Utrecht was a great first concert, Rotterdam was vibrant, Eindhoven was fun (also with table football offstage), Leiden was freezing outside and impressive inside, Amsterdam was very special, Lochem was homely (and featured outdoor midwinterhoorn playing), we were live on NPO Radio 4 in Arnhem, and the performance in The Hague was a fine epilogue. 

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It’s now easy to forget that this kind of event was difficult a year ago and impossible two years ago! Playing at the Concertgebouw (for my second time: read about the first time here) was a real thrill, and it was great to play the solo aria Großer Herr in this wonderful and world-famous acoustic. Every section of the orchestra excelled; Gillone Gaubert (violin) was outstanding in her solo arias and so too were Jocelyn Daubigney (flute) and the wonderful oboists: Gilles Vanssons, Georg Fritz, Vincent Blanchard and Lidewei de Sterck. The bassoon, strings and continuo section were also thoroughly excellent! The Nederlands Kamerkoor were exceptional: their consonants were unanimous, and their ensemble sound was spine tingling. 

I have been away with Les Talens Lyriques for three tours in very close succession. It is a fantastic orchestra and it is easy and rewarding to play with these fine musicians. In the last 36 days with this orchestra, I have played first trumpet in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio (eight times), Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 (three times) and Orchestral Suites No. 3 & 4 (three times). I also played in their recording with the tenor Michael Spyres. In those 36 days, I have been home for only 4 nights! I was very pleased that my wife could come to Holland to join me for some of the tour, and she listened to our Amsterdam concert from the balcony in the Concertgebouw. The bass soloist, Krešimir Strazanac, very kindly gave my wife his flowers from the Concertgebouw performance.