Jean-François sent a lovely message after the concert saying that it was a pleasure to play with such a good section. The feeling was mutual: it felt great to play in such a well-balanced trumpet team, with Adrian Bending’s excellent timpani bass line. Despite my relatively modest involvement, it felt like a great achievement to have played in what was probably the first modern performance of Bach’s Easter Oratorio using natural trumpets [without finger holes] in London. It is difficult to convey just how rewarding I found playing the third trumpet part to be—I very seldom get asked to play third trumpet these days and I had forgotten how great it feels to lay down a principale trumpet part. It was a great pleasure to play such well-balanced and justly-intoned triads (the D major triads which appear in inversions at the beginning of the joyous third movement were a fine example) in this natural trumpet section. I look forward to returning to Wigmore Hall, with the Gabrieli Consort and the same trumpet team later this year.