I performed with Christophe Rousset, Marina Viotti, and Les Talens Lyriques on Friday 25th August 2023 in the courtyard of the Château Louis XI in La Côte-Saint-André as part of the 2023 Berlioz Festival. 

Our programme, Hommage à Pauline Viardot, was a live version of the album we made in 2021, with some new additions to the programme by Gluck and other composers. The programme now included much more of Berlioz's Les Troyens (including the lovely cornet feature in the 'Entrance of the Constructors'). We used a slightly different configuration of instruments than before, with Will Russell and I using four trumpets each (two natural trumpets, a B-flat / A trumpet with fake tubing, and a Cornet a Pistons in A), and Gareth Hoddinott and Nick Wright using two natural trumpets each, taking the section total of instruments to 12).

Performing outside is always a challenge, but we managed the page turns (adjusting the clothes pegs) without losing the music and the enormous stadium-esque tent stood up to the strong rain and thunderstorms. In fact, the thunder really added to the ambiance of Rossini's Overture to Semiramide. The weather, which could even be heard on the radio broadcast, soon improved as the soloist Marina Viotti—our very own Pauline Viardot—really shone; she was a huge hit! 

After the performance we were introduced to the festival director, who is a trumpet player himself; he was interested to see our unusual instruments. 

It was an interesting few days, in which the weather was very changeable. It was 40ºC on the first day, and the air cleared somewhat with the aforementioned thunderstorms!