Handel - Messiah - Manchester Cathedral

I played first trumpet in Handel's Messiah in Manchester Cathedral on Saturday 30th November 2019. The performance featured the Manchester Cathedral Choir and Manchester Baroque, conducted by Christopher Stokes.

It was great to perform Handel's Messiah in Manchester Cathedral again. I did this annual performance at Manchester Cathedral (for a few years running) about 10 and 11 years ago!


The 2019 performance was exceptional all round and it was great to be back in Manchester and performing with old friends, colleagues and professors from the Royal Northern College of Music. It was wonderful to see and hear Polly Nobes (lead violinist), who encouraged so many of us to pursue careers in early music by running the RNCM Baroque Ensemble. I played first trumpet in a section with Chris Parsons (second trumpet) and Rosie Toll (timpani). Rosie played in the RNCM Baroque Ensemble the very first time I played the natural trumpet publicly, as did Naomi Burrell who was playing in the second violins this evening.

I performed The Trumpet Shall Sound with the bass soloist, fellow Royal Northern College of Music alumnus Terence Ayebare (Bass). All the soloists were excellent, with Terence Ayebare, Alex Banfield (tenor), Joyce Tindsley (alto) and Phillipa Hyde (soprano) singing stunning recitatives and arias throughout. The young (female and male) trebles in the Cathedral Choir did a fantastic job too - Bravo to them and to their teachers!

Russell Gilmour
Russell Gilmour Blog
writing on music, photography, engraving, travel and life as a freelance professional musician.

Russell Gilmour's innovative new book, 'Just' Natural Trumpet, is now available: please click here for more information.
Stacks Image 110