A MUSIC teacher from Pershore has devised a composition for the National Youth Brass Band Championships.

Martin Yates, a peripatetic teacher with Worcestershire Youth Music, spent two-and-a-half months composing the piece, which is called Full Circle.

It will be performed by young musicians at the contest at the Royal Northern College in Manchester in April.

Mr Yates, of Paddock Close, said: "The organisers of the championships approached me to compose a piece of music, which was a great honour.

"The piece is modern, based on big band jazz and is very up tempo.

"The main theme reinstates itself towards the end. There is also a duet for flugal players and three percussions."

Mr Yates, who suffers from cerebral palsy, teaches music at schools around Worcestershire and has been composing and playing music since he was a young man.

He said he began to compose this particular piece while in Devon staying with friends.

"I could hear the tune in my head," he said.

"I started to write down the themes on the piano then began to compose the piece."

The National Youth Brass Band Championships take place on Sunday, April 13, and Mr Yates will be present to hear his composure played.

The piece will also be performed at a youth music concert in Gloucester in February.

"It's really great that young people will be getting involved in music playing a piece of music I composed," Mr Yates said. "I hope that it encourages more youngsters to take up music."

Worcestershire Youth Music ensembles regularly perform successfully at national and international festivals.

Worcestershire Youth Wind Orchestra participates regularly in the National Concert Band Festival and has achieved two silver and two gold awards in recent years while other choirs and ensembles have participated in, among others, the Worcester Competitive Arts Festival, the Cheltenham Competitive Festival and the National Festival of Music for Youth.