TWO Sidmouth girls, with a talent for musical composition, have gained third place in a county-wide contest to write a song celebrating Devon.

TWO Sidmouth girls, with a talent for musical composition, have gained third place in a county-wide contest to write a song celebrating Devon.

Hannah Dell and Emma-Jane Weeks, both 11, are pupils at St Nicholas Junior School, Woolbrook.

When deputy head Julie Allen heard Devon County Council was running a Song4Devon contest to find a catchy song to celebrate Devon's unique and vibrant character, she thought it would be a challenge to the girls.

Hannah plays keyboards and Emma-Jane the clarinet and they eagerly set about producing the words and music to Song For Devon to enter the primary school category.

They put together ideas about what Devon meant to them while in the playground and when they had finished their song found a group of friends to sing it for them so it could be recorded and sent off for judging.

Now their hard work has been rewarded by gaining third place in their category and certificates of commendation.

"We made it really simple and with a chorus,"said Emma-Jane, who would like to compose more songs.

Mrs Allen praised the girls, who worked on the song without adult help. "They did it in their own time, wrote the song and rallied friends to learn, practice and record it ready to submit it in the competition," she said.

Now the girls are eager to hear the winning songs from four categories, which will be broadcast on local radio from Monday, December 8, for the public to vote for.

They are on DCC's website www.devon.gov.uk from December 1.