Thanks to voters across Europe they have these leaders locked in a room for nearly 24 hours deciding these big things and they just couldn't make a decision Misty International has called on the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to abandon reported plans to send in troops to remove by force an estimated 10000 subsystems Mynahs in the southern Katanga region the human rights group said using the army against them was completely irresponsible songes than Australia have used artificial intelligence to how develop a powerful new vaccine against the flu the team believes it's the 1st time a computer has used its own memory to design a new drug for humans a clinical trial will begin soon b.b.c. World news. Hello I need to welcome to the art cell back stage of the b.b.c. World Service where with behind the scenes at the world's greatest singing competition The v.v. Sees Cardiff Singer of the Worlds. Rehearsals now underway for tomorrow night's final here in said David's hole in the Welsh capital Cardiff previous winners of this competition have gone on to international stardom and now the hunt is on for a new star. Cardiff Singer of the well to happens every 2 years and this year there were over 400 applicants from across the globe since it began over 35 years ago singing have been coming to compete from China Asia Australasia Africa North and South America as well as. The great New Zealand single day Kitty to Canada is patron of the competition you don't throw a whole lot of things at them just as they're about to go on stage and they're terrified you just say the one with the same focus right down the eye of the camera don't do anything else and they do more from Dame Kerry later and I'll be talking to the 5 thrilling finalists you can play the darkest the strongest emotions you ever feel in your life we cannot act in life like an Oprah so we know we can play this role and we can show everybody meeting one of the judges the legendary Frederica bunched the conductor. Tell me how she's going to bring it all together tomorrow night we'll hear from the doctor who will be standing by in case there are any voice emergencies if I've seen a singer and we've initiated some treatment I'm extremely anxious until the angle that forms because it feels like my failure if things don't work out and sing Allan Monahan told. Yes she knows all about coping with nerves she sang Prince how he's waiting to make an Markel. During the last year and a half the $400.00 hopefuls have been whittled down during the rigorous selection process to just 20 sing is and they've been invited here to Cardiff all this week they've been taking part in a series of heats and now it's down to just 5 singers who are competing to become b.b.c. Cardiff Singer of the world's 2019. There's a lot at stake. It's time to meet the 1st of the 5 finalists. Was. Those in the list your worst times coming from the throat from any young in China he started his training at the central conceptually of music in Beijing and then went to America he already has a busy professional career and this year he was invited to join the prestigious Stuttgart opera company in Germany. What 1st appeals to you about Western classical music and singing I don't know my family were actually a big like musical off lovers and we got like no records at home and my parents like to really encourage us to join the music and actually and I would just hope to talk right away did you start imitating that singing No really I mean when I was growing up I can make noises not necessarily music I enjoy music not only I don't know the story then I don't know the language then but it fun is something special connect to me how do you prepare on the day of the show what's important to you well just normal I try not to give myself like to set up routine you have to be that way I tell myself while every day it's a normal day you have to be able to do it regardless which condition you are so i'm being normal that's very good you're not putting pressure on yourself because if you get superstitious and something doesn't happen you can be scary yeah do you get scared do you get nervous all the time how do you deal with them well in the performance setting I think in a way you helps and you just find this extra energy to perform. So you work with your adrenaline Yes Do you eat before action I do you but I try to eat too much it was the right amount for you well I can't eat a lot but me food is my passion ease it food is my passion big foodie kind of phased all kinds of food actually is one of the benefits of this Korea everywhere you go you got to try local things are financing I've just picked out a Welsh cake I was about to say have yes I have it's so delicious So I mean it's all lovely and hot and laughter I mean Julie you have something in your eyes that is what I would call mischief you look like you have fun in life and that you really enjoy everything does that ring true for you Oh I'm I'm very fortunate I'm happy generally I'm really happy living just being a life. I'm on my way to find New Zealand's most famous musical exports the legendary opera star Dame Kiri to Canada Well it wasn't to be Russell Crowe was it as well as being the patron of the competition charity Khanna world runs a foundation to help young New Zealand sing is and they've given money this year to increase the value of the prize 220000 pounds that's about $25000.00 u.s. Dollars Dame Carrie became an international household name when she was chosen by Prince Charles to sing at his wedding in 1981 to Princess Diana that performance was seen by an estimated 600000000 people watching the wedding on t.v. And it made Kerry to Canada an international household name so I'm here at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama to meet Dane Carey she's being giving a masterclass to young singers today Dame Kerry to Canada you are patron of the cult of singer of the world why is the competition so important. If we don't have an outlet at the beginning of a career if there's not an outlet What do we have this is a super big moment for young people just on the brink of the possibility of a big career to present themselves before the the world basically and say that I'm out there and then of course all the invitations start coming in I mean when someone rang me just a few days ago and said Could you please put me in touch with this particular singer I want to write to represent him this is not even in the file and that you don't have to be in the final to be a winner you just have to be one of the 20 which is enough so did you have a platform like this when I