Bach - Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott & Orchestral Suite No.4 - Le Concert Lorrain - Saarbrücken

Russell Gilmour, William Russell and Gareth Hoddinott travelled to Saarbrücken in Germany to perform with Le Concert Lorrain and the newly re-named BachChor Saarbrücken, with whom we have built up an excellent rapport over many years. The trumpet section was joined by timpanist Simon Stierle and it is always great to work with him. The performance took place at 6pm on Sunday 17th September 2017 in
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Bach - Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott (BWV 129) - Oxford Bach Soloists

Sunday 10th September 2017 saw a performance of J. S. Bach's 'Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott' [BWV 129] as part of the Lutheran Vespers at St Michael at the North Gate in Oxford. Oxford Bach Soloists, directed by Tom Hammond-Davies, performed the cantata liturgically as part of this 4pm service. The church was full to capacity. BWV 129 was written in 1724/5 for the Feast of the Trinity (possibly
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Blackdowns Early Music Projects - Grand Baroque III - German Choral Masterworks - Exeter Cathedral

Exeter Cathedral was the venue for ‘Grand Baroque III’, a programme compiled by Blackdowns Early Music Projects which featured several ‘German Choral Masterworks’ from composers such as Rosenmüller, Schelle and Kuhnau. The performance took place at Exeter Cathedral on Monday 28th August 2017. The baroque orchestra consisted of the English Cornett and Sackbutt Ensemble, the Monteverdi String
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Bach - Magnificat (BWV 243) & Auf, schmetternde Töne der muntern Trompeten (BWV 207a) - Brandenburg Baroque Soloists - Wellington College

On Monday 21st of August 2017, I played first trumpet with the Brandenburg Baroque Soloists for a workshopped performance of Bach’s Magnificat in D Major (BWV 243). The performance was the culmination of a residential choral course for young singers at the stunning venue of Wellington College in Crowthorne, Berkshire and the group was directed by Ralph Allwood MBE. The choir took on the momentous
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Solomon’s Knot - B Minor Mass - Ulverston

Lake District Summer Music’s 33rd festival season opened on Saturday the 29th July 2017 at Ulverston’s Coronation Hall with an "electrifying performance" of Bach’s B Minor Mass, performed by Solomon’s Knot. Get yourself to @corohall for 7:30pm tonight to hear Bach B minor Mass. @solomonsknot sounding phenomenal in rehearsal. Tickets on door pic.twitter.com/oC5VYM2yWN — LDSM Festival
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Lully - Alceste, ou Le triomphe d’Alcide - Les Talens Lyriques

Following on from a residency at the Opera National du Lorrain in Nancy (2014), and a tour to Versailles and Vienna (2016), I joined Les Talens Lyriques for a third time; performing and recording Jean-Baptiste Lully's 'Alceste, ou Le triomphe d’Alcide' (1674) under the direction of Christophe Rousset. Lully's opera 'Alceste, ou Le triomphe d’Alcide' is a 'tragedy in music', with
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I Fagiolini - Monteverdi - L'Orfeo - Cheltenham Festival

Robert Hollingworth led I Fagiolini’s performance of Monteverdi’s 'L’Orfeo' at Cheltenham Town Hall, as part of the Cheltenham Festival, on Sunday 9th July 2017. I performed the opening Toccata, without holes, alongside players from the English Cornett and Sackbutt Ensemble: Tom Lees, Emily White, Andy Harwood-White and Adrian France. In a slight difference to our other performances in Venice,
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Wedding - Fiori Musicali - St Peter's Church, Wolfhampcote

I performed at a wedding on Saturday 8th July 2017. The ceremony took place in the ancient (and now almost redundant) St Peter's Church in Wolfhampcote in Warwickshire. The Church is near the county border, close to Braunston and Daventry in Northamptonshire. The presence of St Peter's Church in Wolfhampcote is noted in the Domesday Book and the oldest parts of the current church building date from
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Handel & Purcell - Royal Hospital Chelsea

I performed with The Wren Players at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea on Tuesday 4th of July 2017. The evening of music began at 18:30 with an outdoor performance in the Royal Hospital’s ‘Figure Court’. It was a beautiful and warm evening.  The outdoor performance included a selection from Handel’s Water Music (D Major suite) and his Music for the Royal Fireworks: Water Music - D major
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Haydn - The Creation - Lea Singers

The Lea Singers performed Haydn's 'Creation' in St. John's Church in Southdown near Harpenden on Saturday 24th of June 2017. Victoria Longdon conducted the choir, orchestra and soloists: Vanessa Bowers (Gabriel & Eve), Ruairi Bowen (Uriel) and Marcus Farnsworth (Raphael & Adam). The group had chosen to perform an English version of the text, rendered by Paul McCreesh. "Haydn's 'Creation'
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Purcell - King Arthur - Vox Luminis - Snape Maltings - Aldeburgh Festival

