A church near Ross-on-Wye is to give a world premiere to new choral work by a Herefordshire composer. How Caple Church will include ‘Salus Mundi’ by Mark Johnson at its carol service this weekend.

Mr Johnson, long-serving organist at Fownhope and surrounding villages, set to music a poem by the Victorian social reformer Mary Coleridge. The short anthem, for soprano, alto, tenor and bass, will be one of nine carols at How Caple’s candlelit service at 5pm on Sunday.

The modest Mr Johnson writes music under the pseudonym ‘Denton Woods’ – which television viewers will recall as a venue for the Frost murder mysteries series.

Mr Johnson, who studied at Birmingham School of Music, has been playing professionally for more than 50 years, despite losing half a finger in a bicycle chain as a child. When asked why he chose the nom de plume of Denton Woods, he joked: "Because I murder music."

Lois Letts, choirmistress at How Caple, said: "Mark has written a hauntingly beautiful piece which deserves to become a modern classic. Churches have long been patrons for the arts and centres of musical excellence. We are proud that Mark has allowed us to give the world premiere to this short, memorable anthem and I only hope our amateur choir can do it credit on Sunday evening."