With marching bands and all groups of society out in strength, Norway celebrates Constitution Day, taking pride in its sovereignty.

The small Scandinavian country's independence was hard won, having been ruled by Denmark for more than 400 years, and then by Sweden for nearly another century.

For some people, the experience of having been ruled from afar can explain Norway's reluctance to embrace the European Union project.

"We are on the edge of Europe and we know what it means to be governed from abroad," says Hans Petter Bergseth who is marching with friends from his skiing club. "I think it's deep in our soul that we want to be independent."

But whilst Norway has twice rejected EU membership in referendums in 1972 and 1994, the nation relies on a close relationship with Brussels. Seventy to 80 percent of all Norwegian exports go to the EU markets and cooperation is viewed as essential in the areas of education, research and many more.

Access to the EU's single market comes at a price.

Norway has signed up the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement, and therefore had to implement more than three quarters of all EU laws with no formal influence on how they are drafted.

More importantly, Norway has had to agree to four EU-style freedoms: free movement of goods, services, people and capital.

Today, Norway has more EU migrants per person than Britain. More than 300,000 EU nationals live here, mostly people from Poland and Sweden attracted by the prospects of high-paid jobs and a generous welfare state.

For many companies, this influx of foreign workers has been beneficial. In the small fishing village of Skjervoy several hours north of Tromso, a salmon processing plant has become dependent on foreign workers.

"We don't have enough Norwegian workers who want to work in the fish industry," explains plant manager Tore Pedersen.

Many of these foreign workers are from Romania, like Christian, who arrived nearly four years ago after growing tired of poorly paid jobs in Italy.

"I'm travelling with a Romanian passport, I've had no problem," he explains.

This factory processes 365 tons of fish per day: salmon fillets and whole fish destined for restaurants and dining tables across Europe. It's the main employer in the village, and managers say the business would not be able to grow without foreign workers willing to work the assembly lines.

Here, most workers are unionised and Pedersen says foreign workers are paid the same as Norwegians. Something the unions dispute.

Across the fishing industry, construction industry, hotel and restaurants, they report cases of employers using foreign workers that are not unionized and therefore don't benefit from the collective bargaining agreements that guarantee a minimum wage and regulated working conditions.

"If they don't know the system, they work up to 12 hours," complains union leader Gunn Paulsen, who was picketing a hotel during a four-week long strike across the Norwegian hotel industry calling for better pay. "They ruin it for the next (person) who's coming in, the Norwegians coming in who know the regulations."

Whilst many large hotel groups are unionized, smaller or independent ones without a protection are free to pay their staff whatever they wish. "However low they get in Norway they get higher than in other countries," said Paulsen.

For Professor Bjorn Hersoug from the Arctic University of Tromso, companies that seek to get around ordinary labour conditions by outsourcing the hiring for foreign workers represent a threat to the Norwegian model that balances free markets with a strong social welfare state.

"There is a fear of labour dumping," says Hersoug. "In some instances, it looks like they have working conditions that are considerably worse than agreed through the ordinary agreements for minimum wages for example."

But despite the challenges brought by the EEA agreement, cooperation with the EU and access to the single market remains essential for Norway.

"The EEA agreement is something I would call a corner stone in the Norwegian economy," says Elisabeth Aspaker, the Norwegian Minister of the EEA and EU Affairs.

"We have to face the reality that the EU is our most important market," she says. "We do need cooperation when it comes to research, education, and in many other aspects."

With marching bands and all groups of society out in strength, Norway celebrates Constitution Day, taking pride in its sovereignty.

The small Scandinavian country's independence was hard won, having been ruled by Denmark for more than 400 years, and then by Sweden for nearly another century.

For some people, the experience of having been ruled from afar can explain Norway's reluctance to embrace the European Union project.

"We are on the edge of Europe and we know what it means to be governed from abroad," says Hans Petter Bergseth who is marching with friends from his skiing club. "I think it's deep in our soul that we want to be independent."

But whilst Norway has twice rejected EU membership in referendums in 1972 and 1994, the nation relies on a close relationship with Brussels. Seventy to 80 percent of all Norwegian exports go to the EU markets and cooperation is viewed as essential in the areas of education, research and many more.

