The foundation stone of the Wales Millennium Centre (WMC) in Cardiff was laid by international opera star Bryn Terfel on Tuesday.

It follows a week long journey to transport the stone made from Welsh slate from north Wales to the south.

The slate completed the last leg of its journey on a lifeboat

The Gwynedd-born bass baritone, who is ambassador for the project, joined the crew of the Spirit of Penarth RNLI lifeboat to bring the slate from Cardiff port to the bay.

A crowd of around 100 people including politicians and local dignitaries met the lifeboat as well as members of the Welsh speaking children's choir - Cor Plant Caerdydd.

It was then taken to the site of the new arts centre where a ceremony to lay the stone took place.

The �104.2m arts centre which is due to open in 2004, is expected to hold international musicals, operas, ballet and dance as well as becoming a home to the Welsh National Opera.

Terfel described his involvement with the project as "an honour".

"This theatre is for everyone - it is a facility to hold all different aspects of performance for the whole of Wales," he said.

Crowds gathered at Cardiff Bay to see the slate arrive

"From the Welsh National Opera who deserve a home and international theatres who are coming to perform.

"It could be used to hold concerts by Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey.

"I can't wait to come here to perform and I will be here on the opening night - in fact I will probably run onto the stage.

"To have this building here in our principality is an incentive to bring artists to Wales.

"And the whole project has brought Wales together - using slate from north Wales is a huge gesture.

"I am very happy about it all and coming into the bay and hearing the young children singing was really special," he added.

Unity

Organisers had planned for the inscribed slate to be brought to south Wales from the north via traditional methods.

But bad weather conditions meant it had to be transported by air.

The journey of the slate was designed to become a way of uniting north and south Wales.

Sir David Rowe-Beddoe, chairman of the WMC said: "Hopefully this is a real unifying factor for the people of north Wales to realise and understand they really are part of this project.

"This is for the whole of Wales," he added.