Chronicles - Trumpet & Organ:

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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Handel - Eternal Source of Light Divine - Spiritato

I played first trumpet in Handel’s ‘Eternal Source of Light Divine’ as part of a performance entitled ‘Music to her Majestie’ with Spiritato, directed by the lutenist Elizabeth Kenny, at St Giles Cripplegate in London on Sunday 10 September 2023.

The programme featured Purcell’s From Hardy Climes, Eccles’ Inspire us Genius—a modern (and perhaps an overall) premiere—and Handel’s Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne (HWV 74) which begins with ‘Eternal Source of Light Divine’. The programme featured music dedicated to, or written for, Queen Anne.

Nicholas Mulroy played the part of ‘Mr. Eilfurt [Elford]’, singing the most famous movement from the Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne, ‘Eternal Source of Light Divine’, in the tenor register (Handel’s singer, Elford, was known variously as a tenor or countertenor). I played the trumpet part. Together, we produced a scintillating 'hole in one' in the live performance, which was video recorded for later online broadcast(s).

The vocal ensemble featured Nardus Williams* (soprano), Zoë Brookshaw* (soprano), Charlotte La Thrope (soprano), Ciara Hendrick* (mezzo), Jamie Hall (alto), Nicholas Mulroy* (tenor), Charles Daniels* (tenor), Chris Lombard (tenor), Robert Davies (baritone), and Jimmy Holliday* (bass). There were memorable solos (or duets) from those marked *. Joel Raymond also contributed several lovely oboe obbligatos.

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Thanks must go to Will Russell for organising this interesting project, for raising the funds (with thanks to the Continuo Foundation, Angel Early Music, Gemma Classical Music Trust and others), for his edition of Eccles’ Inspire us Genius, and to his team of helpers (front of house, lighting, sound, tech., and video).