did Arctic Yes I did in New Zealand I did we had to there was a big thing I said France and so on quests and things I did a lot of them just won prizes of a little cup or a little middle and then it got to money financed by my coming over here to study and I mean is it very different now for a young singer than it was in the. Eighty's and ninety's how things changed but I think it's different but it's the same it's the same struggle the same amount of work they've got to put into it but at the moment it's much more difficult for a singer to get in or dition agents and managers don't exist in the way that they did sort of 2030 years ago they don't look after the singer very well some might and some might just take on 5 or 6 in his and say I'm just going to look after you but not always so it's the whole thing is different but the same when you help a young singer what you are being able to do what do you what does in most need help with would it be phrasing will it be the strength of their voice money. That's the stuff I really need money and that's what my foundation's always trying to get it it's all sorts of sort of finance money is at the root of it because they've got to study and work and live and eat Yeah so the money so my foundation does help a lot and we have to actually have help we've given a donation to up the 1st prize how important in the competitions is the right choice of songs that's a very very good question what you must make sure is you sing the right music to suit your voice and if that's what you do you're going to go forward but if you start singing things that they're too big you'll find you won't get the job for a start they've got to be able to sing things to put the moment and and be ready to go and sing it on stage immediately not in 5 years time what if I still get someone who gets anxious even though they are haunts in that in the pieces they are doing suddenly they get stressed or they get nervous Well they have to sort it out we can't we can't get inside their skin and say you know now become now the worst thing and the word relax sorry absolutely hate that word because you want to know hundreds yes exactly but they just have to learn they just have to learn how to do it have you ever felt yes or cross city people listening will assume that singing in front of royals or being part of a royal event would make you nervous I don't suppose it did Fever what with the times that you felt the biggest I was I was very nervous and most things about maybe the role wedding and 1st nights at the mansion 1st nights a couple guns they're all nerve wrecking because this is there's so much there is if they were saying today on the young people saying this so many people around everyone's at you know whether it be addressed or someone changing the stage someone pulling something cords from under you and and lifting chairs and changing scenes and someone coming in saying Did you remember to do this and take this move so you've got dozens of people around you giving you all sorts of crazy sort of orders but you're not listening at all so that's sometimes how you're going to be able to cut out all. All the riffraff and just get on with the jobs you just gotta focus Yes yes other things is that a big word thing right here focus Yeah that's all I would say because that's you don't throw a whole lot of things at them just as they're about to go on stage and they're terrified who just say the one way to save focus write down the eye of the camera don't do anything else and they do in terms of what you do outside your singing disciplines How important is physical strength to you as a singer it is important but I've always been very fit anyway but you just you should be fit and you should think about your physicality because you've got a job that's slightly set in trees you're moving around in much I did a lot of exercise and now I have to falsely so to be very careful Sid you have to get the synovial fluid moving around the nose it just titanium don't go to titanium knees if you go off when you go through yep yep spent differently. And I don't look at day over 76. You're listening to the b.b.c. World Service and this is the out backstage at the Cardiff Singer of the world competition I'm Nikki Katy time to meet our next hopeful finalist what they look their body and toss from Argentina. Such drama in that voice Guadalupe of 30 endorse I hear that you like playing characters and strong women what do you enjoy about these kind of roles. Very much because you can play the darkest the strongest emotions you ever feel in your life we can't act in life like in Oprah so we know we can play this role and we can create the craziness that we used to do we. Oh in the bad so this is amazing to play and to show everybody it's like exaggeration of we all feel every day you grew up and went inside a somewhat tense you want to offer I felt in love when my mother took us to the theatre and I'm very rainy season at the seaside we were with my sister and bearable at home so she took every show I've able and one of those it was for kids and they were playing the Magic Flute and I was in love with the queen of the night love affair site How old were you I was 4 years old the give me the cassette at the exit so I started singing by my own with a cassette. Love for our side how do you prepare on a show day what do you do I try to rest the most to enjoy to reconnect to the part that even though now it's a job and it's a very stressful many times. The thing I cannot live without you wearing for the for the final both of the dresses for the main competition we made it with a friend says this in one aside yes yes she is from the. Works they are doing dresses for the opera design and together we went for material together and this is a dark blue dress with a lot of stress light it on the necklace like sparkles Yes exactly and what is your biggest hope for this competition my biggest was to get to the finals so. Well when I swear big Wafa. Guadalupe body and thus she's going to look amazing. I want to find Judith change now because she's the person whose job it is to make sure all the finalists look their best not just for the audience in the hall but for the millions will be watching the event on television and streaming around the world. You must be. Huge lovely to me. About supervisor she said here yes. Babs Roberts you are in charge of make up and having watched some of the t.v. Shows this week well I'd like you to do my eyes like some of the girls who back yard and even the guy is actually I think it was some guy liner but we'll come to that in a minute I mean are