SARAH Cattley and Derri Joseph Lewis are the joint winners of the 11th National Centre for Early Music Young Composers Award.

They won the 19 to 25 age category while Stephen Jesse Rees was highly commended in the under 18 age group in the annual event presented at the NCEM, in Walmgate, in partnership with BBC Radio 3, on Wednesday and Thursday.

Young composers living in Britain were invited to compose a new piece, A Fantasy, for solo viol or viol with electronics. Candidates were encouraged to think about augmenting the sound of the viol through the use of electronics, although compositions for solo viol that did not incorporate electronics were considered too.

The shortlisted works were performed during workshops that took place over two days, supported by one of the world’s leading viol exponents, Liam Byrne. This was followed on the Thursday evening by a public concert, judged by Liam Byrne, BBC Radio 3 producer Les Pratt and NCEM director Delma Tomlin, when Byrne played the eight works.

Derri’s composition, Walls Of Brass, and Sarah’s work, Dream Fever, will be premiered by Byrne at Glitch, Bristol on October 12 and recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3's Early Music Show.

Delma Tomlin says: "Once again the NCEM Young Composers Award has attracted composers from all over the UK and we were delighted by the response we received and the high standard of entries.

"Here at the NCEM we are continually moving forward creating a unique sound for the 21st century by using music from the past. We are thrilled to be working with Liam Byrne, who has shown dedication and commitment throughout and has been a true inspiration to the creativity of our group of finalists.

"The inclusion of an electronic element this year has been fascinating and has added a completely different dynamic to the competition. We hope that the work will help us engage with a wider demographic, helping us attract new audiences for the future."

Thursday's concert performance was streamed live and is available on the NCEM's Facebook page, Facebook.com/yorkearlymusic @yorkearlymusic.