– I was really not expecting for it to do more than cause a temporary ruckus. Here it is 40 years later, and it has endured and done its job.
On September 24, exactly 40 years after its first performance, Jon Lord celebrates the anniversary of his Concerto for Group and Orchestra with a performance in Dublin, Ireland. In the last decade alone, it has been performed almost 50 times.
In a bubbly interview with Ireland’s Hot Press, Jon Lord discusses how the Concerto has affected people.
– I get emails and letters from all over the world saying ‘I hated rock music untill I heard the Concerto’. Or rock fans saying ‘I thought orchestras were boring until I heard the Concerto, and now I’ve become a fan of classical music.’
Back in 1969 the Concerto caused rumours of a rift within Deep Purple – the rest of the band allegedly accusing Lord of only wanting to play with orchestras.
– People forget that during that time we were inventing hard rock, and during the time of the Concerto we were writing Deep Purple In Rock. I don’t think that anybody would listen to that album and say that it wasn’t committed, Jon Lord says.
Read also how the Concerto was recreated from scratch by a Dutch music student and more.
Read: Lord of the strings (pdf). (c) Hot Press.
Jon Lord in Dublin
September 24 – The National Concert Hall, Dublin, Ireland – Get tickets
Concerto for Group and Orchestra, Child In Time and more in a 2+ hours show performed by Jon Lord with Steve Balsamo and Kasia Laska (vocals), Jimmy Smyth (guitar), Paul Moore (bass), Desi Reynolds (drums) and Uileann Piper John O’Brien.
The RTÉ Concert Orchestra will be conducted by David Brophy.
Photo thanks: Bernhard Welz.
Jon Lord - The Official Website 