LAUNCESTON man Simon Dobson has been nominated for his composition of a musical tribute to those lost in the Penlee lifeboat disaster of December 19, 1981.

Simon, born in 1981, grew up in a brass banding family and at the age of 18 moved away to London, where he studied on a composition scholarship at South Kensington's Royal College of Music.

From there his passion for music has grown, seeing him win awards for the brass section in Cornwall Young Composer competition, European Young Composer of the Year and Newcomer of the Year.

Simon has performed in many different venues in different countries and locations across the UK, including Belgium, Birmingham, Norway and London to name a few.

Simon spoke before he performed the piece with the Cornwall Youth Brass Band (CYBB) at a charity concert. He said: "It was a huge honour to write a piece for CYBB and a huge honour to write a piece to pay tribute to those lost on that terrible night in 1981."

His most recent competition is the British Composer Awards presented by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.

Simon has entered in the Wind Band or Brass Band Category with his, as remarked by many, 'moving' piece called the Penlee. There will be a series of programmes about the awards on BBC Radio Three during this month.