A PIECE of music based on a North-East university is the highest new entry in the country’s top 100 classical favourites.

Deep Purple rocker turned classical composer Jon Lord with his Durham Concerto was placed number 75 in Classic FM’s annual listeners’ poll.

Mr Lord composed the piece to mark the 175th anniversary of Durham University. It features rock, jazz and Northumbrian folk music in the 45-minute concerto.

There is also good news for the two of the region’s biggest music festivals, which have been rated among the top 100 in the country.

Middlesbrough Music Live and Evolution were selected by The Daily Telegraph as two highlights for the summer.

In the Summer Music Festival Guide, the North-East festivals are named alongside the likes of Glastonbury, V Festival, Reading and Leeds.

Newcastle Community Green Festival also features in the list, which was published on Saturday.

Last year’s Middlesbrough Music Live attracted more than 47,000 visitors to the town.

The Zutons will headline this year’s event, on June 7, which is being organised by Middlesbrough Council and local promoter Ten Feet Tall.

The guide describes it as a “unlikely collision of free councilfunded event and cutting-edge indie”.

Graham Ramsay, of Ten Feet Tall, said: “It just shows we’ve got something special going on up here, and that we can stand proudly shoulder to shoulder with some of the biggest summer events in the land.”

Councillor David Budd, Middlesbrough’s executive member for regeneration and economic development, said: “It’s great to be picked in The Daily Telegraph’s top 100. It’s no accident that the festival has earned such a great reputation over the years.”

Evolution, which takes place along the Newcastle-Gateshead Quayside, is expected to attract more than 60,000 people on May 24 and 25.

Headline acts The Wombats, Dizzee Rascal and The View have already been confirmed.

Other acts include hotly-tipped bands such as White Lies, Little Boots, VV Brown, Florence and the Machine and Friendly Fires.

The festival raises money for Water Aid.

The Newcastle Community Green Festival, which will take place from June 6 to 9, is listed as possibly being “the greenest festival of all”.