A super-choir from the S4C series Codi Canu went to entertain the crowds at the Dubai Sevens Rugby tournament "â¬" and in this week's programme cameras follow the choir to the Middle East.
A super-choir from the S4C series Codi Canu went to entertain the crowds at the Dubai Sevens Rugby tournament and in this week's programme (Saturday, 16 February, repeated Sunday, 17 February, with on-screen English subtitles), cameras follow the choir to the Middle East.
A total of 48 singers were chosen from the four regional rugby supporters' choirs set up by the series, with 12 members of each choir impressing the world-famous conductor and musical director, Owain Arwel Hughes
He visited each of the choirs - Ospreys, Blues, Scarlets and Dragons - to listen to the singers perform the four parts - soprano, alto, tenor and bass - before choosing the twelve to sing in the Dubai choir.
"The Dubai Sevens is one of the main social events of the year in the Middle East. Having a Welsh choir sing out there was something completely new," Owain explains.
Ospreys' conductor Alwyn Humphries and Blues conductor Eilir Owen Griffiths went with the singers to the trip to Dubai as the super-choir sang numerous times on the pitch during the tournament.
Jackie Thomas from Llanelli was one of the selected few to be given the opportunity to fly out to Dubai and perform in front of thousands of people.
Jackie, a member of the Scarlets choir, says "This was one of the best experiences of my life. We'll never ever forget this experience, from the minute we stepped off the plane to the moment we stepped back on it, we had a ball. For most of us, we would never have had the opportunity to go to Dubai if it weren't for Codi Canu."
The soprano singer said that the experience of singing in front of the audiences out at the 7s tournament was exhilarating and inspirational. Once we started to sing, the audience would get right behind us and ask us to sing extra songs like Tom Jones' Delilah!"
If she were given the chance, would she go through it all again? "Of course! I've had a taste for it now so I'd love to go again," adds Jackie.
The regions are not known for their friendliness on the pitch as the rivalries are great, particularly for the West Walians, the Scarlets and the Ospreys. But Jackie insists that they all got along like a house on fire during the five-day trip. "We got on particularly well with members of the Ospreys, even though there is a long traditional rivalry between us. But now I've made lifelong friends with some of them."
Senior Producer Bethan Anwyl says, "The formation of a super-choir was an exciting development of the Codi Canu series and proves that the standard of singing is improving. Owain Arwel Hughes had a very tough time choosing 12 members from the Scarlets, Ospreys, Blues and Dragons choirs to go to Dubai. The choir had a once in a lifetime experience performing at the Sevens tournament."
The prize at the end of the current series of Codi Canu - which also sees a fifth choir of north Wales rugby supporters taking part - is to perform the national anthems at the Six Nations' match between Wales and France in the Millennium Stadium on Saturday, 15 March.
Codi Canu is broadcast on Saturday, 16 February 9.45pm on S4C
and repeated Sunday, 17 February, with on-screen English subtitles,7.30pm