Access to the EU's single market comes at a price.

Norway has signed up the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement, and therefore had to implement more than three quarters of all EU laws with no formal influence on how they are drafted.

More importantly, Norway has had to agree to four EU-style freedoms: free movement of goods, services, people and capital.

Today, Norway has more EU migrants per person than Britain. More than 300,000 EU nationals live here, mostly people from Poland and Sweden attracted by the prospects of high-paid jobs and a generous welfare state.

For many companies, this influx of foreign workers has been beneficial. In the small fishing village of Skjervoy several hours north of Tromso, a salmon processing plant has become dependent on foreign workers.

"We don't have enough Norwegian workers who want to work in the fish industry," explains plant manager Tore Pedersen.

Many of these foreign workers are from Romania, like Christian, who arrived nearly four years ago after growing tired of poorly paid jobs in Italy.

"I'm travelling with a Romanian passport, I've had no problem," he explains.

This factory processes 365 tons of fish per day: salmon fillets and whole fish destined for restaurants and dining tables across Europe. It's the main employer in the village, and managers say the business would not be able to grow without foreign workers willing to work the assembly lines.

Here, most workers are unionised and Pedersen says foreign workers are paid the same as Norwegians. Something the unions dispute.

Across the fishing industry, construction industry, hotel and restaurants, they report cases of employers using foreign workers that are not unionized and therefore don't benefit from the collective bargaining agreements that guarantee a minimum wage and regulated working conditions.

"If they don't know the system, they work up to 12 hours," complains union leader Gunn Paulsen, who was picketing a hotel during a four-week long strike across the Norwegian hotel industry calling for better pay. "They ruin it for the next (person) who's coming in, the Norwegians coming in who know the regulations."

Whilst many large hotel groups are unionized, smaller or independent ones without a protection are free to pay their staff whatever they wish. "However low they get in Norway they get higher than in other countries," said Paulsen.

For Professor Bjorn Hersoug from the Arctic University of Tromso, companies that seek to get around ordinary labour conditions by outsourcing the hiring for foreign workers represent a threat to the Norwegian model that balances free markets with a strong social welfare state.

"There is a fear of labour dumping," says Hersoug. "In some instances, it looks like they have working conditions that are considerably worse than agreed through the ordinary agreements for minimum wages for example."

But despite the challenges brought by the EEA agreement, cooperation with the EU and access to the single market remains essential for Norway.

"The EEA agreement is something I would call a corner stone in the Norwegian economy," says Elisabeth Aspaker, the Norwegian Minister of the EEA and EU Affairs.

"We have to face the reality that the EU is our most important market," she says. "We do need cooperation when it comes to research, education, and in many other aspects."

AP TELEVISION

Tromso - 17 May 2016

1. Various of Constitution Day parade

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Hans Petter Bergseth, 53-year-old medical adviser:

"Well, it's a young nation. Quite a proud nation. We are on the edge of Europe and we know what it means to be governed from abroad or we know what it means to be governed by larger countries. So I think it's deep in our soul that we want to be independent pretty much yes."

3. Various of Constitution Day parade

AP TELEVISION

Skjervoy - 18 May 2016

4. Various of Skjervoy harbour

5. Various exteriors of salmon processing plant

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Tore Pedersen, Fish processing plant manager:

"We have 180 people working here at Skjervoy and 60 percent of the workers are from other countries. It's a fact that we don't have enough Norwegian workers who want to work in the fish industry, so we need people from other countries to come and work at Skjervoy."

7. Christian in front of the processing plant

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Christian, No last Name given, factory worker from Romania:

"My name is Christian and I come from Romania. I've been here for four years - almost four years. I'm travelling with a Romanian passport, I've don't have any problems with travel. We don't need a visa or something like that - it's very easy to come here from Romania. It's a nice country to come to."

9. Various of filleting assembly line

10. Various of salmon packaging line

11. Various of salmon slaughter room

AP TELEVISION

Tromso - 17 May, 2016

12. Various of Tromso seen from onboard a boat in the fjord

AP TELEVISION

Tromso - 20 May, 2016

13. Various of local hotel staff on strike

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Gunn Paulsen, Union Leader:

"Before the oil strikes (meaning the fall in oil prices) it has been good for Norway because you had to have people working here, but then it started what we call in Norway the 'Monkey business' - that they started to pay lower to the people from other places, because they accept it, because however low they get in Norway they get higher than in other countries. So this is the bad thing."

