A DURHAM University music student has spoken of his delight after winning a prestigious competition that will see his work performed by world-renowned vocal ensemble at the weekend - and later broadcast nationwide.

Ben Rowarth, 20, beat off stiff competition to win the age 19 to 25 categories of the York- based National Centre for Early Music Composers (NCEM) Award 2012.

His composition, Where is Thy God? will be performed by The Tallis Scholars in concert at Durham Cathedral at 7.30pm on Saturday. It will be recorded by BBC Radio Three and will feature in the Early Music Show on Sunday July 1.

Ben, who hails from Hexham in Northumberland, said: "I am absolutely delighted and really very flattered that Peter Phillips and The Tallis Scholars will perform my music.

"I would like to thank the Abor Singers and Christopher Fox, who I worked with in York on the day of the competition for their help in completing the final product - and the NCEM and Peter Phillips for choosing it."

He added: "The inspiration for this piece came from two motivic elements of the In Nomine theme found in the Benedictus of Taverner's Missa Gloria Tibi Trinitas.

"I took two themes as one of the main melodies and added a descant and changed it harmonically and used it as a cell - which I then expanded throughout the piece and changed and varied it.

"The other became the basis of a recurring refrain, which I used throughout the piece as well."

Ben started his musical career as a chorister at Hexham Abbey and is a second-year music student at Durham University under Miranda Wright.

He is a choral scholar at University College and sings with the University Chamber Choir and Durham Cathedral Consort of Singers.

He is also a member of Suspirans, a semi-professional chamber choir based in the North-East, and The Rodolfus Choir - and has toured and deputised internationally as a bass.

Ben took up the post of Interim Director of Music in University College in 2011 and is currently the assistant director of Durham Polyphony, while conducting Renaissance, a small choir made up of Durham University students, staff and Alumni which he founded in 2011.

After winning the prize for best documentary soundtrack at Leeds twenty-four hour Film Festival last year, he is working on a further two commissions for two short films under the direction of David Anthony Thomas, one of which will be premiered at the Paris film festival later in 2012.

The Tallis Scholars perform choral music spanning the centuries and are joined by the Cathedral Choir for part of the concert, singing works for double choir by Palestrina and Giovanni Gabrieli. Tickets are available from the Gala Theatre Box Office, Durham - 0191 332 4041 and www.galadurham.co.uk: £30, £20, £10 (£25, £17, £7 concessions).