Durham Concerto
Jon Lord
255
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This is Jon Lord's only entry in the Ultimate Hall of Fame. It first entered the chart at number 75 in 2009 and climbed to its highest position of 28 the following year.
The transfer from pop or rock musician to classical music supremo is a path many have attempted to tread, with only limited success. In the case of the former Deep Purple keyboard player Jon Lord, though, the traversal from one genre to another has been triumphant.
Lord's Durham Concerto was his first solely classical piece, commissioned by Durham University to celebrate its 175th anniversary. The work was five years in the making, finally premiered in the city's cathedral on 20th October 2007 and featuring the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Northumbrian pipes player Kathryn Tickell, cellist Matthew Barley, violinist Ruth Palmer, and Lord himself at his beloved hammond organ.
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