Musicians tune up for role in Yorkshire symphony

Until now, God's Own Country has mainly been associated with On Ilkley Moor Baht 'at or the music from the Hovis advert (Dvorak's New World Symphony for those culturally in the know).

But the Yorkshire Society is keen to find an anthem that can be sung on Yorkshire Day and the BBC is holding open auditions for local people who feel they have a part to play.

Composer Benjamin Till has been appointed by the BBC to find musical talent. Then he will be looking for acrobats, magicians, dancers, and other visual performers.

Work behind the scenes has already secured the services of a saxophone choir, an orchestra of ukuleles and other musicians.

Over the weekend, anyone who could bang out a tune was invited to turn up at BBC centres in Hull and York to face the panel.

The session at the Open Centre in Hull's Queen Gardens was the first in a series and some of those who turned up had only heard about the opportunity on the day.

Clipboards rapidly filled up as the studio resonated to the sound of The British Grenadiers and Send in the Clowns from the brass and Meditations from the strings.

First to audition was French horn player Iona Gladwin, 15, of Holderness Road, east Hull, and her sister Eilish, 12, who has been learning the cornet for more than three years.

Iona told the panel: "I have always wanted to do something like this and do music as a career." So when her mother mentioned the symphony she knew straightaway she wanted to get involved.

"I wanted to do some music in primary school. They gave me the French horn and I thought I would give it a go. I thought it was quite easy at first – then it got quite hard," she added.

Confident performances from both sisters were followed by a violin solo by Cottingham-based primary school teacher Ian Wood, 25, of Beverley.

The former Hull University music student admitted to feeling nervous and an attack of the "bow shakes" halfway through. "It is the first time I have played solo for years," he added.

The panel is looking for both outstanding soloists and those to play as part of a mass ensemble for a symphony in four movements, each three minutes long to be accompanied by a film. Shooting will take place all over Yorkshire from industrial heartlands to beaches, and rural beauty spots.

But for those braced for a Simon Cowell-style drubbing at the end of their performance, there were only words of encouragement.

Although the first performance of the symphony is due for this Yorkshire Day on August 1, York University graduate Mr Till wants to find something for everyone and has so far written not a note.

So whether your passion is for the cello and the classics, or you just love strumming your way through Anarchy in the UK the answer could be yes.

Just turn up for the further auditions throughout April. They continue tomorrow from noon to 4pm at Northern Theatre, Charterhouse Lane, Hull, and on Wednesday 7pm to 9pm at Joseph Rowntree School, York.

Further dates are Bradford National Media Museum on Thursday from 1pm, Sheffield Victoria Hall Methodist Church on Friday, from 10am, BBC Open Centre in Sheffield on Saturday from11am , and Leeds College of Music on the Sunday from noon.

People of all ages can also submit lyrics for the anthem itself, of between eight and 12 lines long, describing exactly what Yorkshire means to them.

Entries to: A Symphony for Yorkshire, BBC Broadcasting Centre, 2 St Peters Square, Leeds, LS9 8AH or email: [email protected] with name, address, contact number and age.

Famous advert filmed in dorset

On Ilkley Moor Baht 'At is traditionally sung each year on Yorkshire Day – but Dvorak's New World Symphony set to brass is also much hummed because of the Hovis commercials.

The original advert featuring the lad on his bike was made in 1973 by British Director Ridley Scott – later famous for blockbusters such as Alien and Gladiator.

The sepia tinted commercial was later voted Britain's favourite TV ad of all time.

But it was not filmed in the north. The location was Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, Dorset.

The original boy on the bike, Carl Barlow, then 13, is now a middle-aged fireman.