Radio Times: Review by:; Laurence Joyce

Of the various offspring that blessed the unholy alliance of classical music and rock in the 60s and 70s, Jon Lord’s Concerto for Rock Group and Orchestra, written for Deep Purple and the RPO, has been one of the few survivors.

In his last recorded interview, Lord talks to 6 Music DJ and RT columnist Stuart Maconie about his passion for writing classical music, inspired by this early experiment. Rick Wakeman (Yes), Keith Emerson (The Nice; Emerson Lake and Palmer) and Roy Wood (Electric Light Orchestra) also share their memories of the genre’s highs and lows.

About this programme

Stuart Maconie explores the combination of rock and classical music and how these two apparently antagonistic styles produced timeless pieces. The presenter talks to Rick Wakeman of Yes and Keith Emerson of ELP about the genre's excesses, and there is a recorded interview of Jon Lord revealing his passion for writing classical music.