I was only 2 in 1969 when the concert took place, so obviously I didn't see it then. A couple of years ago my wife (who hadn't seen it either)hired the DVD and we sat down with open minds. We weren't disappointed.
The music itself is excellent. Jon Lord broke new ground with this work, proving that the worlds of pop and classical music really aren't that far apart. I know that Paul McCartney and others have proved that many times since, but back in 1969 there was probably a lot more snobbery about classical music. So it's very much to Malcolm Arnold's credit that the concert went ahead.
The DVD is 1st rate, with excellent photography and a very revealing and entertaining commentary by JL, in which he highlighted a number of problems that had to be overcome along the way, like a lady musician who "didn't join the RPO to play 'Second-hand Beatles music'". Obviously the technical quality of the picture isn't quite as good as it would be now, but you have to remember that colour television was in its infancy. The sound has been beautifully re-mastered too.
The music itself is excellent. Jon Lord broke new ground with this work, proving that the worlds of pop and classical music really aren't that far apart. I know that Paul McCartney and others have proved that many times since, but back in 1969 there was probably a lot more snobbery about classical music. So it's very much to Malcolm Arnold's credit that the concert went ahead.
The DVD is 1st rate, with excellent photography and a very revealing and entertaining commentary by JL, in which he highlighted a number of problems that had to be overcome along the way, like a lady musician who "didn't join the RPO to play 'Second-hand Beatles music'". Obviously the technical quality of the picture isn't quite as good as it would be now, but you have to remember that colour television was in its infancy. The sound has been beautifully re-mastered too.