I performed three works with obligato trumpet parts in a candlelit concert at St. Martin-in-the-Fields on Friday 8th November 2019. I had been asked to perform on the piccolo trumpet, so I played Handel's Let the Bright Seraphim from Samson [HWV 57] and Henry Purcell's Overture from the Indian Queen [Z. 630] on a piccolo trumpet in A by Scherzer, and Bach's 'Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen' [BWV 51] on a piccolo trumpet in G by Selmer.


The concert began with Vivaldi's 'Sinfonia in G' [RV 149] which was played by the Brandenburg Sinfonia and conducted by Andrew Earis. Katharine Dain (soprano) then performed Handel's 'My breast with tender pity swells' - a wonderful find - from Hercules [HWV 60].

Pachelbel's 'Canon in D' [P 37] followed from the string quintet comprising: Hilaryjane Parker (violin I), Charis Jensen (violin II), Matthew Quenby (viola), Adrian Bradbury (cello) and Andrew Davis (double bass). Katharine Dain returned to sing 'Nulla in mundo pax sincera' [RV 630] by Vivaldi, which was followed by Bach's 'Orchestral Suite No.1' [BWV 1066] and Handel's 'Let the Bright Seraphim' closed the first half with tutti forces.



After the interval we began with Purcell's 'Overture from the Indian Queen' [Z. 630]. Ten short movements from Telemann's 'Overture des Nations Anciens et Modernes' followed before the finale of Bach's 'Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen' [BWV 51].



It was a pleasure to perform this programme at St. Martin-in-the-Fields and the soprano soloist Katharine Dain was exceptional. She sang this demanding programme with ease, finishing with an excellent performance of one of Bach's most vocally challenging and thrilling cantatas.

View this post on Instagram

Retro Routemaster (and this was a bus service raising money for the Poppy Appeal) #bravo #routemaster #royalbritishlegion

A post shared by Russell Gilmour (@trumpetruss) on Nov 8, 2019 at 2:14pm PST

I will be back at St. Martin-in-the-Fields on Sunday to play the Last Post for their Remembrance service.