Give a hand to a Verdi composition (4)

I believe the answer is:

aida

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'verdi composition' is the definition.
The definition suggests a singular noun which matches the answer.

'give a hand to a' is the wordplay.
'give' says to put letters next to each other.
'a hand' becomes 'aid' (giving someone a hand is helping or aiding them).
'aid' put next to 'a' is 'AIDA'.

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(Other definitions for aida that I've seen before include "eponymous heroine" , "Verdi opera" , "She dies with Radams (Verdi)" , "she dies entombed" , "slave of Covent Garden" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish Independent.

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