A MUSICIAN is demanding compensation, saying his song was stolen by a primary school headteacher.

Songwriter John Lewis says copyright laws were breached when the lyrics to his song, Home, were published in a parish magazine.

Mr Lewis and his wife, Dawn, of Langton, near Darlington, were asked to write a song for local children to sing at a concert.

The couple wrote the song, which celebrates Teesdale, in County Durham, and sent it to local primary schools in August last year.

The song was then performed in March this year at The Big Sing, in Staindrop.

After the concert, the couple gave permission for a church choir to perform the song.

Two other schools were also authorised to use it.

However, earlier this month, Mr Lewis discovered the lyrics had been printed in Gainford and Winston Parish News.

The magazine was given the words by the headteacher of Gainford Primary School, Howard Blindt.

Mr Lewis, 54, said he accepted that the parish magazine acted in good faith.

But he said: “He (Mr Blindt) By Joe Willis joe.willis@nne.co.uk SECOND MEETING: Postman Tony Swinbank with Pat the snake and owner Steve Watson Picture: DAVID WOOD Home by John D. Lewis & Dawn M. Lewis Chorus: This is our river, these are our fields; This is the place that we call home.

This is our time, this is the place, We will remember when we’re grown.

High on the heather hills, when the snow lies deep; See the cold, old farmer tend his cold, old sheep; Where the water’s rumbling over High Force and tumbling, On down the valley to the sea.

(Chorus) Down past the castle walls where the river bends.

They prayed to God at the Abbey then.

On through the city where the railways were begun, Then east to meet the morning sun.

(Chorus) Some times at sunset, the hills look dark and cold, Up above the sky is burning – pink and gold.

(Chorus) This is my river, these are my fields; This is the place that I call home.

This is my time, this is the place, I will remember when I’m old; I will remember when I’m grown.

Lyrics not to be used or reproduced without authors’ permission.

© Coquet Shack / New Dawn Music had no such authority, which makes this a straightforward case of copyright theft.

“It is no better than downloading a song from the net without paying.

“We contacted Mr Blindt, who told us he had been under the misapprehension that we gave the song to the community.

That was never the case.”

Mr Blindt was unavailable for comment yesterday However, he said in a letter to Mr Lewis that he was unaware the song was subject to copyright.

He added that the school did not earn profit from the mistake, and said: “Clearly, if I had known, I would not have suggested that they published the words to this lovely song.”

The headteacher said he believed the song was a gift to the schools, and said: “There was certainly no intention to offend you or your wife.”

Despite the apology, Mr Lewis is demanding he and his wife receive an unspecified amount of compensation for the unathorised use.

He said: “It is not necessarily the money we are concerned about. What has really got our goat is that it was done without our knowledge or permission.”