The Medieval Manuscript the 'Chronicles of Mann and Sudreys' mentions various locations, including the Isle of Man, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and even places as far away as Norway and Brittany.
Russell Gilmour (trumpet) and David Kilgallon (organ) use melodies from these countries and they merge and fuse these ideas together with their own to create unique compositions for trumpet and organ. The idea behind their musical collaboration is to explore traditional music from these countries and to adapt the music, interpret it and explore it. Chronicles' musical format is slightly unusual in that it combines trumpet and organ - not the instruments you may initially associate with folk music - but it is an approach that has sparked a lot of interest.
Their limited edition EP "Prologue" is a sample of things to come, as the production of a full album is underway. The full album will be Chronicles' musical impression of the Isle of Man's influences and rich history - as documented in the Chronicles of Mann.
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writing on music, photography, travel and life as a freelance professional musician.
Göttingen International Handel Festival - 2025 - Solomon
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2025, %RHandel’s Solomon (HWV 67) was the chosen oratorio at this year’s Göttingen International Handel Festival, which centred around the theme of laurels (Lorbeeren). George Petrou directed the Festspiel Orchester Göttingen (FOG) for two performances of this oratorio; the first took place at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie on 15 May 2025 and the second at Göttingen’s recently refurbished Stadthalle,
Göttingen International Handel Festival - 2023 - Semele, Hercules & Medea
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2023, %RIt was a great pleasure to play with the Festspiel Orchester Göttingen (FOG) as part of the Göttingen Handel Festival 2023, under their new artistic director, George Petrou. I played first trumpet, with Gareth Hoddinott on second, Maarten van der Valk on timpani, and the horn players Stephan Katte and Claudia Pallaver.This year I arrived in Göttingen on 14th May 2023 and departed on 29th May 2023. The
Göttingen International Handel Festival - 2021 - Ariodante
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2021, %RIt was brilliant to return to Göttingen for the International Handel Festival in September 2021. The festival usually takes place in May each year, but it has been displaced by the coronavirus pandemic. The last time the festival took place was in May 2019, when we performed Handel’s Saul [HWV 53] in Hannoversche Münden. Getting to the first rehearsal was challenging; the Lufthansa flight
Göttingen International Handel Festival - 2019 - Saul - Hannoversche Münden
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2019, %RThere is no doubt that the Festspiel Orchester Göttingen (FOG), the resident orchestra at the Göttingen International Händel Festival, is very special to all of us who play in it. The overriding ethos within the orchestra is often nothing short of euphoric and the Göttingen International Händel Festival is musically, socially and culturally one of the highlights of my working year. I feel
Göttingen International Handel Festival - 2018
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2018, %RIt was wonderful to return to the Göttingen International Handel Festival in 2018. Performing in this festival is one of the musical highlights of my year.
The director and players of the FestspielOrchester Göttingen (FOG) are infectiously-energetic musicians; performing in their element. Thriving on each others’ energy, these remarkable and characterful musicians creatively achieve incredible
Göttingen International Handel Festival - 2017 - Galakonzert with Dominique Labelle
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I travelled to the wonderful University City of Göttingen in Germany to perform with FestspielOrchester Göttingen (FOG) directed by Laurence Cummings. It was delightful to be back at the Göttingen International Händel Festival having enjoyed performing in the 2014 and 2015 festivals.
The Galakonzert took place at the Stadthalle on Saturday 13th of May 2017 and it marked the opening of
Göttingen International Händel Festival 2015
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2015, %RI was involved, for a second year, in the International Händel Festival in Göttingen, Germany. I performed with Festspiel Orchester Göttingen (also known as FOG) in the Opera ‘Agrippina’ (HWV 6) and the Oratorio ‘Theodora’ (HWV 68).
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Handel 'Deborah' - Göttingen, St. Johannis-Kirche
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The Göttingen Handel Festival allowed the trumpet section from F.O.G. to join the Göttingen Baroque Orchestra’s performance within the Göttingen Handel Festival. The Göttingen Baroque Orchestra, under their concert master Henning Vater, performed Handel’s ‘Deborah’ (HWV 51) in the Marktkirche St. Johannes which is in the heart of the city of Göttingen. The performance of this three-hour
Göttingen International Handel Festival 2014
%AM, %Europe/London %b %2014, %RMay through to June has been an exciting time. I had the great pleasure of playing in the Thüringia Bach Festival in Weimar in May and then toured with the Göttingen Händel Festival through May and June.
I have been amazed by the Festspiel Orchester Göttingen (known colloquially as FOG). The quality of the music-making has been incredible. I was impressed with the string section in particular,