The Durham Concerto was premiered on 20th October 2007 to huge acclaim. Performed to an 800-strong audience in the stunning setting of Durham Cathedral, it was played by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and included solo pieces by Kathryn Tickell (Northumbrian pipes), Matthew Barley (cello), Ruth Palmer (violin), and Jon Lord himself (Hammond organ). Swiss-born Mischa Damev conducted the performance.
A studio recording of this contemporary classic is now available to purchase on CD for £12 plus postage and packaging, with proceeds going to Durham University. The recording features the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, together with all four of the original soloists and is conducted by Mischa Damev.
The Concerto paints a musical picture of a day in the life of Durham, and has seven movements whose musical influences span jazz, ragtime, rock, and even Northumbrian folk music:
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
