PENSIONERS who joined forces with a composer and top musicians to produce their own piece of music have heard their first live rendition of the work.

Stoneleigh Residential Home, in Barnard Castle, called in Andy Jackson to write a mellow piece for their tranquillity room, leading to four months of musical exploration.

Andy, who is outreach worker for the Northern Sinfonia, took top musicians into the home to give concerts and talk with residents about music.

The residents were responsible for much of the input into the piece, coming up with ideas and themes.

As Andy put the piece together using a computer programme, they were able to hear its progression and give their views on what they liked or wanted changed.

Andy said: "The input for the piece has come from the residents; the story and the idea of cocktails came from the residents, but the actual writing of it was down to me."

As time went by, hopes for the piece changed. The residents said the did not want anything tranquil, because they had enough of that and wanted something lively instead."

The finished product, called The Cocktail Suite, features 12 pieces of music, which tell the story of a night at a dance, from being walked to the hall by a young man to the following morning's hangover.

Influences range from Elvis Presley and Cole Porter to the James Bond theme, with each individual piece lasting between one and four minutes.

The art work and sleeve notes for a compact disc version of The Cocktail Suite have been produced by staff and residents at the home.

Despite 40 years of professional involvement in music - having first being paid 12 shillings and sixpence to sing at a wedding at the age of seven - this was a new experience for Andy, from Bishop Auckland.

His career includes travelling the world as an ethno-musicologist, writing books about music from various cultures, working with Northern Sinfonia, which involves overseeing the organisation's three Cobweb Orchestras, and running various other musical groups.

He has had music published around the world and used by, among others, Scandinavian film companies, and is regularly surprised to hear his work playing in unusual places - without realising it.

"All you know is you get a royalty check," he said.

l On Sunday the public will get a chance to hear the Cobweb Orchestra join the musicians for a performance of The Cocktail Suite, at Bishop Auckland Town Hall, at 6.30pm.