15. Cutaway

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Gunn Paulsen, Union Leader:

"If they don't know the system, they work up to 12 hours. It's not nice because they ruin it for the next (person) who's coming in, the Norwegians coming in who know the regulations - but you can't say anything to the others working like this, because it's okay, they've always been doing this."

AP TELEVISION

Tromso - 19 May, 2016

17. Various of Tromso harbour

18. Professor Bjorn Hersoug walking along harbour seafront

19. SOUNDBITE (English) Prof. Bjorn Hersoug, Arctic University of Tromso:

"You know, seen from the Norwegian point of view, if you can get around the ordinary salary conditions, the labour conditions by hiring a company from, for example, from Poland, and you make a deal with this Polish company where they provide you with the labour which is unorganised (non-unionized) then you are getting around the rules. You can legally pay them less, but that kind of undermines the whole Norwegian model in the longer run."

20. Cutaway

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Prof. Bjorn Hersoug, Arctic University of Tromso

"We see that we have a number of people coming from the European Union countries and in some instances it looks like they have working conditions that are considerably worse than agreed through the ordinary Norwegian agreements for minimum wages for example. So there is kind of a fear of labour dumping."

AP TELEVISION

Tromso, Norway - 17 MAY 2016

22. Various of Tromso seen from onboard a boat in the fjord

AP TELEVISION

Brussels, Belgium - 25 MAY 2016

23. Various of EU flags

24. SOUNDBITE (English) Elisabeth Aspaker, Minister of the EEA and EU Affairs:

"I think Norway is in a very special situation. We have this huge fortune in our oil, we have developed a solid welfare state and people think 'we can do by ourselves' or 'we can go on alone.' But in another way, we have to face the reality that the EU is our most important market, up to 70 or 80 percent of all the exported goods from Norway go to the EU market, and we do need cooperation when it comes to research, education, and in many other aspects. These days it's about migration, it's about security policy. So the EEA agreement is something I would call a corner stone in the Norwegian economy and if you go to the Parliament today, they will be a solid majority for the agreement although we are not a member of the EU."

32. Various of Norway House in Brussels

European Union workers who work in Britain expressed fear and confusion over what happens next on Saturday, as their adoptive country begins the long process of unwinding its many ties to continental Europe.

An entire class of cosmopolitan entrepreneurs, workers, students and strivers who have made the UK their home since Britain opened its borders to its EU neighbours now see their futures in limbo.

Immigrants have changed the face of Britain, turning London's Kensington neighbourhood into a suburb of Paris, sleepy English towns like Boston into Baltic enclaves, and filling supermarket shelves across the nation with Polish lager and Wiejska sausage.

The biggest impact may be on the Poles - the largest group of foreign EU workers in the UK.

An estimated 850,000 people have left Poland for the UK to seek wages and opportunities far beyond what they could ever expect in their ex-communist homeland - a flow so dramatic that Polish is now England's second-most-spoken language.

But despite others' concerns, Polish businessman Andrew Makulsky was optimistic.

Over the long-term though, the lives of the estimated three million EU citizens living in Britain may change in ways big and small.

A survey commissioned by the Financial Times found that if Britain's current immigration rules were applied to EU nationals, the overwhelming majority would lose their jobs and be forced to leave the country - catastrophic news for Spanish barristers, Romanian strawberry pickers, German investment bankers and the industries that rely on them.

Greek expatriate Flora Michalopoulou settled in the United Kingdom in early 2014 after difficult times in Greece following the financial crisis.

A trained psychologist working with autistic children, she worked for months with no pay. When her partner's employment suffered the same fate, they decided to move to Scotland.

Flora had previously studied in England but by 2014 it felt too expensive, so they opted for Edinburgh.

She said the UK's vote to leave the European Union came as a shock and she doesn't really know what it vote will mean.

Back in London, French investment banker Marc Miller feared the consequences the referendum would have on him because of London's role as a financial services centre.

Under British law, EU immigrants who have resided in the UK for more than five years can apply for permanent residency.

