A page of cheesy lyrics would usually be the last thing a budding songwriter would wish to come up with, but this week a new national competition was launched seeking to find a lyricist who can be put the nation’s love for Cheddar into words.
The British Cheese Board (BCB) is inviting members the public to create a national anthem for Cheddar, the UK’s most popular cheese, based on one of three traditional songs; God Save the Queen, Land of Hope and Glory or Jerusalem.
The best entries will be placed onto a shortlist, with the winner chosen through a public vote on the board’s website.
Nigel White, secretary to the BCB, said the trade body was seeking a “fitting anthem to this national treasure”, and that he hoped people from across the UK took part in the musical competition.
The search for a fitting chorus and verse was launched on Wednesday with a YouTube clip featuring the Vivace choir from Sussex performing their ode to the Cheddar, set to the tune of Jerusalem.
Watch the video of their effort below:
[youtube id=”JnO4wvJEd0s” width=”600″ height=”350″]
Award-winning celebrity cheese maker and former Blur bassist, Alex James lent his support to the campaign too, saying: “It’s important to be buying British right now, and Cheddar truly represents the best of British cheese as it was invented right here in the UK.
“This is a fun way to support British Cheddar and combine two of the best things in life – music and cheese”.
The closing date for entries is June 15 and details on how to enter can be found on the BCB website.
After the deadline, a shortlist of five entries will be put to the public vote to pick an overall winner which will run until 20 July.
The writer of the successful Cheddar serenade will win a year’s supply of British Cheddars as well as two weekend passes to Alex James’s food and music festival set to take place in September.
The Musicroom blog team recommend holding off from any pasturised bursts of inspiration too close to bedtime to prevent dairy fuelled nightmares.
Will you entering the BCB’s musical competition?