Liverpool Philharmonic : RLPO Recordings : Durham Concerto

Durham Concerto Music by Jon Lord

Price: £ 12

Part 1: Morning

1 The Cathedral at Dawn
2 Durham Awakes

Part 2: Afternoon

3 The Road from Lindisfarne
4 From Prebends Bridge

Part 3: Evening

5 Rags and Galas
6 Durham Nocturne

Matthew Barley cello
Jon Lord Hammond organ
Ruth Palmer violin
Kathryn Tickell Northumbrian Pipes
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Mischa Danev conductor

Commissioned by Durham University for its 175th Anniversary, Jon Lord's Durham Concerto was premiered at Durham Cathedral on 20 October 2007, to great acclaim.

No. 28 in Classic FM's 'Hall of Fame' 2010

"What a great year it's turning out to be for Jon Lord ... the man formerly with Deep Purple comes up with a modern classical masterpiece ... So ends the Durham Concerto with the Durham Nocturne composed by Jon Lord, with the cellist Matthew Barley, on violin Ruth Palmer and Kathryn Tickwell on pipes, and Jon Lord himself playing the Hammond organ .... in charge of the RLPO was conductor Mischa Damev ... up 47 places to number 28 in the Classic FM Hall of Fame!" - Classic FM, April 2010

Born in Leicester, Jon Lord played the piano from the age of 6 and studied classical music until he left school at the age of 17. After moving to London in 1961, Lord spent two years at the Central School of Speech and Drama and by the start of 1968 had formed rock band Deep Purple with guitarist Richie Blackmore.

During his time in the band, Lord wrote a variety of classical works, including: Concerto for Group and Orchestra, premiered by the band and the RPO in 1969; a BBC commission, The Gemini Suite in 1970; and 1974's Sarabande.

After the successful revival and touring of the Concerto in 1999 Lord decided to leave the band and concentrate on a career as a composer and performer of his own music, performing his last concert with Deep Purple in 2002. Since then he has had performed a piano concerto, Boom of the Tingling Strings, and Disguises, a suite for string orchestra.