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.
Mozart - Mass in C Minor - The Brook Street Band – Ware
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2022, %RWill Russell and I performed Mozart’s Mass in C minor K427 (417a) with the Ware Choral Society and the Brook Street Band on Saturday 11th June 2022. The performance, which took place in Ware, Hertfordshire, was directed by Harry Sever. The soloists were Ellie Laugharne (soprano), Hanna Hip (mezzo soprano), Nicholas Mulroy (tenor) and Alaistair Ollerenshaw (bass). The former performed a stunning opening
Bach Sinfonia from Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir (BWV 29), Sinfonia (BWV 1045) & Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen (BWV 11) - Wigmore Hall & Purbeck Arts Week
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2022, %RI performed with the Gabrieli Consort & Players, directed by Paul McCreesh, at London’s Wigmore Hall on Friday 27th May 2022. A subsequent performance of the same programme took place at Lady St. Mary’s Church in Wareham the following day. I last performed at Wigmore Hall with this group just last month, and I had previously performed at the Purbeck Art Weeks festival in Dorset with I Fagiolini
Inspiring Bach - Spiritato - St Giles Cripplegate
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2021, %RA small number of ensembles in the UK have begun to experiment with using natural trumpets [i.e. without finger holes], although it is still relatively uncommon. It was great to take part in a project that offered enough rehearsal time to develop and explore playing without holes in an ensemble setting; playing some of the repertoire that is thought to have inspired Johann Sebastian Bach. The project,
Monteverdi - Orfeo - Stour Festival - I Fagiolini
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2019, %RIt was a great pleasure to rejoin Robert Hollingworth's I Fagiolini for a performance of Monteverdi's Orfeo at the Stour Music Festival at All Saints Church near Boughton Aluph (near Ashford in Kent) on Friday 28th June 2019.
The 2019 festival marks the departure of Stour Music's artistic director Mark Deller (countertenor). He will be succeeded by Robert Hollingworth who will direct future festivals,
I Fagiolini - Monteverdi - L'Orfeo - Antwerp
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2018, %RI Fagiolini’s interpretation of L’Orfeo, with Matthew Long in the starring role, began in Venice in November 2015 and has seen subsequent performances in London (May 2017), Purbeck (June 2017) and Cheltenham (July 2017) since then.
The most recent performance took place in Antwerp in Belgium. I had been performing at the Utrecht Festival on Friday 24th of August 2018,
Spiritato - Guts & Glory - Wiltshire Music Centre
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2017, %RSpiritato gave a performance of their ‘Guts & Glory’ programme at the Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford on Avon on Saturday 21st of October 2017. They gave a brilliant performance of this programme (which was preceded by a thought-provoking pre-concert talk) and they suitably impressed the enthusiastic and inquisitive audience.
This marked the fifth and final performance (as it
I Fagiolini - Monteverdi - L'Orfeo - Cheltenham Festival
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2017, %RRobert Hollingworth led I Fagiolini’s performance of Monteverdi’s 'L’Orfeo' at Cheltenham Town Hall, as part of the Cheltenham Festival, on Sunday 9th July 2017.
I performed the opening Toccata, without holes, alongside players from the English Cornett and Sackbutt Ensemble: Tom Lees, Emily White, Andy Harwood-White and Adrian France. In a slight difference to our other performances in Venice,
I Fagiolini - Monteverdi - L'Orfeo - Purbeck
%AM, %Europe/London %b %2017, %RFollowing on from previous performances in Venice and London, I Fagiolini performed Monteverdi’s 'L’Orfeo' in the historic market town of Wareham in Dorset on Saturday 3rd June 2017. The performance took place as part of the Purbeck Art Weeks festival at Lady St Mary’s, Wareham.
I performed the opening Toccata with players from the English Cornett and Sackbutt Ensemble,
I Fagiolini - Monteverdi - L'Orfeo - London Festival of Baroque Music
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2017, %R
Robert Hollingworth’s ensemble I Fagiolini gave a semi-staged performance of Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo in the London Festival of Baroque Music at St. John’s Smith Square on Thursday 18th May 2017. The brilliant Matthew Long performed the role of Orfeo.
I performed the clarino part in the opening Toccata, playing the natural trumpet (without holes) with players from the English Cornett and Sackbutt
Spiritato! - HIP Class - Royal Academy of Music
%AM, %Europe/London %b %2017, %ROn Thursday 9th of March 2017, I was involved in delivering a Historically Informed Performance Class at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Four members of the period-instrument ensemble ‘Spiritato!’ talked about their recent ‘Guts & Glory’ project - which involved discussing many of the key aspects of being a Historically Informed performer. The class focused on the pros and cons of
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
Spiritato - Guts & Glory - Brighton Early Music Festival 2016
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2016, %RSpiritato's tour of the 'Guts & Glory' programme continued on Friday 11th November 2016 at St. George’s Kemp Town, in Brighton. The performance was part of the Brighton Early Music Festival 2016.Brighton Early Music Festival had chosen the theme of ‘Nature & Science’ for their 2016 festival, exploring observation, discovery, invention and creation. In the spirit of innovation, Spiritato
Spiritato - Guts & Glory - St. George’s Bristol
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St. George’s in Bristol was the venue for the most recent performance of Spiritato’s 'Guts and Glory' programme. Click here to read an older post about this programme.
The concert took place on the 9th of November 2016 in this magnificent venue in the vibrant city of Bristol. Spiritato performed the programme with vigour and assurance, informing and delighting the audience along the way.
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
I Fagiolini - Monteverdi - L'Orfeo - Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista, Venice
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2015, %R
“I exhibite in this my Journall to your Princelie view, that most glorious, renowned, Virgin Citie of Venice, the Queene of the Christian world, that Diamond set in the ring of the Adriatique gulfe, and the most resplendent mirrour of Europe…”
- Thomas Coryate, c.1608
There are few places in the world that are as instantly recognisable. Venice is a paradise for the eyes and for the ears.
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