In practice, however, few EU citizens have bothered as their passports already allow them to travel freely and easily access education, health care, pensions and other services in Britain.

European Union workers who work in Britain expressed fear and confusion over what happens next on Saturday, as their adoptive country begins the long process of unwinding its many ties to continental Europe.

An entire class of cosmopolitan entrepreneurs, workers, students and strivers who have made the UK their home since Britain opened its borders to its EU neighbours now see their futures in limbo.

Immigrants have changed the face of Britain, turning London's Kensington neighbourhood into a suburb of Paris, sleepy English towns like Boston into Baltic enclaves, and filling supermarket shelves across the nation with Polish lager and Wiejska sausage.

The biggest impact may be on the Poles - the largest group of foreign EU workers in the UK.

An estimated 850,000 people have left Poland for the UK to seek wages and opportunities far beyond what they could ever expect in their ex-communist homeland - a flow so dramatic that Polish is now England's second-most-spoken language.

But despite others' concerns, Polish businessman Andrew Makulsky was optimistic.

Over the long-term though, the lives of the estimated three million EU citizens living in Britain may change in ways big and small.

A survey commissioned by the Financial Times found that if Britain's current immigration rules were applied to EU nationals, the overwhelming majority would lose their jobs and be forced to leave the country - catastrophic news for Spanish barristers, Romanian strawberry pickers, German investment bankers and the industries that rely on them.

Greek expatriate Flora Michalopoulou settled in the United Kingdom in early 2014 after difficult times in Greece following the financial crisis.

A trained psychologist working with autistic children, she worked for months with no pay. When her partner's employment suffered the same fate, they decided to move to Scotland.

Flora had previously studied in England but by 2014 it felt too expensive, so they opted for Edinburgh.

She said the UK's vote to leave the European Union came as a shock and she doesn't really know what it vote will mean.

Back in London, French investment banker Marc Miller feared the consequences the referendum would have on him because of London's role as a financial services centre.

Under British law, EU immigrants who have resided in the UK for more than five years can apply for permanent residency.

In practice, however, few EU citizens have bothered as their passports already allow them to travel freely and easily access education, health care, pensions and other services in Britain.

London - 25 June 2016

1. Polish people singing Polish national anthem and cheering before watching Poland - Sweden Euro 2016 football match

2. Andrew Makulsky playing trumpet

3. Polish flag

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Andrew Makulsky, Chairman of Polish club and restaurant and businessman:

"We are working here, very hard. Everybody works officially, legally, we pay taxes to Her Majesty. I am sure everything is fine. Maybe today and yesterday - big panic, but slowly slowly, I think situation will be back to normal. It's not very good news about what happened yesterday, but I am thinking positive."

6. Various of people in Polish club

Edinburgh, Scotland - 25 June 2016

7. View of Edinburgh castle

8. Various of people walking in the hills

9. Greek expatriate Flora Michalopoulou walking in the hills overlooking the mountain

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Flora Michalopoulou, Greek expatriate living in Scotland:

"So I had been living in Greece and because of the financial crisis I wasn't getting paid for my work and I couldn't find another job, so I decided to move back to the UK and I came and settled in Edinburgh in February 2014. (Michalopoulou walking past Edinburgh Castle) We've been here ever since, and now our life is here. Well, the initial reaction is a feeling of not being wanted, and there is part of me that thinks maybe there is something in that. Maybe I am taking the job away from someone who's local and maybe deserves it, in a way. On the other hand, I work hard for what I do, my employers want me to be here. I'm sure that if it came to supporting me staying here by documentation or something like that, I'm sure they would. But it's very discordant because we felt very welcome in Scotland by the people, by employers, by the government, everything. It's been so positive and so welcoming. And this referendum was kind of a slap in the face. It's like you're not wanted by everyone. You're not wanted anywhere."

13. Flora's dog Boughatsa, named after a Greek cream pastry, running around the hills

14. Various of flowers

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Flora Michalopoulou, Greek expatriate living in Scotland:

"I think we're in denial that anything will change, because we are here and we are settled here. I don't think and they (her Greek friends) don't think we're going to find a difference in our everyday life or in how we apply for jobs, we apply for houses and how we live our life. But it may not be true. Maybe we'll need visas or it'll be expensive or it may be that we'll need to become residents, or it may be that coming in or out of the country is going to be all that more difficult and all the more difficult for our families to come visit us."

