Deep Purple - Jon Lord Composes Piece For Local Kids' Orchestra

The keyboardist is the patron of the Henley Festival and has written a piece for the Henley Youth Orchestra, a project devised to give local children the chance for one-on-one tuition and the free loan of an instrument.

He will watch the 70-piece orchestra perform his composition at the event in July (11) and insists he was thrilled to get a chance to pen a score for young musicians.

Lord says, "I was asked to write a little piece for the young performers and I thought that seemed like a great idea.

"To play together in an orchestra well takes many years of practice and these guys are just the first few steps along that road. Some are a little further ahead than others but they will all get there and it's great to see.

"It's the collaborative side of things that is so important. Everyone is playing their part and it's only when they all work together that the best music is made. That's what it's all about, really."