I played first trumpet with Solomon’s Knot for a performance of Bach’s B Minor Mass (BWV 232) in the Nikolaikirche in Leipzig on Saturday 3 October 2026; apparently, this was my thirtieth appearance with Solomon’s Knot. We gave further performances of the work at AMUZ in Antwerp on Thursday 8 October and at London’s Wigmore Hall on Saturday 10 October.

It was a joy to play Bach in one of Bach’s churches. In fact, Bach performed the Sanctus from the B Minor Mass in the Nikolaikirche on Christmas Day in 1724. Our performance took place on German Reunification Day, a public holiday, and it was poignant to perform in this church, which was at the centre of the so-called ‘Peaceful Revolution’ that paved the way for the reunification of Germany in 1990.

As I have already reported, my dear former trumpet teacher, mentor, great friend, and trumpet-making master, to whom I was apprenticed, David Staff, passed away last week. It was a huge shock, and I was devastated by the news. Although he retired from performing a number of years ago, I remember the time I spent playing alongside him very fondly, and his lessons were, of course, hugely formative for me.

As this was my first project back since his sudden demise, I was a little apprehensive that I might become upset while playing the trumpet. However, I did not find that at all. There were only three occasions when I found myself thinking about him while playing, and each brought a practical memory to mind. The first was when I was feeling a bit tired and could see a top C approaching towards the end of a phrase. I was reminded of the time he played Handel’s Dettingen Te Deum at the Göttingen Handel Festival in 2018 and, without a bumper, faced with the same scenario in ‘O Lord, in Thee have I trusted’, told himself, ‘come on Staffy, this is what you do’. Another occasion was when I thought of the exercises for restoring a bit of blood to your lip, which his former teacher, Bernard Brown (1914–1983), taught him, and which he subsequently taught me. The third was simply when I thought of another fingering option for a top A. I was quite pleased that these were the thoughts that came to me, as they were all helpful and not overwhelming or sad in any way.