MILLENNIUM Dome fever has hit Ledbury ahead of the town's Day in the Dome on Monday.

Schoolchildren, Herefordshire Youth Orchestra and the Community Choir are set to do the county proud with a series of stunning performances.

In a surprise last-minute development, Ledbury Community Choir has learnt that it will have the honour of performing three half-hour shows on the central stage in the Dome.

The choir will perform under the baton of Steve Tommey, head of arts at John Masefield High School, and the programme will include church, gospel and Disney favourites, including songs from the Lion King.

"This is a day when people attending the Dome will get a flavour of Ledbury and Herefordshire. It's a once in a lifetime experience," said Mr Tommey.

Community choir member Coun Spencer Lane, chairman of the Ledbury 2000 Working Party, said: "It's going to be a super day, the culmination of a lot of people's efforts and to actually perform on the centre stage will be tremendous."

Ledbury will be representing the county after being chosen by Herefordshire Council last July because to its record of staging successful community events.

More than 80 schoolchildren will give performances of Ledbury Lives in the McDonald's 500-seat theatre, a show involving dance, music and video, telling the story of Ledbury.

This involves the choir of Ledbury Primary School and dancers from John Masefield High School.

Much Marcle headteacher Sue Hughes, who has been organising the involvement of children from local primary schools, said there would be "lovely artwork" in the Dome, all done by the youngsters from the primary schools of Ledbury, Much Marcle, Ashperton, Eastnor, Bosbury, Colwall and Cradley.

At 6.30am on Monday morning, seven coaches containing 300 people will pull away from the Market House, Ledbury, for a day to remember. On board will be youngsters, parents, well-wishers and local dignitaries, including the Mayor of Ledbury, Clive Jupp.

Travel for schoolchildren going by coach will be free, thanks to donations from Barclays Bank and Ledbury Town Council.

For two members of the community choir, Monday cannot come soon enough, so they will be setting off for London by bicycle today (Friday).

Norman Stanier and Peter Cox will break their trip at Oxford, arrive at Kew on Saturday and travelling by boat along the Thames to Greenwich on Sunday, in time for Ledbury's Day in the Dome on Monday.

Mr Stanier said: "As a family on Millennium night, we cycled from Putley to North Wales. This is just a way of celebrating the Millennium year and supporting Ledbury. It should be good."

Mr Stanier has another good reason for making the date. His two sons, Patrick, aged 17, and Hugh, aged 13, pupils of John Masefield High School, feature in a professionally made video, The Road Ahead, which will be shown in the Dome and give visitors a further insight into Ledbury and Herefordshire.