The 'Anthem of Merseyside' to be played by BBC Orchestra
Photograph by Priya Budhi (BBC)

BBC Radio Merseyside and the BBC Philharmonic need your help to reinvent a great Merseyside song into a new classic! The song that best symbolises Merseyside; as picked by you; will be covered by an 80 piece BBC orchestra... You can text, tweet or email your nomination for the:- "Anthem of Merseyside." The winning track will be picked by BBC Radio Merseyside breakfast presenter Tony Snell before being sent to the 80 piece BBC Philharmonic. They will have just 2 weeks to write, rehearse and perform the tune, with each musician recording their part from their own home. It means music from bands like Frankie Goes to Hollywood, The Real Thing or The La's could be remained into a piece of music which will become part of the local music scene. Tony Snell said:- "This area has had a unique musical sound since ships started sailing up the Mersey. You could fill every concert hall in the land and still have tunes to play from the sheer number of brilliant songs from Merseyside musicians. Can't wait to hear what our listeners come up with! We'll be spoilt for choice. Let's find out once and for all: what is the anthem of Merseyside?"

The chosen tune will be played on BBC Radio Merseyside and will be added to the 'Great Northern Playlist,' made up of the tracks picked from each of the 10 BBC Local Radio areas in the North. All of the songs will be played by the BBC Philharmonic, which has been serving the North from its base in Manchester for nearly 100 years. Simon Webb, Director of the BBC Philharmonic, said:- "We have honed our skills creating lockdown tracks like this for 5Live, 6Music, Radio 3 and Radio 4 but have never attempted something on this scale before. To take ten popular songs, turn them into pieces that dozens of classically trained musicians can play; all while those musicians are stuck in their own homes; is going to be a real challenge. But the BBC Philharmonic is no stranger to creative challenges and we can't wait to get stuck in. For nearly a century we have been playing for audiences across the North; and we're really pleased to be finding new and exciting ways to serve those same communities during the pandemic."

Nominations run from 5 June 2020 until midday Thursday, 11 June 2020. The finished song will be played 2 weeks later on the Breakfast Show. Rozina Breen, head of BBC North, said:- "The Philharmonic is a northern institution and to hear it connect directly with our diverse communities across the North will be very special.The North has produced some of the world's best bands, musicians and songwriters and our aim is to bring communities in crisis together creatively, through music, with a celebration of our shared and world-renowned musical heritage."

To submit your nomination:-

► Tweet:- @bbcmerseyside using #GreatNorthernPlaylist.

► Text:- 8133 – start your message with Mersey.

► Email:- MakeADifference.Merseyside@BBC.Co.UK.

Liverpool and Manchester Metro Mayors face off in DJ battle of the North West

THE Metro Mayors of the Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester will take part in a DJ battle on Sunday, 7 June 2020, to determine which place has the better music and to raise money for good causes during the Coronavirus pandemic. Steve Rotheram and Andy Burnham will be taking turns on the decks to play songs by acts from in and around Liverpool and Manchester. The battle will be shown exclusively on the United We Stream platform:- UnitedWeStream.Co.UK. The Mayors will play one track from each decade, beginning in the 60's and finishing in the present day. Expect classic Merseybeat and Madchester, as well as some up and coming acts to watch for the future. The money raised from the event will be shared between LCRCares, a campaign to support organisations on the frontline supporting communities throughout the Liverpool City Region during the Coronavirus pandemic, and the Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity, which helps the most vulnerable people across Greater Manchester. LCR Cares has distributed more than ₤1million to good causes across the Liverpool City Region. The United We Stream platform is free to watch, but with donations welcome. The project has already raised a staggering ₤320,000 for the City Region's night time economy, cultural organisations and chosen local charities.

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:- "Everyone knows that our City Region is the centre of the known musical universe. Not only are we a UNESCO World City of Music, but we have produced more No1 hits than anywhere else in the country and this battle gives us the chance to show the unbelievable talent from across our area, whilst at the same time raising money for some great causes. From Atomic Kitten to the Zutons, there are so many amazing tunes to choose, so it will be a fantastic listen with (hopefully) something for everyone. The most difficult part of this has been leaving out some of my personal favourites, but we have agreed to spread our choices over several decades and musical genres to give a wider flavour of the eclectic music generated from our respective areas. Let's face it; I could have just chosen 10 Beatles tracks and blown anything they have to offer out of the water, but there will be just one Beatles track and lots of other great music. Let battle commence!"

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said:- "Manchester and Liverpool have had some big battles over the years and Sunday's promises to be no different. Manchester has held the upper hand on football in recent times and I'm confident that we'll emerge from this weekend as the North West capital of music. Let's face it; if we had excluded music from the 1960's, there would be no contest! But, competition aside, music unites both City Regions and the United We Stream show promises to be an amazing celebration of North West culture. We hope it will bring people together at a difficult time and raise funds for important causes at both ends of the M62."

Since it launched on 3 April 2020, United We Stream has reached a total of 14 million people who have tuned in to watch acts including:- Spice Girl Melanie C, Paul Oakenfold and Roger Sanchez, as well as comedians Jon Richardson, Alan Carr and Russell Kane. Its 2 12 hour Hacienda House Party events were watched by over 3.5 million people, with viewers from as far afield as California. On Friday 22 May 2020, United We Stream broadcast a special 4 hour show to mark the 3rd Anniversary of the Manchester Arena attack, with performances from the Manchester Survivors Choir and former Coronation Street actress Catherine Tyldesley.