Simply wonderful!! Jon Lord's ability to create a concerto on such a scale is a testament to the importance of his work in the field of all music.

With contemporary composers there is always the temptation to make comparisons to the composers of yesteryear. Sometimes this is a valuable move, sometimes not but in this case it would simply be a guide to where he may have set his own classical tastes. There are glimpses of Sibelius, Debussy, Delius and Holst but in essence this is a stand alone work by a composer who knows his work inside out.

In three movements, each of two parts, Jon Lord creates a piece to reflect his love of Durham Cathedral and the surrounding areas. Using violin and northumbrian pipes as the main contributors, he evokes a part of England relatively unknown to most of us.

The finale is gorgeous, rich and powerful yet never loses the essence of romance and spiritualism. What brings you to the finale is a meandering work which keeps the listener enraptured and visualising what Jon saw himself.

I defy anyone not to find something in this work which evokes an emotion and a longing for the next piece by Lord.