I was invited to join Vox Luminis for their performance of Purcell’s 'King Arthur' at Snape Maltings on Thursday 22nd of June 2017, as part of the Aldeburgh Festival. The festival is celebrating the 50th anniversary of music at Snape Maltings - one of the earliest examples of an ex-industrial building being repurposed as a performance space. I was delighted to perform with Vox Luminis. I
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Mozart - Requiem & Matthew King - Out of the Depths

I performed (on modern trumpet) with the Meridian Sinfonia, who accompanied the North London Chorus, conducted by Murray Hipkin. The ensemble performed music by Mozart and Matthew King (the latter was present at the performance) at St. James’s Church, Muswell Hill on Saturday 17th of June 2017 (incidentally, my 29th birthday). The soloists were: Lucy Knight (soprano), Martha Jones (mezzo-soprano),
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Handel - Coronation Anthems - Eton College Chapel

I performed with the Brandenburg Baroque Soloists at Eton College on Thursday 15th of June 2017 at 8:45pm. The performance of Handel’s 'Coronation Anthems' took place in the magnificent Chapel of Eton College. The chorus was directed by Matthew O'Donovan, who brilliantly directed the 14-piece period-instrument orchestra, led by violinist Walter Reiter. I first met Walter Reiter at Dartington
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Bach - B Minor Mass - Barts Choir - St. James's, Sussex Gardens

I played first trumpet in Bach’s B Minor Mass at St James’s Church, Sussex Gardens, London. The performance was directed by Ivor Setterfield. He led the Barts Choir and the Trafalgar Baroque Ensemble throughout a day of enjoyably intensive rehearsals on Saturday 10th June 2017. The performance took place at 6:30pm and the project raised funds for the charity Mind. Beautiful church, stunning
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Handel - Messiah (Dublin Version) - Solomon's Knot - Halle & Regensburg

I performed with Solomon’s Knot in Halle (Saale) and Regensburg in Germany. We performed the Dublin version (1742) of Handel’s ‘Messiah’ in the Dom zu Halle as part of the Halle Händel-Festspiele on Friday 2nd of June. Two nights later we performed in the Dreieinigkeitskirche in Regensburg as part of the Tage Alter Musik festival. Rehearsals took place in London and the group worked to become
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I Fagiolini - Monteverdi - L'Orfeo - Purbeck

Following on from previous performances in Venice and London, I Fagiolini performed Monteverdi’s 'L’Orfeo' in the historic market town of Wareham in Dorset on Saturday 3rd June 2017. The performance took place as part of the Purbeck Art Weeks festival at Lady St Mary’s, Wareham. I performed the opening Toccata with players from the English Cornett and Sackbutt Ensemble,
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Bach - Ascension Oratorio - American International Church, London

The American International Church on Tottenham Court Road welcomed the City Bach Collective for a performance of J. S. Bach's 'Ascension Oratorio' [BWV 11] on Sunday 21st May 2017. The performance took place as part of the 11am service. It was directed by the American International Church's Director of Music, Scott Stroman, who also gave an informative and entertaining 'Children's Sermon'.
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I Fagiolini - Monteverdi - L'Orfeo - London Festival of Baroque Music

Robert Hollingworth’s ensemble I Fagiolini gave a semi-staged performance of Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo in the London Festival of Baroque Music at St. John’s Smith Square on Thursday 18th May 2017. The brilliant Matthew Long performed the role of Orfeo. I performed the clarino part in the opening Toccata, playing the natural trumpet (without holes) with players from the English Cornett and Sackbutt
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Göttingen International Handel Festival - 2017 - Galakonzert with Dominique Labelle

I travelled to the wonderful University City of Göttingen in Germany to perform with FestspielOrchester Göttingen (FOG) directed by Laurence Cummings. It was delightful to be back at the Göttingen International Händel Festival having enjoyed performing in the 2014 and 2015 festivals. The Galakonzert took place at the Stadthalle on Saturday 13th of May 2017 and it marked the opening of
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Taverner Symposium - 'A Pursuit of Music' - Oxford

Exactly a week after playing in Oxford with the Oxford Bach Soloists, I was back in the 'City of Dreaming Spires' for the Taverner Consort's Symposium, entitled 'A Pursuit of Music'. The talk took place at Oxford University's Faculty of Music and Bate Collection on Sunday 23rd of April 2017. I had given a talk at the previous event (Taverner at 40 - April 2013) and it was remembered that I had shown
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Russell Gilmour
Russell Gilmour Blog
writing on music, photography, engraving, travel and life as a freelance professional musician.