16. Flora stroking Boughatsa

17. Close-up Boughatsa

18. Boughatsa running around the hills

19. Various landscape

London - 25 June 2016

20. Various of London streets

21. Mid of French cafe

22. SOUNDBITE (English) Marc Miller, French investment banker:

"I think that the result is actually really bad. It's bad for me personally, because I believe that as a banker in this country I will be affected certainly by what has happened."

23. Cutaway sign reading "Boulangerie

24. SOUNDBITE (English) Marc Miller, French investment banker:

"Part of ability to sell services will be taken away, which means job losses here and consecutively probably relocation to other European countries, which probably could be a benefit for other European countries, and I think it will be, but it will clearly be a negative for London as financial services centre."

25. Various of Marc Miller walking away

LEAD IN:

German business confidence rose more than expected last month (December 2016), with sentiment improving in the key manufacturing sector and elsewhere, according to the Ifo (Information and Forschung) Institute for Economic Research.

Germany has kept its manufacturing traditions at the heart of its strong economy... and in one region it is making of instruments that have sustained economic growth.

STORY-LINE:

Skilled musicians demand the best instruments.

In recent decades mass production of orchestral instruments is dominated by factories in China.

But quality production of instruments can still be found in the region of Vogtland in Saxony, where more than 1,300 craftsmen in more than 100 workshops continue the craft of their ancestors.

Many workshops boast 4th or 5th generation artisans and the majority of the companies are family businesses.

Jurgen Voigt is one of the medium size companies in Markneukirchen employing 30 people.

The company has been in the current owner's family for 10 generations, and it produces a variety of brass instruments and spare parts.

Kerstin Voigt says one of the extra advantages of the company is that they are able to offer not only high quality instruments but also custom made instruments.

Musicians can ask for changes on the catalogued instruments or can design new ones.

Despite the company's long tradition in handcrafting instruments, they have also embraced industrial machinery, using machines alongside the craftsmen.

At the beginning of the 20th century, factories with thousands of workers were based in Vogtland.

China has become one of the biggest producers of music instruments in recent years.

But for the manufacturers of Vogtland this does not present a threat.

"The cheap products from the Asia made the beginners (pupils) music instrument market unreachable to us.", says Kerstin Voigt.

"It has broken away (from us). They (the clients) were going there (They are all buying Chinese instruments). But professionals, (music university) students and today's very dedicated amateurs demand more and more to have custom made instruments."

Neither mass production having moved to another country or the recent economic crisis has posed a substantial threat to Voigts' company.

"You could say that the crisis of the last years, either the economic crisis or Brexit and Grexit, was to our benefit. Interests in the money market are low, and so people started investing in which are durable and have great value," she says.

Musical instruments have been manufactured for more than 350 years in the southern region of Saxony, close to the Bavarian and the Czech border.

Björn Stoll's family has been in the music production industry since 1836. Stoll is now the owner of the family business working alongside his father producing cellos and double basses.

"We deliver worldwide. From the USA, to Japan, Indonesia, Austria, Spain, China. Especially in China they build a lot of cheap instruments but there are also a lot of good musicians searching for high quality instruments. They are coming to us to order customised instruments," says Stoll.

"Most of our clients want that the instrument look used even if they get it new. Because old instruments have the image that they are the best.The old Italians for example. That's because we make new instruments look like old ones. There you can see scratches and hits in the varnish. Wear marks we put on the new instruments which you would see generally not until hundreds of years. The vintage look," he adds.

A tourism industry has evolved to complement the instrument making tradition, with workshops opening their doors to visitors.

Frank Bilz is the manager of Musicon Valley association, an organisation that is promoting tourism in the area.

"Tourism generates revenues of which we had no idea until a few years ago (it was possible)," he says.

For the visitors this is an opportunity to learn something new while visiting a relatively undiscovered region.

"I wanted to see this here because I didn't know about it. I am 55 years old but I was amazed that they make everything by hand at not as you might think by machine," says visitor Ilona Rossberger.

