TEENAGE composer Paul Wilson, pictured above, was so moved by the events of September 11 that he wrote a piece of music to commemorate the human tragedy of the terrorist atrocities.

His work has now been performed at his school, six months on from the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington DC.

Paul, 17, is a student at St Peter's School in York, and wrote a piece called Stabat Mater, the name of a Latin poem. The poem is about the Virgin Mary standing beneath the Cross crying, and Paul set it to music so it could be performed by the school's choir and orchestra, as part of his A-level studies.

Paul said: "It is about her grief and seemed appropriate.

"It was very heartfelt. I was in New York on holiday three weeks before September 11 and went to the World Trade Center. That really made me take notice."

He said he had tried to write a piece that was tragic but had a note of hope.

The piece was premiered at the annual choral and orchestral concert on Thursday evening, just over six months after the events of September 11. Paul said it had been "amazing" to hear his music performed.

Last year another piece he wrote, also about New York called Night On Manhattan Island, was performed in school.

Paul said he hoped to become a professional composer. He has won a place at the Royal College of Music.

Updated: 10:32 Saturday, March 16, 2002