Russell Gilmour and Crispian Steele-Perkins play a pair of sterling silver natural trumpets

21 July 2025, 13:00

It was a treat to welcome Crispian Steele-Perkins to my home for what turned out to be a memorable and fun occasion. We spent Monday 21 July 2025 making a light-hearted video which featured a pair of sterling silver natural trumpets made by Henry Potter & Co. in 1885, which are now in my collection. I had been waiting for a natural trumpet player to visit so we could explore these instruments together. We played them for a short time and I wondered if they were leaking; Crispian suggested that we cleaned them out inside before continuing to play them. Cleaning the mouthpieces certainly had a huge impact on the sound they produced, so it was the logical next step, but one that I had been reluctant to do on my own. It was good to have Crispian, an experienced collector, on hand to help me carry this out and it was very useful having a spare pair of hands to prevent damage and great to catch up with him over an al fresco lunch.

Join trumpeters Russell Gilmour and Crispian Steele-Perkins as they bring to life a pair of sterling silver natural trumpets made by Henry Potter & Co. in 1885. Filmed on 21 July 2025, this video captures the unique sound and striking appearance of these silver ceremonial instruments in E♭, made in London and among the finest examples of their kind. The instruments feature beautiful ornamentation, with fluted ferrules, a three-part ball and detailed chasing and repoussé work—of flowers and military instruments, including timpani—on the garlands.

This light-hearted two-minute video is as much about fun as it is about appreciating the craftsmanship and history of these rare instruments. Watch as these two seasoned natural trumpeters explore the quirks, charms, and glorious sound of these seldom-heard silver trumpets.

The music we played, ‘Gallop’ by W. N. Lawton and ‘March’ (Extract) by W. N. Lawton, were from Crispian Steele-Perkins’ book, entitled Trumpeters’ Tunes’. If you would like to know more about the history and repertoire of the natural trumpet, please read the book ‘Just’ Natural Trumpet by Russell Gilmour, available at: www.justnaturaltrumpet.com

In fact, last year, Crispian Steele-Perkins wrote a glowing and thoughtful review of ‘Just’ Natural Trumpet for Early Music Performance & Research 54 (Autumn 2024):

‘Russell Gilmour’s new treatise explores the evolution of musical performance from the Renaissance until the Age of Enlightenment … This book is full of instructional material from the intervening centuries and good, practical advice as to how these materials can be beneficial to students at the present time. A nice touch is that he includes facsimiles of the original manuscripts as well as corresponding examples in clear modern notation. There are also many visual delights in the reproduction of historic paintings and portraits with commentaries and anecdotes from contemporary colleagues, critics, and admirers.’ – Crispian Steele-Perkins

‘Russell Gilmour looks into every aspect of this lost art in great detail with a multitude of fascinating illustrations. He also confronts pedagogical aspects of his subject starting with the well-known treatises of Cesare Bendinelli and Girolamo Fantini, pointing out the fact that there is a 150 year gap before anything comparable was produced by J. E. Altenburg in 1795.… During these 150 intervening years there are many references in literature and diaries with cogent observations made by the likes of Samuel Pepys, Johann Mattheson, Roger North and James Talbot—all fully quoted in this book.’ – Crispian Steele-Perkins

‘I see myself returning to reread this time and time again. Please buy, read, study and cherish this marvellous book.’ – Crispian Steele-Perkins

Russell Gilmour

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.