THE world premiere of an acclaimed orchestral/choral work by a Teignmouth composer, will be held in Exeter tomorrow, writes John Ware.

Voices of Remembrance was written by Laura Rossi to mark the centenary of the first world war, and the music from the CD was recently featured on Radio 3’s the Choir, with Vanessa Redgrave speaking about the composition.

The first live performance will be at the United Reformed Church in Southernhay at 7.30pm, with the Exeter Symphony Orchestra and the St David’s Singers.

On Sunday it will be performed in Worthing, with Vanessa Redgrave reading the poems.

The CD, released by Boosey and Hawkes, was recorded by the Chamber Orchestra of London and RSPV Voices, with poetry readings by Vanessa Redgrave and Ralph Fiennes.

Ms Rossi said:?‘Both Vanessa and Ralph were very passionate about the first world war poems that feature on the CD, and their readings are so expressive and moving.’

Voices of Remembrance is inspired by ten of the most famous poems of the first world war. During her research for the score for The Battle of the Somme for the Imperial War Museum, Ms Rossi discovered that her great uncle Fred (pictured on the cover of the album) was a stretcher-bearer attached to the 29th Division during July 1916, who featured in the film about the battle.

She has written extensively for film and television, including scores for Paul Andrew Williams’ critically acclaimed features, London to Brighton and Song for Marion. She has also scored many silent films including the British Film Institute’s Silent Shakespeare and the famous 1916 film The Battle of the Somme.

Her music has been recorded and performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra, the London Music Orchestra and the BBC Concert Orchestra and performed at the Barbican, the Royal Festival Hall and the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. Ms Rossi is also lecturer for film music at the London Film Academy.

Ms Rossi said she met Vanessa Redgrave when she was writing the music for Song For Marion, directed by Paul Andrew Williams, also from Teignmouth, which she was starring in.