I played two of Handel’s Coronation Anthems with St. Martin’s Voices (directed by Andrew Earis) at St. Martin-in-the-Fields on Monday 6th May 2024. I played first trumpet with Rebecca Toal on second. I came directly from an Aurora Orchestra rehearsal at Henry Wood Hall, where I had been playing Beethoven’s 'Eroica' symphony (from memory), ahead of performances at the Apex in Bury St Edmunds,

I performed with the Brandenburg Baroque Soloists at the Chapel of St Peter and St Paul at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich on Tuesday 30th April 2024. The performance featured two choirs, the Old Royal Naval College Trinity Laban Chapel Choir (directed by Ralph Allwood) and the Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea (directed by William Vann). The concert was a choral celebration

I played first trumpet in Handel’s Jephtha [HWV 70] on Sunday 17 March 2024 in Oslo Cathedral, with Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques. The performance featured the singers: Jeremy Ovenden (Jephtha), Deborah Cachet (Iphis), Sophie Harmsen (Storgé), Edwin Crossley-Mercer (Zebul), Tim Mead (Hamor), Lian Wei (Angel) and the Chœur de Chambre de Namur. This performance was the last

My final Messiah of the year (and last performance in the UK before Christmas) took place in Exeter Cathedral on Sunday 10 December 2023. However, the 'D major marathon' is far from over, and I’m looking forward to four performances of Bach's Christmas Oratorio, in Belgium and France with Vox Luminis, and a recording of music by Cimarosa with Les Talens Lyriques, in Paris, before Christmas itself. I

I played first trumpet in a sold out performance of Handel’s Messiah in the quire of Canterbury Cathedral on Saturday 2nd December 2023. It was, as the advertisements for the performance promised, ‘an intimate presentation of some of Handel’s most enduring music’.I played first trumpet, with Will Russell (2nd trumpet), and Ben Fullbrook (timpani) in the section. The concert, part of the Canterbury

London’s St. John’s Smith Square was the venue for a performance Handel’s Messiah, in which I played first trumpet (alongside Will Russell, 2nd trumpet, and Adrian Bending, timpani) on Saturday 18 November 2023. The concert was directed by Scott Inglis-Kidger and featured the Platinum Consort, Platinum Choristers, and Platinum 415 baroque ensemble led by Conor Gricmanis (violin). It was wonderful

I performed Vivaldi’s Gloria (RV 589) and Handel’s ‘Eternal Source of Light Divine’ from the Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne (HWV 74) at Snape Maltings on Saturday 11 November 2023. The performance featured the wonderful Aldeburgh Music Club (choir) and was directed by Tom Appleton. The all-Vivaldi first half began with Ostro picta, armata spina (RV 642) and continued with his most famous

I performed Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3 [BWV 1068], Orchestral Suite No. 4 [BWV 1069], and Handel’s Water Music in D major [HWV 349] with the orchestra Armonia Atenea in the Megaron concert hall in Athens on Sunday 22nd October 2023. It was wonderful to visit Greece again and to perform in Athens for the first time—my previous visit was en route to a wedding on the island of Santorini in 2011. 

I played first trumpet in Handel’s ‘Eternal Source of Light Divine’ as part of a performance entitled ‘Music to her Majestie’ with Spiritato, directed by the lutenist Elizabeth Kenny, at St Giles Cripplegate in London on Sunday 10 September 2023. The programme featured Purcell’s From Hardy Climes, Eccles’ Inspire us Genius—a modern (and perhaps an overall) premiere—and Handel’s

I played first trumpet in Handel’s Coronation Anthems in Southwell Minster on Sunday 27th August 2023. The performance was part of Southwell Music Festival, and it was conducted by the festival's founder and artistic director, Marcus Farnsworth. The performance also featured a Concerto Grosso by Handel, and his Dixit Domimus, after the interval.Our section comprised Russell Gilmour, Will Russell,

It was a great pleasure to play with the Festspiel Orchester Göttingen (FOG) as part of the Göttingen Handel Festival 2023, under their new artistic director, George Petrou. I played first trumpet, with Gareth Hoddinott on second, Maarten van der Valk on timpani, and the horn players Stephan Katte and Claudia Pallaver.This year I arrived in Göttingen on 14th May 2023 and departed on 29th May 2023. The

Union Chapel in Highbury (London) was the venue for a performance of Handel's Messiah on Sunday 2nd April 2023. The Eclectic Voices choir joined forces with the City Bach Collective, led by Hazel Brooks, and the wonderful Scott Stroman directed the whole ensemble. I played first trumpet with Will Russell on second, and Lewis Blee on timpani. It was an uplifting performance, with great enthusiasm

I played first (vented) trumpet at A=440 Hz in a performance of Handel's Messiah at Forest School in Walthamstow (London) on Saturday 11th March 2023. A good colleague and friend, Dave Clewlow (who also teaches at the school) played second trumpet and Keith Price played timpani. Students from the secondary and prep school joined forces with a community choir to sing this well-known oratorio by

I performed Handel’s Messiah at The Anvil in Basingstoke with the Basingstoke Choral Society on Sunday 28th November 2022. I played first trumpet in the orchestra, which was led by Ellen Bundy (violin) and conducted by David Gibson. Will Russell and Ben Fullbrook played second trumpet, and timpani respectively. I last performed Messiah with this choral society on Sunday 15th November 2015.Believe

I played first trumpet in a performance of Handel's Messiah which took place at the Apex in Bury St Edmonds in Suffolk on Saturday 12th November 2022. The sold-out performance featured Suffolk Baroque Players and the Bury Bach Choir under guest conductor Tom Appleton. The Apex is a gorgeous hall to play in. The Bury Bach Choir is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. I had the pleasure of

Just before the pandemic, I performed with the English Chamber Choir in a performance to celebrate the 75th birthday of the trumpeter Crispian Steele-Perkins.On this occasion, Monday 24th October 2022, the English Chamber Choir was celebrating its own anniversary—its fiftieth—at Cadogan Hall in Sloane Square. A spokesperson from the choir explained that this choir had performed in the second concert

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.

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

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 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