Cheers from the 90,000-strong crowd reverberated through the National Stadium, when Chinese vocalist Liu Huan and British songstress Sarah Brightman presented the theme song for the night, You and Me, at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics last night.

Flashlights and countless camera flashes offered the backdrop to a towering globe on which Liu and Brightman sang their duet, written and composed by France-based Chinese songwriter Chen Qigang.

"I think the show has succeeded in sending the message ... communicating with the world in harmony," Liu said after his performance.