Myself, Will Russell and Katie Hodges (trumpeters) travelled from the UK entirely by rail, changing trains in Paris and Plouaret Trégor. The orchestra and choir of Vox Luminis arrived in Lannion to begin rehearsals on Friday 4th October. This would be our first time playing the B Minor Mass with Vox Luminis. It is a work that the group has played several times before (with a different trumpet section) and so we had a few days of rehearsals to learn Vox Luminis' interpretation of the B Minor Mass and to become accustomed to the dry acoustic of the hall.

The town of Lannion is the final settlement along the course of the river Léguer, which runs a 58km course from Maël-Pestivien to the English Channel. The town is set out on a gentle hillside with half-timbered buildings and an ancient charm.

View this post on Instagram

Lannion

A post shared by Russell Gilmour (@trumpetruss) on Oct 5, 2019 at 8:19am PDT

The concert at 15:00 on Sunday featured many highlights: Domine Deus by Stephanie True (soprano) and Charles Daniels (tenor) was calm and sublime; Gijs Laceuelle (performed the horn part from memory) and the artistic director Lionel Meunier (Bass) duetted brilliantly in the Quoniam over the fine bassoon playing of Anaïs Ramage and Alejo Perezmarin. A lively Cum Sanctus Spirito provided a rousing culmination to the first half. The singers of Vox Luminis shone in all of the choruses. The second half saw Charles Daniels' and Jan Van der Borre's stunning Benedictus, Angus Dei was compelling, and Dona Nobis Pacem (repeated as an encore) was a climactic ending.