THE sun that lit the eternal flame on Mount Olympus three weeks ago shone brightly again in Chester on Tuesday on the city’s special moment in Olympic history.

As we took guardianship of the iconic torch, the county’s musicians, dancers, schoolchildren and performers celebrated the city’s special role in the London 2012 Games.

The celebration, at Chester Racecourse, didn’t finish until dark when fireworks and flames lit up the sky and a sea of dancers in coloured T-shirts filled the banks below the ancient city walls.

The party started when children from Dodleston Primary School, standing just feet away from the Olympic flame, joined dancers from Homegrown Dance Theatre and singers from A Handbag of Harmonies choir to present Across the World – an anthem that was first performed at Chester Amphitheatre in March as part of a BBC and Locog event to launch the London 2012 Festival.

Anthem creator Matt Baker, of Theatre in the Quarter, wearing a patriotic sequined Union Jack jacket, later led the jubilant crowd in a rousing rendition of the Queen favourite We Are The Champions.

The singalong was part of Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Sunset Watch event, hosted by Chester’s Dee 106.3’s Gavin Matthews.

The mix of music, song, dance and chat included interviews with Olympic hopefuls and torch bearers Caitlin Kennedy, Emma Jones and Adrian Derbyshire, a flashmob and two films giving a flavour of the county’s culture and sports and arts activities.

As the sun set over the river, hundreds of dancers of all ages presented The Moment When – an hour-long performance by Cheshire Dance and Walk the Plank.

The city walls provided a dramatic backdrop as performers waved huge red flags, climbed ladders, played larger-than-life lit instruments and tumbled and rolled down the racecourse banks.

Highlights included a charming duet on a penthouse balcony of the ABode hotel, an aerial display from a crane suspended above the walls and a specially choreographed section using the racecourse’s starting stalls.

More than 20,000 free tickets for the extravaganza were ‘sold’ out well in advance of Tuesday night and many of the county’s residents will have missed out on the unforgettable experience.

But history was made that night and smiles on children’s faces as they wandered home from the party said it all.