Vogtland instruments are indeed well regarded in the music world.

Frank Meyer, is the co-owner of Ludwig Frank & Frank Meyer music instrument shop in Berlin, which specialises in woodwind instruments.

"The clients which are buying instruments from Vogtland and especially from our company are mostly professionals. They are coming from broadcast orchestras, from opera (orchestras) and from all around the world, Paris, New York, London, Milan, Tokyo and let's not forget Beijing," he says.

Balazs piri Arpad, an oboist of the Slovenian National Opera orchestra has driven from Slovenia to buy an instrument made in Vogtland.

Balazs piri Arpad has driven from Slovenia with his colleague in order to try one these instruments.

"My colleague from philharmonic, he has already got this instrument, and I tried and it is very nice, warm sound, good intonation, flexible tones, so..."

In 2014 UNESCO recognised Vogtland Musical Instrument Construction in Markneukirchen and the Surrounding Area as Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Markneukirchen, Vogtland - December 7, 2016

1. Medium zoom out of man playing the trumpet

2. Various shots of employees producing brass instruments

3. Various of Kirstin Voigt walking and talking with employees

4. SOUNDBITE (Germany) Kerstin Voigt, owner of brass instruments company Jürgen Voigt :

"The cheap products from Asia made the beginners (pupils) music instrument market unreachable to us. It has broken away (from us). They (the clients) were going there (They are all buying Chinese instruments). But professionals, (music university) students and today's very dedicated amateurs demand more and more to have custom made instruments"

5. Various of electronic heavy machinery being operated by an employee

6. SOUNDBITE (Germany) Kerstin Voigt, owner of brass instruments company Jürgen Voigt :

"You could say that the crisis of the last years, either the economic crisis or Brexit and Grexit, was to our benefit. Interests in the money market are low, and so people started investing in things which are durable and have great value"

7. Close up of frame with old advertising poster

8. Various of Björn Stoll's father attaching strings to a cello

9. Various of Björn Stoll carving the wooden top of a cello

10. SOUNDBITE (German) Björn Stoll, luthier and owner of Contrabass workshop :

"We deliver worldwide. From the USA, to Japan, Indonesia, Austria, Spain, China. Especially in China they build a lot of cheap instruments but there are also a lot of good musicians searching for high quality instruments. They are coming to us to order customised instruments"

11. Various of Björn's father tuning a cello

12. SOUNDBITE (German) Björn Stoll, Luthier and owner of Contrabass workshop:

"Most of our clients want that the instrument look used even if they get it new. Because old instruments have the image that they are the best.The old Italians for example. That's because we make new instruments look like old ones. There you can see scratches and hits in the varnish. Wear marks we put on the new instruments which you would see generally not until hundreds of years. The vintage look"

13. Various of employee and father of Björn Stoll working on cellos

Markneukirchen, Vogtland - December 8, 2016

14. Wide of Markneukirchen

Markneukirchen, Vogtland - December 7, 2016

15. Wide exterior of Musicon Valley association building

16. Medium of Tourists arriving at the Musicon Valley and being greeted by Frank Bilz

17. Close up of date on building

18. Medium of Frank Bilz talking to the tourists

19. Medium of frame on the wall with old pictures of music craftsmen working

20. Close up of picture of craftsman working on a bass

21. SOUNDBITE (German) Frank Bilz, Manager of Musicon Valley:

At the end of the day they can say that the added value has arisen here. Tourism generates revenues of which we had no idea until a few years ago (it was possible)"

22. Medium of luthier giving a seminar to tourists

23. Close up of violin handles on the wall

24. SOUNDBITE (German) Ilona Rossberger, Visitor

"I wanted to see this here because I didn't know about it. I am 55 years old but I was amazed that they make everything by hand at not as you might think by machine"

Berlin - December 10, 2016

25. Various exterior of wind instruments shop

26. Various of owner Frank Meyer, co owner of Ludwig Frank music shop, entering room with instruments and arranging instruments on the display

27. SOUNDBITE (German) Frank Meyer, Ludwig Frank music shop:

"The clients which are buying instruments from Vogtland and especially from our company are mostly professionals. They are coming from broadcast orchestras, from opera (orchestras) and from all around the world, Paris, New York, London, Milan, Tokyo and let's not forget Beijing"

28. Various of Oboist Balazs piri Arpad of the Slovenian National Opera playing an oboe

29. SOUNDBITE (English) Balazs piri Arpad, oboist at Slovenian National Opera:

"My colleague from philharmonic, he has already got this instrument, and I tried and it is very nice, warm sound, good intonation, flexible tones, so..."

