An award-winning Swansea musician is hoping that his latest ambitious venture will be enjoyed by children and parents for generations to come.
Guitarist and composer Christian Phillips was the inspiration behind a new TV series on S4C which is a massive hit with youngsters.
He and his friend Caryl Parry-Jones, with whom he has collaborated on several projects in the past, realised that children nowadays no longer had the chance to enjoy traditional nursery rhymes, so they decided to do something about it.
The result is the programme Marcaroni, in which West End star Mark Evans, from Denbighshire, takes the lead role.
A CD of some of the brand new songs in the 52 episodes has been released.
It is a hugely ambitious project which has involved some of the nation’s most talented artistes and writers as well as skilled behind-the-scenes craftsmen and women.
Christian and Caryl co-wrote the script for Rhestr Nadolig Wil which won a BAFTA UK children’s drama category award in 2009. Together they dreamt up the mythical character Marcaroni, the composer of all children’s songs, who lives in a clock.
“Many children in Wales these days have no knowledge of nursery rhymes, and it is said that parents are more likely to sing pop songs than nursery rhymes to their children, which is a great shame,” he said.
Christian has two children, Cai, seven, and Josie, who is only 12 months old, and he said he would love Josie to learn some of the songs he and Caryl were responsible for.
Seeing the potential for a children’s TV programme, they approached producer Nia Ceidiog, managing director of the Cardiff-based independent company Ceidiog, who was equally enthusiastic.
Coincidentally, Nia had been researching the need for new children’s songs. It revealed that, while nursery rhymes and nonsense songs are very important to the development of language in small children, traditional songs all over the world are losing ground.
“Other forms of entertainment such as television, radio and online serve up music which isn’t always appropriate. We decided to be the TV company to redress the balance.”
Nia has a distinguished track record in producing high quality children’s television.
She wrote the original Fireman Sam stories in both English and Welsh and Y Diwrnod Mawr (Big Day), her ground-breaking documentary series for pre-school children, has been nominated for five major UK and international awards.
S4C commissioned Marcaroni for the pre-school Cyw slot – and that is when the work really began for Caryl and Christian, who had to come up with 52 different songs and scripts for the accompanying stories.
“What they have achieved is quite amazing,” said Nia. “In one weekend Caryl wrote 13 songs and no two are alike. They’ve done a fantastic job.”
The icing on the cake came when Mark Evans, finalist in the Eurovision Your Country Needs You, agreed to take on the central role of Marcaroni – the mythical, ageless maestro who lives in a clock tower, and who composes all the songs for little children.
Mark was able to fit in the punishing schedule between finishing a nationwide tour with the musical Oklahoma and returning to the West End to star in Wicked.
“I’m so glad I was able to do this, because it’s really been fun,” he said during a short break from filming.
Caryl, who plays Anti Poli in some of the stories, is delighted with the way everything has come together in such a colourful and entertaining fashion.
“Children love nonsense songs and a bit of magic, and what gives me the most pleasure is to think that young children will be singing my songs and getting some enjoyment out of them,” she added.
In addition to the CD there will also be an interactive website to help children become even better acquainted with the songs.
There is information for parents on the interactive fun-for-children website www.marcaroni.tv and it can also be seen on www.s4c.co.uk/cyw
