I was called in as a last-minute replacement first trumpet player (during the so-called pingdemic) for the Gabrieli Consort’s performance of Purcell’s King Arthur at the Three Choirs Festival. The performance took place in Worcester Cathedral on Monday 26th May 2021. I had performed this version of King Arthur at short notice once before with the Gabrieli Consort in Groningen and in Hamburg in 2018.

Paul McCreesh conducted the Gabrieli Consort and Players and used the edition that he and Christopher Suckling devised, which includes some pieces from Dioclesian; the performing pitch was A=392Hz. Although my short memorisation paled in significance to the singers who all performed entirely off-copy, I played the first two entries from memory (Come If You Dare, and Trumpet Tune) and from high on the choir riser. I performed the Act V Symphony with Catherine Martin (violin) and Joel Raymond (oboe) [and the remaining numbers] from the normal stage level.