30. Zoom in of Balazs piri Arpad of the Slovenian National Opera playing an oboe

LEAD IN:

German business confidence rose more than expected last month (December 2016), with sentiment improving in the key manufacturing sector and elsewhere, according to the Ifo (Information and Forschung) Institute for Economic Research.

Germany has kept its manufacturing traditions at the heart of its strong economy... and in one region it is making of instruments that have sustained economic growth.

STORY-LINE:

Skilled musicians demand the best instruments.

In recent decades mass production of orchestral instruments is dominated by factories in China.

But quality production of instruments can still be found in the region of Vogtland in Saxony, where more than 1,300 craftsmen in more than 100 workshops continue the craft of their ancestors.

Many workshops boast 4th or 5th generation artisans and the majority of the companies are family businesses.

Jurgen Voigt is one of the medium size companies in Markneukirchen employing 30 people.

The company has been in the current owner's family for 10 generations, and it produces a variety of brass instruments and spare parts.

Kerstin Voigt says one of the extra advantages of the company is that they are able to offer not only high quality instruments but also custom made instruments.

Musicians can ask for changes on the catalogued instruments or can design new ones.

Despite the company's long tradition in handcrafting instruments, they have also embraced industrial machinery, using machines alongside the craftsmen.

At the beginning of the 20th century, factories with thousands of workers were based in Vogtland.

China has become one of the biggest producers of music instruments in recent years.

But for the manufacturers of Vogtland this does not present a threat.

"The cheap products from the Asia made the beginners (pupils) music instrument market unreachable to us.", says Kerstin Voigt.

"It has broken away (from us). They (the clients) were going there (They are all buying Chinese instruments). But professionals, (music university) students and today's very dedicated amateurs demand more and more to have custom made instruments."

Neither mass production having moved to another country or the recent economic crisis has posed a substantial threat to Voigts' company.

"You could say that the crisis of the last years, either the economic crisis or Brexit and Grexit, was to our benefit. Interests in the money market are low, and so people started investing in which are durable and have great value," she says.

Musical instruments have been manufactured for more than 350 years in the southern region of Saxony, close to the Bavarian and the Czech border.

Björn Stoll's family has been in the music production industry since 1836. Stoll is now the owner of the family business working alongside his father producing cellos and double basses.

"We deliver worldwide. From the USA, to Japan, Indonesia, Austria, Spain, China. Especially in China they build a lot of cheap instruments but there are also a lot of good musicians searching for high quality instruments. They are coming to us to order customised instruments," says Stoll.

"Most of our clients want that the instrument look used even if they get it new. Because old instruments have the image that they are the best.The old Italians for example. That's because we make new instruments look like old ones. There you can see scratches and hits in the varnish. Wear marks we put on the new instruments which you would see generally not until hundreds of years. The vintage look," he adds.

A tourism industry has evolved to complement the instrument making tradition, with workshops opening their doors to visitors.

Frank Bilz is the manager of Musicon Valley association, an organisation that is promoting tourism in the area.

"Tourism generates revenues of which we had no idea until a few years ago (it was possible)," he says.

For the visitors this is an opportunity to learn something new while visiting a relatively undiscovered region.

"I wanted to see this here because I didn't know about it. I am 55 years old but I was amazed that they make everything by hand at not as you might think by machine," says visitor Ilona Rossberger.

Vogtland instruments are indeed well regarded in the music world.

Frank Meyer, is the co-owner of Ludwig Frank & Frank Meyer music instrument shop in Berlin, which specialises in woodwind instruments.

"The clients which are buying instruments from Vogtland and especially from our company are mostly professionals. They are coming from broadcast orchestras, from opera (orchestras) and from all around the world, Paris, New York, London, Milan, Tokyo and let's not forget Beijing," he says.