they so no no for a singer I would imagine nobody can have sticky lip gloss for example no you can't tap stickier class the main thing is that the Harry secure then I'm in my mind I'm in vision that there's masses of hair spray and things like that but at the same time if you're seeing of with they don't like a spray No No So it's imperative that you use a lot of grips do a lot of the men wear a full leg help but do they just have something to matter if I was just to Matthew 5 Really what about a bit of. Oh yes I've seen the scene here you have a new one I've just interviewed someone had if I had an awful lot of oil and yeah yeah. Who are you talking about and it's mystery Crane he's fabulous as the hey so Andre loves the dark smoky eye Yes Do you love doing that for a man and I do. Is his singing is so theatrical that you power afford to go dark days if you wasn't then it would look odd Yeah if it was a nice tenor singing in that dark I wouldn't look very good have you ever had anybody who is so anxious and sweating that you can't you can't really make them up . Not sweating so much but so anxious they can't really explain what they want even though they've told me and they are getting themselves into such a state that put every you're doing they're not happy with Yeah so in one case I think it. About 10 years ago I just said the lady said Take make par and Hugh to your south and I will check you and she was happy to. Be a bit of a psychologist a little bit here yeah as Babs Roberts chewed just James your the costume supervisor what does your job involve Well if we start of the beginning an email goes out to all of the contestants and the email will outline the kind of things that we expect and the kind of things that we don't want what do you instruct them not to bright or have small patterns Obviously there are usually big problem but nobody brings out that's a big problem because it can make the camera fly through a stroke that's why we call it strobing you know years ago we would say don't bring any white satin because that's very difficult and you can use today that would like to be aired Nowadays of course the whites are fine on the new equipment and the h.d. And and all of that so there are fewer no noise now than they used to be but one of the biggest things that we usually ask for is we ask not to wear struck less guns oh why yes because in a closer it would look like they were might be make it. Difficult malfunctions with a strapless dress or the help we have actually had a wardrobe malfunction and it was actually very bad and well years ago again you know when we 1st started we had one and we still have competitors from the Eastern Bloc countries and the clothes that they brought were not as as good as they are these days I don't think they had the choice and I remember one year fortunately I don't remember her name but she did have a dress which was very similar perhaps to a beach dress Ok where it was just a tad sharing a last. Color on the top and then just the skirts below where it and she presented me with this stress and it was very very loose and I said Oh you will be wearing a bra with it obviously and she said No no I don't want to wear a bra so we decided that we'd use double sided tape or toupee tape yes and we taped it all the way around there were 3 you lie in this of tape and indeed it worked and it looked fine and it was very firm and we were very happy with it she went on to the stage and she started to sing beautiful voice but with the emotion of the song she starts to pull to draw her hands down over her breast and of course she's doing that she's dragging us with the emotion. We're standing there in front of the Monitor saying don't do it don't do it don't do it and she keeps on doing it and on doing it and eventually it does happen. That it's only only in as much as we saw the top of double sided tape Ok shining on. So obviously after all of that happened that was one of the 1st things we did was to ask people not to bring and you struck less gowns and you know what if I came along and I was an opera singer and the dress that I'd chosen is now really really tight because I've eaten pastries in France or whatever what happens then if suddenly you get it here and it's not facing what has happened they do say that the food in Cardiff is too good. And it's happened this week in fact. No names no pleasure of a woman Ok it was a beautiful dress and it had a beautiful belt to it yes the dress went on but we have to discard the belt but she still looked wonderful So that was good. Presumably all the singers know how much comfort they need to be able to use the ribs to breathe and have their diaphragms by type things most of them will have maybe a core set of some to sort and a lot of them do like to have something to work against they breathe against it and they like to feel the pressure of it and so many many opera singers do like a corset so there is a dress over there and I just I'm going to show you what they said. Here it's a very you should fall. Well it's sequins on the top dusky pink gal sequins all along the boss it looks like it traipse beautifully it's just come up from the stage now where it's being checked by lighting so that he will know how to like to it's for its best a fact so that is for all your. Singing tonight. That's it for part one of the arts out backstage at b.b.c. Cardiff Singer of the world but don't go away I'll be back to meet the other finalists and I'll be speaking to one of the judges celebrated singer Frederica forged to find out what she's looking for in this thing is. That the. Here on the b.b.c. World Service we're finding out it's a bite in American art form which started in an unlikely place the marching band which half that American flag and they would have a rifle scored and that's where it stands from you would never see him in dance or anything like that it was straight line winds or guard is an indoor pageants involving the throwing of prop rifles sabers and other objects somebody said canister if I were you I would spread out a big bunch of some big stuff and I want to know your target and dance choreographer started coming into our city to bring danced into pageantry and we're going to learn how to put a little bit of expression behind it this whole level of creativity has taken something like marching in a militarist fashion and it's turned it into like I mean you can call it dancing marching to the coolest beats on the b.b.c. World Service as b.b.c. World Service dot com. Still to come on the back stage at the Cardiff Singer of the world competition I meet the amazing finalist