A REDDITCH music teacher hit the right note when a self-composed piece of music received rapturous applause at its debut performance.

Chris Long, head of music at St Augustine's High School, was delighted with the response to O Lord, Remember when it was performed by the City of Birmingham Choir (CBC) at Symphony Hall last month.

The CBC commissioned Mr Long to compose the opening piece for its concert of Verdi's Requiem as part of the nationwide Adopt a Composer programme.

The scheme pairs up ensembles around the country with a composer and they work together for a year.

Mr Long said: "The concert was hugely successful with an overwhelmingly positive response for a 'contemporary' composition, from an audience that had largely come to hear Verdi.

"The emotional response to the piece was mainly due to its subject matter.

"My piece is for choir and orchestra and sets extracts from the Requiem Mass alongside a prayer found next to the body of a dead child in Ravensbruck concentration camp.

"It was quite fitting that this was the weekend after Remembrance Sunday."

The 32-year-old is now looking for other local choirs and choral societies to perform the piece.

"I'm also looking to continue composing for voices, so if any choral societies are interested in working with me I'd be interested in hearing from them," he added.

For more details on working with Mr Long, call him at the school on 550400.