Balazs piri Arpad, an oboist of the Slovenian National Opera orchestra has driven from Slovenia to buy an instrument made in Vogtland.

Balazs piri Arpad has driven from Slovenia with his colleague in order to try one these instruments.

"My colleague from philharmonic, he has already got this instrument, and I tried and it is very nice, warm sound, good intonation, flexible tones, so..."

In 2014 UNESCO recognised Vogtland Musical Instrument Construction in Markneukirchen and the Surrounding Area as Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Markneukirchen, Vogtland - December 7, 2016

1. Medium zoom out of man playing the trumpet

2. Various shots of employees producing brass instruments

3. Various of Kirstin Voigt walking and talking with employees

4. SOUNDBITE (Germany) Kerstin Voigt, owner of brass instruments company Jürgen Voigt :

"The cheap products from Asia made the beginners (pupils) music instrument market unreachable to us. It has broken away (from us). They (the clients) were going there (They are all buying Chinese instruments). But professionals, (music university) students and today's very dedicated amateurs demand more and more to have custom made instruments"

5. Various of electronic heavy machinery being operated by an employee

6. SOUNDBITE (Germany) Kerstin Voigt, owner of brass instruments company Jürgen Voigt :

"You could say that the crisis of the last years, either the economic crisis or Brexit and Grexit, was to our benefit. Interests in the money market are low, and so people started investing in things which are durable and have great value"

7. Close up of frame with old advertising poster

8. Various of Björn Stoll's father attaching strings to a cello

9. Various of Björn Stoll carving the wooden top of a cello

10. SOUNDBITE (German) Björn Stoll, luthier and owner of Contrabass workshop :

"We deliver worldwide. From the USA, to Japan, Indonesia, Austria, Spain, China. Especially in China they build a lot of cheap instruments but there are also a lot of good musicians searching for high quality instruments. They are coming to us to order customised instruments"

11. Various of Björn's father tuning a cello

12. SOUNDBITE (German) Björn Stoll, Luthier and owner of Contrabass workshop:

"Most of our clients want that the instrument look used even if they get it new. Because old instruments have the image that they are the best.The old Italians for example. That's because we make new instruments look like old ones. There you can see scratches and hits in the varnish. Wear marks we put on the new instruments which you would see generally not until hundreds of years. The vintage look"

13. Various of employee and father of Björn Stoll working on cellos

Markneukirchen, Vogtland - December 8, 2016

14. Wide of Markneukirchen

Markneukirchen, Vogtland - December 7, 2016

15. Wide exterior of Musicon Valley association building

16. Medium of Tourists arriving at the Musicon Valley and being greeted by Frank Bilz

17. Close up of date on building

18. Medium of Frank Bilz talking to the tourists

19. Medium of frame on the wall with old pictures of music craftsmen working

20. Close up of picture of craftsman working on a bass

21. SOUNDBITE (German) Frank Bilz, Manager of Musicon Valley:

At the end of the day they can say that the added value has arisen here. Tourism generates revenues of which we had no idea until a few years ago (it was possible)"

22. Medium of luthier giving a seminar to tourists

23. Close up of violin handles on the wall

24. SOUNDBITE (German) Ilona Rossberger, Visitor

"I wanted to see this here because I didn't know about it. I am 55 years old but I was amazed that they make everything by hand at not as you might think by machine"

Berlin - December 10, 2016

25. Various exterior of wind instruments shop

26. Various of owner Frank Meyer, co owner of Ludwig Frank music shop, entering room with instruments and arranging instruments on the display

27. SOUNDBITE (German) Frank Meyer, Ludwig Frank music shop:

"The clients which are buying instruments from Vogtland and especially from our company are mostly professionals. They are coming from broadcast orchestras, from opera (orchestras) and from all around the world, Paris, New York, London, Milan, Tokyo and let's not forget Beijing"

28. Various of Oboist Balazs piri Arpad of the Slovenian National Opera playing an oboe

29. SOUNDBITE (English) Balazs piri Arpad, oboist at Slovenian National Opera:

"My colleague from philharmonic, he has already got this instrument, and I tried and it is very nice, warm sound, good intonation, flexible tones, so..."

30. Zoom in of Balazs piri Arpad of the Slovenian National Opera playing an oboe