A new 'Cumbria anthem' has been chosen by the public.

Calling All the Heroes, by It Bites, will now be covered by an 80-piece orchestra. Over the past week, hundreds of nominations flooded in to find an “anthem of Cumbria”, to be reimagined by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.

The final winner, picked by the BBC Radio Cumbria team and orchestra musicians, will now be covered by the acclaimed ensemble, which has been playing free concerts in the north of England for nearly 100 years.

The 80-piece orchestra now has just two weeks to adapt and perform the song, with each musician recording their part in their own home because of coronavirus restrictions.

Not an easy task, but BBC Radio Cumbria Breakfast presenter Mike Zeller said: “We asked people in the area to name the song that shouted Cumbria – and the response has been incredible.

“It wasn’t an easy decision, but in the end we decided Calling All the Heroes was the right choice. The band was formed in Egremont and put the region on a global stage.

"The song itself was many people’s soundtrack to the ‘80s. Some of our listeners said it was the perfect song for the times too, with so many going the extra mile during the pandemic."