DEEP PURPLE

DEEP PURPLE Legend Picks Edinburgh City Students For Special Gig



The following story is courtesy of Gareth Edwards from Scotsman.com:

As music teachers go, he has to be one of the coolest in town.
DEEP PURPLE legend Jon Lord will be taking a group of budding Edinburgh rock stars under his wing as they prepare for a special performance of one of his seminal works.

The six local students, aged between 16 and 22, will be playing with Lord, as well as the Scottish Philharmonic orchestra and students from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama Glasgow, next year.

It is thought to be the first time his rock/classical composition Concerto for Group and Orchestra has been performed in Scotland.

And before then, the 66-year-old keyboardist will be visiting the college to take the young musicians through their paces, ahead of watching them perform at a gala dinner later this month.

They will play a selection of highlights from the piece at the annual Edinburgh and Lothians Colleges Group (ELCG) dinner on June 19, at Prestonfield Hotel.

Ken Thomson, head of music at Stevenson College, said the students were thrilled at the chance to work with Mr Lord.

"We will be playing the guitar, organ, saxophone and vocal parts of the piece, with Jon Lord on keyboards, and it is a real honour to be chosen to work with him ahead of this concert," he said.

"As far as I know it is the first time this piece has been performed in Scotland, as it is something that requires a huge number of people.

"As well as ourselves and the Glasgow students there will be the full Scottish Philharmonic Orchestra, and it should be an amazing event, particularly as Jon is going to play the keyboard section.

"(Jon] will be talking to the students ahead of the performance at the gala dinner, and it is great that he has agreed to go along and hear them play."

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