The trumpet section featured myself on first trumpet, Adam Wood on second trumpet (who was celebrating his 25th birthday today), George Parnaby on third trumpet, and Thomas Lowe on timpani.

One of the reasons I especially enjoy playing in Newcastle is that the orchestra combines players from many different areas: players who live locally, players who predominantly work in the North (I know these mostly from performances in Manchester or York), players who work in London who are happy to travel, and players from Scotland. It was great to see Elaine Wilson (who had travelled from Scotland) playing in the first violins – we met at Dartington International Summer School probably almost a decade ago!

On the way to Newcastle I stopped at Spofforth, to see where James Talbot (1664 - 1708) had lived. I attempted to look for his grave in the churchyard, but to no avail. I did see the old Rectory, where I presume he lived. It was a welcome break on the drive, and it was nice to get some fresh air.

My wife took the opportunity to travel with me to Newcastle as she is currently doing a remote learning Masters at Northumbria University. She visited the campus and worked in the library while I rehearsed and performed, which was something of a novelty as she usually studies from home. We woke up early today to have lunch by the sea in Tynemouth, followed by a walk along the breakwater on the North side of the Tyne estuary.

On the way back from Newcastle, I travelled by a diverted route, via Bury in Lancashire, to collect a trumpet that I am hoping to use with Les Talens Lyriques for a recording of nineteenth-century repertoire next week. The trumpet is a valved B-flat trumpet from c.1890 that was designed and built with fake tubing to give it the appearance of a valved F trumpet.