh-dum ♪ ♪ Duh duh duh duh ♪ ♪ Duh duh duh duh ♪ ♪ Duh-duh-dum duh-duh-dum duh-duh- dum ♪ ♪ Duh duh duh duh ♪ ♪ Duh duh duh ♪ ♪ Just a small town girl ♪ ♪ Living in a lonely world ♪ ♪ She took the midnight train to go anywhere ♪ ♪ Just a city boy ♪ ♪ Born and raised in South Detroit ♪ ♪ Took the midnight train to go anywhere ♪ TRE: Go on!

Audience: ♪ Duh duh duh duh ♪ ♪ Duh-duh-dum duh-duh-dum duh-duh-dum ♪ ♪ Duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh ♪ ♪ Dum duh-duh-dum duh-duh-dum ♪ ♪ Duh duh duh duh ♪ ♪ Duh-duh-dum duh-duh-dum ♪ ♪ A singer in a smoky room ♪ ♪ A smell of wine and cheap perfume ♪ ♪ For a smile they can share the night ♪ ♪ It goes on and on, and It goes on and on ♪ ♪ Strangers waiting ♪ ♪ Up and down the boulevard ♪ ♪ Their shadows searching the night ♪ ♪ Streetlights, people ♪ ♪ Living

only

to find thrills ♪ ♪ Hiding somewhere in the night ♪ (Music) ♪ Duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh ♪ ♪ Working hard to get full ♪ ♪ Everybody wants excitement ♪ ♪ Paying anything to roll the dice ♪ ♪ Just one more time ♪ ♪ Some will win, some will lose ♪ ♪ Some were born to sing the blues ♪ ♪ Oh, the movie never ends ♪ ♪ It goes on and on, and on, and on ♪ ♪ Strangers waiting ♪ ♪ Up and down the boulevard ♪ ♪ Their shadows searching the night ♪ ♪ Streetlights, people ♪ ♪ Living

only

to find thrills ♪ ♪ Hiding somewhere in the night ♪ ♪ Duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh ♪ ♪ Duh-duh-dum duh-duh-dum duh-duh-dum ♪ ♪ Duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh ♪ ♪ Duh-duh -dum duh-duh-dum duh-duh-dum ♪ ♪ Don't stop believing ♪ ♪ Hold on to the feeling ♪ ♪ Streetlights, people ♪ ♪ Don't stop believing ♪ ♪ Hold on to the feeling ♪ ♪ Streetlights, people ♪ ♪ Don't stop believe ♪ ♪ Hold on to the feeling ♪ ♪ Streetlights, people ♪ ♪ Don't stop believing ♪ ♪ Hold on to the feeling ♪ ♪ Streetlights, people ♪ ♪ Don't stop ♪ (Greetings) (Applause) TRE: Thank you very much.

Thank you. (Applause) (Applause)