Pride and passion poured into Black Country anthem

And from today people can purchase the anthem which has been adopted to help celebrate a landmark occasion.

Black Country folk band The Empty Can have today released their ode I Vow to Thee, Black Country as a charity single.

It has been named the official song for Black Country Day on July 14 and bandmates and supporters now hope the song will soar up the charts.

The song, a Black Country version of the patriotic classic, I Vow to Thee My Country, is available to purchase from today priced at 99p. The band gathered at the Black Country Living Museum and Dudley Zoo to help launch the single.

Lead singer James Stevens, aged 37, today thanked everyone who had made their dream of releasing the track possible.

And he urged everyone keen to celebrate life in the Black Country to come out and get behind the single.

"It's been a brilliant experience, we've had a fantastic Black Country backing and we just wanted to do something to feel proud about where we come from," said James from Gornal. It has been an experience that we are very proud of going through and we have had a lot of fun and met some great people along the way.

"We know that we are going to raise some money for charity and we couldn't be more pleased now to see how it will play out."

Professional musician and youth worker James is joined in The Empty Can by Rachel Slater, 36, a nurse from Gornal, and 40-year-old guitarist and producer Steven Henley from Kingswinford who works for a local family business.

A host of events are being organised through July, with the support of the four Black Country councils, to celebrate Black Country Day.

All money raised through sales of the single will go to Compton Hospice.

The charity has been chosen in dedication to Steve Evans, a former Wolverhampton City Council worker, magician, comedian and keen fisherman, who died in January, aged just 52, following a two-year battle with stomach cancer.

To buy the single, click here.