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No Purple, Hayes?
congratulate Malcolm Hayes on his enthusiastic and insightful piece on Malcolm Arnold. I discovered Arnold’s music more than 60 years ago as a schoolboy and was captivated by his melodies and brilliant orchestrations. However, I was surprised that no mention was made of the extraordinary concert he conducted in September 1969, as it was history in the making. Arnold collaborated with rock band Deep Purple and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for the premiere of John Lord’s Concerto for Rock Group and Orchestra. After difficult rehearsals, it was a: ‘the orchestra played like mad, the group played like demons and Malcolm Arnold conducted the orchestra like a man possessed! At times he looked like an older Elvis Presley.’ Worth a mention, I think.
