The Medieval Manuscript the 'Chronicles of Mann and Sudreys' mentions various locations, including the Isle of Man, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and even places as far away as Norway and Brittany.
Russell Gilmour (trumpet) and David Kilgallon (organ) use melodies from these countries and they merge and fuse these ideas together with their own to create unique compositions for trumpet and organ. The idea behind their musical collaboration is to explore traditional music from these countries and to adapt the music, interpret it and explore it. Chronicles' musical format is slightly unusual in that it combines trumpet and organ - not the instruments you may initially associate with folk music - but it is an approach that has sparked a lot of interest.
Their limited edition EP "Prologue" is a sample of things to come, as the production of a full album is underway. The full album will be Chronicles' musical impression of the Isle of Man's influences and rich history - as documented in the Chronicles of Mann.
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writing on music, photography, travel and life as a freelance professional musician.
Grand Baroque IV - Exeter Cathedral
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2019, %RBlackdowns Early Music Projects presented a concert entitled 'Grand Baroque IV' at Exeter Cathedral on Friday 29th November 2019. JanJoost van Elburg conducted the Blackdowns Early Music Projects Choir, the Monteverdi String Band, the English Cornett and Sackbutt Ensemble and a team of natural trumpets and drums, played by Russell Gilmour, Will Russell and Scott Bywater.
The two trumpet players opened
Mozart - C Minor Mass - Musica Poetica - St. John's Smith Square
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2019, %RThis week continued with more Mozart, this time at St. John’s Smith Square on Wednesday 3rd April 2019. Will Russell (2nd trumpet) and I (1st trumpet) played natural trumpets with Musica Poetica and the English Baroque Choir under the direction of former King’s Singer, Jeremy Jackman.
The programme consisted of Biber’s Requiem in F Minor [IHB 17] and Mozart’s Mass in C Minor [K. 427], both
“Musical Battles, and the Trumpet, Naturally” - Devon Baroque - Dartington
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2017, %RI performed with Devon Baroque in the Great Hall at Dartington on Sunday 29th October 2017 for a concert entitled “Musical Battles, and the Trumpet, Naturally”. I performed Torelli’s ‘Concerto in D for trumpet and strings’ [G1] and as one of the four featured soloists in Bach’s ‘Brandenburg Concerto No.2 in F Major’ [BWV 1047].
Tromba - Russell Gilmour
Flauto - Olwen Foulkes
Hautbois
Blackdowns Early Music Projects - Grand Baroque III - German Choral Masterworks - Exeter Cathedral
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2017, %RExeter Cathedral was the venue for ‘Grand Baroque III’, a programme compiled by Blackdowns Early Music Projects which featured several ‘German Choral Masterworks’ from composers such as Rosenmüller, Schelle and Kuhnau. The performance took place at Exeter Cathedral on Monday 28th August 2017.
The baroque orchestra consisted of the English Cornett and Sackbutt Ensemble, the Monteverdi String
Lully - Alceste, ou Le triomphe d’Alcide - Les Talens Lyriques
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2017, %RFollowing on from a residency at the Opera National du Lorrain in Nancy (2014), and a tour to Versailles and Vienna (2016), I joined Les Talens Lyriques for a third time; performing and recording Jean-Baptiste Lully's 'Alceste, ou Le triomphe d’Alcide' (1674) under the direction of Christophe Rousset.
Lully's opera 'Alceste, ou Le triomphe d’Alcide' is a 'tragedy in music', with
Spiritato - Guts & Glory - York Early Music Winter Festival
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2016, %RSpiritato’s final 2016 performance of their ‘Guts & Glory’ programme opened the York Early Music Winter Festival on Thursday 8th of December 2016 at St. Margaret’s Church in York - home of the National Centre for Early Music (NCEM). The ensemble was led by the wonderful violinist Kinga Ujszaszi.
The fun Guts and Glory project finished for 2016 in York last night. Thank you guys for all
Guts & Glory - Spiritato!
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2016, %RLast 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
Grand Baroque II - Exeter Cathedral - Blackdowns Early Music Projects
%AM, %Europe/London %b %2015, %RExeter Cathedral was the venue for a concert entitled 'Grand Baroque II', organised by Blackdowns Early Music Projects. It was the sequel to their successful debut concert in 2013.The Altenburg Ensemble, consisting of Steve Bailey, Steve Burke, Steve Gilbey, myself, Katie Hodges, William Russell and guest player Jean-François Madeuf, opened the concert with a performance of Biber's Sonata for 6 trumpets