A musician from Northamptonshire billed as the last remaining Victorian pub pianist has narrowly lost out in the hunt for a new national anthem...for cheese.
Dr Busker, who made his name playing at steam rallies across the county, fell at the final hurdle, in a search to find a song championing the delights of Cheddar cheese.
The search was initiated by the British Cheese Board, whose aim is to increase awareness of cheese in the UK as part of a healthy balanced diet.
Dr Busker, from Rushden in Northamptonshire, eventually lost out to a community choir from London.
Nigel White, the secretary of the BCB has said he was “thrilled” by the public reaction to the competition and added: “It demonstrated perfectly how passionate people are about British made cheddar.”
Dr Busker, real name Steve Baldock, is a regular performer at steam rallies and beer festivals up and down the country and has self-confessed “simple tastes” and a passion for vintage bicycles and tractors.
His entry was simple and understated, opting for a cheddar themed version of ‘Jerusalem’, with the promotional video set in a field surrounded by cows.
The video drew in nearly a quarter of the total votes, along with over 5,000 views on Youtube.
Dr Busker was pipped to the post by Upbeat Choir, whose performance of ‘Cheddar’, set to the tune of ‘Land of Hope and Glory’, boasted greater production value with the use of stop motion and cross fades, which may have been a defining factor in their success.
Watch Dr Busker’s video on YouTube