(ENI) St Paul's Anglican Cathedral in London has started a competition to find a new hymn to celebrate the new millennium.

There will be prizes of 750 pounds sterling (US$1200) each for the authors of the best words and the best music, with runner-up prizes of 250 pounds in each category. The winning words and music will be used at the cathedral's main millennium service in the year 2000.

St Paul's has confirmed to ENI that entrants from overseas are eligible to take part in the competition, but the hymns - which must conform strictly to metre, rhyme and stress - must be in English, and must also strike a classical style while avoiding archaic language such as "thee and thou".

St Paul's stressed that they were looking for hymns in the classical style and not simply Christian songs.

Canon Michael Saward, the organiser of the competition, told ENI: "There are good hymns and bad hymns, good religious songs and bad religious songs. We have nothing against songs - but this competition is for hymns."

Hymns do not have to be specifically Anglican. The judging panel of eight includes members of the Methodist and United Reformed Churches. The hymns do not even have to use the word "millennium" but the hymn "obviously must be recognisable as a hymn triggered by the millennial celebrations", Canon Saward said.

It also helps to like hymns such as Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken and Alleluia, Sing to Jesus since these are in the metre chosen for the competition. The closing date for entries is 28 September this year. Contestants may submit words or music or both, but the author of the winning words will not necessarily be the composer of the top tune. Authors and composers will retain the copyright on their work.

Canon Saward said: "We hope the competition will help people to see that hymns in the sense we define them are still a significant and acceptable part of the Christian format of worship." Only entries using official entry forms will be considered for the competition.