Sarah Brightman and Liu Huan to sing at opening ceremony

British singer Sarah Brightman and China's Liu Huan will sing at the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games, organisers said yesterday.

Ms Brightman, best known for her appearances in shows in London's West End including The Phantom of the Opera, will sing with Liu Huan a specially commissioned "theme song" which will make up part of the three and a half hour ceremony.

The entertainment will begin at 5.45 p.m. Beijing time (11.45 a.m. local time) and the ceremony proper, featuring 15,000 participants, will follow from 8 p.m. Beijing times (2 p.m. local time) for three-and-a-half hours.

Zhang Heping, director of Opening and Closing Ceremonies Department of the local organising committee (BOCOG), said the ceremony would feature performing arts which "showcase the ancient and long history of the Chinese nation" as well as reflecting modern day China.

The participants in the show are drawn from professional performers, students and the military - one-third of those in the ceremony will be drawn from the military.

After the theme song of the ceremony, there will be an address by officials and then the entry of the Olympic flag.

The athletes will then march into the stadium with their own flags - nations will enter in Chinese alphabetical order, said Mr Zhang.

The ceremony will close with the lighting of the Olympic flame but Mr Zhang gave no clue as to the identity of the final torch bearer.

"For the lighting of the flame, the last torch bearer, this is the most secretive part and will be revealed at the very last moment," said Mr Zhang, adding that the person had been chosen taking into account their "sporting achievement" and "social influence".