I performed Tudor music from the time of King Henry VIII at Hampton Court Palace on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th of July 2016. I played the natural trumpet and the cornetto in several different formations of ensemble, in various locations around the palace and grounds. Other colleagues played upon the sackbutt, lute, tenor drum, tambourine, bagpipe and hurdy-gurdy, showing a selection of the instruments

On Saturday 25th of June 2016, I performed music by Gabrieli, Banchieri, Vaughan-Williams and Rutter in Hampstead Parish Church (St. John-at-Hampstead). The Hampstead Chamber Choir, conducted by Dominic Brennan, had chosen an eclectic mix of music for choir, brass, organ and percussion. The concert began chronologically, with the ancient music in the first half (performed on modern instruments). The

Zelenka - Hypocondrie Bach - Magnificat in D Bach - Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 - Interval - Handel - Dixit Dominus Ars Eloquentiae and the Southampton Philharmonic Choir performed a programme of demanding choral and instrumental works on Saturday 18th of June 2016. The 7:30pm concert in Winchester Cathedral was attended by a substantial and ethereally back-lit audience. As the concert began

The baroque collective Solomon’s Knot performed on the second day of Leipzig’s Bachfest, giving a concert on Saturday, 11th of June 2016 in the Nikolaikirche. The singers performed the entire concert from memory and the conductorless ensemble wowed the Leipzig audience with what the Leipzig Bachfest described as an ‘outstandingly vivid’ performance. The response from the audience was overwhelming

St. Martin-in-the-Fields was the venue for a candlelit concert on Saturday 28th of May 2016. The Brandenburg Sinfonia performed music by Mozart and Haydn with the professional choir of St. Martin’s Voices, led by St. Martin-in-the-Fields’ Director of Music, Andrew Earis. On this occasion, the orchestra played on modern instruments and I played in a section with Paul Archibald. The concert began

On Saturday 21st May 2016 I performed with Sinfonia Britannica in the National Musicians’ Church in London, otherwise known as St Sepulchre-without-Newgate on Holborn Viaduct. Soloists: Miriam Allan, Elizabeth Weisberg, Cathy Bell, Greg Tassell and Julian Debreuil Joanna Tomlinson directed the large and enthusiastic voices of the Constanza Chorus through three demanding works: Vivaldi’s ‘Dixit

Oxford Early Music festival put on a concert of Georg Frederic Händel’s ‘Israel in Egypt’ on Friday 13th of May 2016 in the University of Oxford’s first official building, the University Church. The International Baroque Players joined a fantastic line-up of soloists: Emma Kirkby (soprano), Robyn Allegra Parton (soprano), Robin Blaze (countertenor), Thomas Hobbs (tenor), Jonathan Arnold

I participated in a performance of Bach's B Minor Mass at St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London. The performance was on modern instruments, so I played on the piccolo trumpet - as is the convention with modern trumpet players. These days, the majority of my work is on period instruments so it is very rare for me to play Baroque music on modern instruments. I did miss the rich sounds of the natural trumpets

I played Cornetto with The Little Baroque Company, performing Monteverdi's Vespers in London's 'City Temple' (Holborn Viaduct) on Monday 25th April 2016. Esther Jones conducted the orchestra and the combined choirs of The Esterhazy Singers and London Youth Choirs. Esther even conducted to another conductor (Greg Hallam) who relayed the tempo to the members of the youth choirs, who were facing away

St Andrew's Church in Cheam, (in the London Borough of Sutton) was the venue for a performance of Bach’s B Minor Mass on Saturday 16th of April 2016. The performance was given by the St Cecilia Chorus and the Little Baroque Company (orchestra). The performance was directed by Jonathan Rennert. It was a fantastic orchestra and the choir did a wonderful job singing this epic and virtuosic work. Soloists: Soprano:

Last week saw the realisation of Spiritato’s innovative ‘Guts and Glory’ project. Exploring ‘equal tension’ strings and using natural trumpets without finger holes, the group devised and delivered a programme of 17th Century music by Biber, Schmelzer, Vejvanovsky and Bertali. The project began with an open rehearsal and discussion event on Friday 8th April 2016 in which Spiritato welcomed

I played first trumpet in Handel's Coronation Anthems in St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London. The section consisted of Russell Gilmour, William Russell & Gareth Hoddinott.The Joyful Company of Singers and the Brandenburg Baroque Soloists were conducted by Peter Broadbent in this candlelit concert on Thursday 7th of April, as part of the Brandenburg Choral Festival 2016 at St. Martin-in-the-Fields.The

I left home very early on Saturday morning to be able to spend the morning in York before rehearsing and performing there. I had arranged to meet my friend from the Isle of Man (Matthew) and we both arrived in York at 0930. We had a good breakfast before visiting the National Railway Museum and we had a brief wander around York before my rehearsal. With the recent media coverage of the completion and

On Tuesday the 23rd February 2016, the choir 'Sonoro' gave a performance of a programme entitled 'Baroque Masterpieces' at St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London. The programme showcased the vibrant sonority of this new professional choir with performances of Handel's 'Zadok the Priest', Vivaldi's 'Gloria' and Bach's 'Magnificat in D'. The Sonoro Baroque Ensemble, led by Simon Standage also performed

I was involved in a performance of Monteverdi’s Vespers in the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, just off Trafalgar Square in London. The performance took place at 8pm on Saturday 30th January 2016 and it was given by the choir of Royal Holloway, University of London - directed by Rupert Gough. The orchestra was provided by Bob Porter and was called the ‘Brandenburg Baroque Soloists’. It consisted

I visited Germany to play in a New Year Concert at the Congreßhalle in Saarbrücken. It was held on Sunday 2nd of January 2016. I played in the equivalent concert last year, on the 1st of January 2015 - when it was held in the Ludwigskirche in Saarbrücken. The initial idea had been to perform Handel’s Messiah in the 2016 concert, but unfortunately the Congresshalle had already recently hosted

The ‘baroque collective’ Solomon’s Knot gave a performance entitled ‘Christmas in Leipzig’ on Monday 21st December 2015 as part of St. John’s Smith Square’s 30th Christmas Festival. The concert featured music by three composers who consecutively held the position of Kantor at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig: Johann Schelle, Johann Kuhnau and Johann Sebastian Bach. "This concert gives

On Saturday 19th of December 2015, I performed Handel's 'Messiah' at St. Anne's Church in Kew Green, London, with the group Ars Eloquentiae. The performance was directed by the wonderfully energetic Chad Kelly. He lead the ensemble and small chorus through this work from the chamber organ at the front - leading with clarity and excitement. After several encouraging gestures and glances from

I played first trumpet in Handel’s Messiah in Peterborough Cathedral on Friday 18th of December 2015. The performance was one of the most enjoyable of the whole season on account of the glorious acoustic and due to the high standard of the combined forces of the Peterborough Cathedral Choir, Youth Choir and Festival Chorus. The soloists were all excellent: Soprano - Robyn Allegra Parton, Alto - Owen

The final concert of Spitalfields Music’s Winter Festival was given by the Baroque Collective - ‘Solomon’s Knot’ on Tuesday 15th of December 2015 at Shoreditch Church (St Leonard’s) in London. This was Solomon’s Knot’s debut at Spitalfields Music. The group performed parts I, III, V and VI from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio without a conductor and the eight singers performed the whole