The last time I performed at the BBC Proms with the Aurora Orchestra was in 2020—in the midst of the pandemic. Back then, we played Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 to a remote audience. This year was thankfully a stark contrast: it was great to experience the electrifying ambiance of a packed Royal Albert Hall once again, and it was a privilege to perform in the Proms in the BBC’s centenary year. Full

Since I first performed at Shakespeare’s Globe (Othello in 2018), I have noticed the building more and more. I look at it every time I cross Blackfriars bridge on the train, and it is surprising how often it appears on television: it was a much sought-after venue during the pandemic as it is, of course, predominantly outdoors (where Covid infection was deemed less likely).And so it was, in a heatwave,

I performed in an education project on Wednesday 6th July 2022 with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment which took place at the Lee Valley VeloPark—the velodrome built for the 2012 Olympics. This event entitled 'Passing the Baton' marked 10 years since London hosted the Olympic Games. Incidentally, it was exactly 10 years ago today that my Royal College of Music graduation ceremony took

I performed Handel’s Water Music [HWV 348–350] in Hall One at Kings Place with the Aurora Orchestra, under the direction of Nicholas Collon, on Sunday 3rd July 2022. The performance should have taken place last New Years Eve, but it was postponed to avoid the worst of the winter Covid spikes. The programme began with Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27 [K. 595], which was performed by Javier Perianes.

Exactly one week ago, also at 15:00, I was standing right here in Boughton Aluph playing in the Stour Music Festival. I was glad to be back on Sunday 26th June 2022: it has been a busy intervening week. I’ve been doing a lot of work on my book (www.justnaturaltrumpet.com) but also trying to make time to enjoy nature and the good weather; I've been memorising Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 ready for

I performed Handel’s Israel in Egypt with Devon Baroque at the Mint Methodist Church in Exeter on Saturday 25th June 2022. The performance was conducted by Andrea Brown and it featured the Exeter Festival Chorus and soloists from The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Devon Baroque was led by Persephone Gibbs and the brass section featured Russell Gilmour (first trumpet), Katie McClaughry (second

It was great to return to Stour Music Festival in East Kent to revisit Spiritato’s programme entitled ‘Inspiring Bach’, with the Marian Consort. We picked up from where we left off after our performance at St Giles Cripplegate in October 2021. I last performed at the Stour Music Festival in 2019, for I Fagiolini's performance of Monteverdi's L'Orfeo.On Sunday 19th June 2022, we performed

Will Russell and I performed Mozart’s Mass in C minor K427 (417a) with the Ware Choral Society and the Brook Street Band on Saturday 11th June 2022. The performance, which took place in Ware, Hertfordshire, was directed by Harry Sever. The soloists were Ellie Laugharne (soprano), Hanna Hip (mezzo soprano), Nicholas Mulroy (tenor) and Alaistair Ollerenshaw (bass). The former performed a stunning opening

Following a successful performance in the London Handel Festival, Opera Settecento travelled to Halle in Germany to perform Handel’s Fernando in the Halle Handel Festival. This city was, of course, the birthplace of George Frideric Handel. It was great to be back in Halle, and I had many happy memories of performing there with Les Talens Lyriques, Solomon's Knot, the Halle Handel Festival Orchestra

I performed with the Gabrieli Consort & Players, directed by Paul McCreesh, at London’s Wigmore Hall on Friday 27th May 2022. A subsequent performance of the same programme took place at Lady St. Mary’s Church in Wareham the following day. I last performed at Wigmore Hall with this group just last month, and I had previously performed at the Purbeck Art Weeks festival in Dorset with I Fagiolini

I performed music by Johann Sebastian Bach and Antonio Vivaldi at St Edmundsbury Cathedral in Bury St Edmunds on Saturday 21st May 2022. I played first trumpet, with William Russell and Gareth Hoddinott in the trumpet section.The performance, which featured the Bury Bach Choir—in their 90th year—and the Suffolk Baroque Players, began with Bach’s O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht [BWV 118] and

Occasionally in life, you come across something so incredible that you just cannot stop thinking about it. One of the most impressive things I have ever seen with my own eyes is the Basilica di San Marco in Venice (I once even had the pleasure of performing there): there are more than a million, million pieces of gold on the domes and on the ceiling, and the building was already

I played first trumpet in Bach’s B Minor Mass with the Schola Cantorum of the London Oratory School and the St. Cecilia Players (led by Jean Paterson) on Wednesday 11th May 2022. The performance was directed by Charles Cole and it took place at The Oratory on Brompton Road in London's South Kensington. Singers stepped forward from the ranks of the choir to sing solos and several of the duet

I played first trumpet [BWV 59] and third trumpet [BWV 172] in two of the four Bach cantatas that the Oxford Bach Soloists, directed by Tom Hammond-Davies, performed on Sunday 8th May 2022 at New College, Oxford. The orchestra was led by violinist Conor Gricmanis. The programme featured:BWV 12 Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen BWV 44 Sie werden euch in den Bann tun BWV 59 Wer mich liebet, der wird mein

I performed Bach’s B Minor Mass at Oxford Town Hall on Saturday 23rd April 2022. The performance featured the Schola Cantorum of Oxford, directed by Steven Grahl, the orchestra Instruments of Time & Truth, and soloists: Robyn Allegra Parton, Lucy Cox, Martha McLorinan, Nick Pritchard and Roderick Williams. This delayed performance marked the 60th anniversary of the Schola Cantorum of Oxford.

It was a case of ‘third time lucky’ for my first appearance on stage at London’s Wigmore Hall: Covid-19 rescheduling brought a diary conflict in September 2021, when I was first due to be playing there. The next time I was invited to play there was in December 2021 but I had to cancel as I had Covid-19 and had to isolate. I was finally able to perform at this highly-revered venue for the first

I returned to Oxford on Saturday 16th April 2022 to perform in the Oxford Bach Soloists’ Easter Festival at New College. I played the cornetto part in Christ lag in Todesbanden [BWV 4] and I played trumpet in Bach’s Der Himmel lacht! Die Erde jubilieret [BWV 31] and the Easter Oratorio [BWV 249]. Tom Hammond-Davies directed the choir and orchestra. There were excellent vocal and instrumental features

Although I have visited Belgium on a number of occasions, I have never had the luxury of a free day in Brussels (except on a Monday, when the museum was closed). So, I took the opportunity to use up some British Airways and Eurostar vouchers, and visit Brussels especially to see the famous musical instrument museum. I arrived in Belgium on Tuesday 12th April 2022. I had arranged to meet up with the

I performed Handel’s Fernando on Wednesday 6th April 2022 at Handel’s local church in London—St. George’s, Hanover Square. The performance was a modern premiere of Fernando, Re di Castiglia, which Handel abandoned, or rather, completed under a different title, Sosarme, due to political reasons. This performance, given by Opera Settecento (directed by Leo Duarte) was part of the London

On Sunday 3rd April 2022 I performed Mozart’s Requiem at St Philip’s Church in Norbury, London, with the St. Philip’s Choir and the orchestra Libera. Sam Coates directed the orchestra and this young and excellent choir. The performance began with a hymn—My Song Is Love Unknown—sung by the choir and the congregation, accompanied by church organ and (a special arrangement had been produced