A RARE piece of classical music history from 1876 has been found among the papers of a well-known Worcester music teacher.

Among the papers and records left by Marjorie Potts, who died earlier this year, was a programme from the British premiere of German composer Johann Sebastian Bach’s Mass in B Minor.

The well-preserved document, which 83-year-old Mrs Potts must have kept safe for many years, will now be bound and displayed in London.

Glenis Cole, a close friend of Mrs Potts, found the programme while sorting through bags of music-related papers.

The 65-year-old, of Riverview Close, St John’s, Worcester, said: “It’s in excellent condition. It’s amazing. No one knew she had this. I asked her family if she got it from her father, but really this would date back to her grandfather’s time.”

Mrs Potts was head of music at Christopher Whitehead Girls’ School for 29 years and secretary of the Worcester Festival Choral Society for 26 years. Her love of music came from her father, a musician who knew Worcestershire composer Sir Edward Elgar.

During the 1950s she was a member of the famous Bach Choir, which formed especially for the 1876 premiere and continues today.

Mrs Cole has decided to donate the programme to the London-based choir.

“I feel that’s what she would have wanted,” she said. “I’m really just a custodian, looking after it until it finds a permanent home.”

Dr Basil Keen, archivist for the Bach Choir, described the programme as “a very important document for the musical history of this country”.

He said: “We are very fortunate in that we have a complete set of all the concert programmes from 1876 through to 2008. Unfortunately, our copy of the premiere programme is rather the worse for wear. In fact, the entire front page has been cut off. This will complete our set and, importantly, be available for the public to see.”

Mrs Cole also found a concert programme signed by Elgar, which has been donated to the Elgar Birthplace Museum in Lower Broadheath, near Worcester, and a long-forgotten recording of Mrs Potts singing a duet, which she hopes can be transferred on to CD.