Calling all budding songwriters.

Yorkshire schoolchildren are being given the opportunity to write and sing a song for the Millennium in a unique music project launched this week.

The competition, backed by the New Millennium Experience Company and Marks & Spencer, will see children working alongside local musicians to write a song which could be performed at the Millennium Dome and even released on CD.

Maggie Semple, director of the NMEC said: "This will be an exciting nationwide project giving young people the chance to learn in a creative and challenging way."

More than nine million young people in 32,000 schools are being asked to register this month.

Children will be able to sing their songs in local performances at heritage sites across the UK - for some it will be the first time in centuries that music has been heard inside them.

The regional winners will then join the overall winning song at a special concert to be staged in the Millennium Dome in the year 2000.

Memorable songs should have:

A strong lyrical theme;

Instantly memorable lyrics and tune;

A good title which might be the first or last line of the song;

A timeless style;

A high point which is not repeated anywhere else.

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