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.
Gassmann - L’Opera Seria - Les Talens Lyriques - Theater an der Wien
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2026, %RL’Opera Seria, an opera by the Bohemian-born composer Florian Leopold Gassmann (1729–1774), was the main focus of Les Talens Lyriques’ three-week residency at Vienna’s Theater an der Wien (the newly refurbished theatre where several of Ludwig van Beethoven’s symphonies were once premiered). Our fully staged production of L’Opera Seria, directed by Christophe Rousset, was performed on 26
Mozart - Ascanio in Alba - Les Talens Lyriques - Theater an der Wien
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2026, %RWhile we were in Vienna performing Florian Leopold Gassmann’s L’Opera Seria, Les Talens Lyriques also gave a concert (i.e. un-staged) performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Ascanio in Alba (K. 111), a work written for the wedding of the son of Empress Maria Theresa in 1771. We performed the opera on stage at the Theater an der Wien, where we have been in residence for a few weeks already. The
Clarke - Trumpet Tune in D Major - BBC Radio 3 Interview - St. Paul’s Cathedral
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2026, %ROn Thursday 22 January 2026, I played the trumpet and took part in an on-location recording for BBC Radio 3’s The Early Music Show at St Paul’s Cathedral. The programme, presented by Dr Hannah French and produced by Ben Collingwood, will be broadcast in March. Listen to the programme by clicking this link.This episode of The Early Music Show explored music by John Blow, William Croft, and
Bach - B Minor Mass - Oxford Bach Soloists - Winchester Cathedral
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2026, %RI played third trumpet in Bach’s B minor mass (BWV 232) at Winchester Cathedral on Wednesday 21 January 2026. The performance brought together the combined forces of five choirs from Oxford and Winchester: the Winchester Philharmonic Choir, the Winchester College Choral Society, the Winchester College Chapel Choir, the Winchester Cathedral Chamber Choir, and the Oxford Bach Soloists Choral Scholars. The
Bach - Christmas Oratorio - Oxford Bach Soloists - University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2026, %RI played third trumpet in Johann Sebastian Bach’s Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248) at the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford, on Saturday 3 January 2026. The performance, featuring cantatas I, II, and VI of the Christmas Oratorio, was given by Oxford Bach Soloists and conducted by Steven Grahl. The soloists were Mariana Rodrigues (soprano), Stephanie Franklin (alto), Nicholas Mulroy (tenor),
Trumpet & Organ Recital - Russell Gilmour & Jörg Halubek - Hospitalkirche, Stuttgart
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2025, %RI met the organist, harpsichordist, and director of Il Gusto Barocco, Jörg Halubek when I recorded Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, as a last-minute stand-in, in 2019. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Il Gusto Barocco (@ilgustobarocco)
Fast forward to 2025, and I was delighted to be invited to perform a trumpet and organ recital with him at the Hospitalkirche
Mendelssohn & Prokofiev - Aurora Orchestra - Bradford on Avon, Snape, Saffron Walden, London & Nottingham
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2025, %RIt was wonderful to perform at Wiltshire Music Centre (21 November 2025), Snape Maltings (22 November), Saffron Hall (23 November), Highgate Wood School (24 November), and the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham (25 November) with the Aurora Orchestra; we performed Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2 with Chloë Hanslip and Mendelssohn’s 4th Symphony from memory under the baton of Nicholas Collon. It
Bach, Kuhnau & Telemann - Vox Luminis - Hamburg, Rotterdam, Dortmund, Antwerp, London, Amsterdam, Modena & Brescia
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2025, %RAn extensive Vox Luminis project of festive music by Johann Sebastian Bach and other Baroque composers began with rehearsals in Malonne, near Namur in Belgium on Saturday 6 December 2025. The first concert took place on Tuesday 9 December at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. The programme featured Telemann’s Uns ist ein Kind geboren (TWV 1:1451), J. S. Bach’s Christen äztet diesen Tag (BWV 63) and
Purcell - The Fairy Queen - Vox Luminis - Ghent & Madrid
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2025, %RIt was a pleasure to perform Purcell’s The Fairy Queen (Z. 692) with Vox Luminis at De Bijloke in Ghent on Thursday 13 November 2025 and at the Teatro Real in Madrid on Saturday 15 November 2025. We began rehearsing in Belgium on Armistice Day—Namur was particularly quiet on this poignant day. It was great to explore the historic old town in Ghent and fantastic to revisit Madrid. My last performance
The Leipzig Legacy - Spiritato - Wiltshire Music Centre & London Festival of Baroque Music
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2025, %RIt was a pleasure to give two performances with Spiritato this week: firstly at the Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford on Avon on 5 November 2025 and then again as part of the London Festival of Baroque Music at Smith Square Hall (formerly St. John’s Smith Square) on 7 November 2025. The orchestra, directed from the violin by Kinga Ujszászi, presented a thrilling programme that explored the music
Purcell - Fairy Queen - OAEducation - King’s Lynn
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2025, %RI played first trumpet with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAEducation) for an education outreach project on Tuesday 21 October 2025 at the Corn Exchange in King’s Lynn. The project featured music from The Fairy Queen by Henry Purcell with additional music composed by James Redwood, who was also an engaging animateur and leader. The project brought together the Orchestra of the Age
Hand Engraving Lessons with Dr Malcolm Appleby MBE
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2025, %RIt can sometimes be difficult to find an inventive way to start writing an article—I believe writers refer to their initial angle as an ‘in’. Writer’s block seems particularly strong, in my experience, when I am attempting to document something that has been particularly enjoyable, impressive, or formative. In such cases I hope to illustrate my enjoyment through a well-written account in order
Bach - B Minor Mass & Magnificat - Southwell Music Festival
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2025, %ROn Sunday 24 August 2025 I played first trumpet in Bach’s B minor mass (BWV 232) at Southwell Minster. The performance was part of the Southwell Music Festival and it showcased the Festival Voices and Baroque Sinfonia under the musical and artistic director, Marcus Farnsworth. In addition to the performance of the B minor mass on Sunday, we also performed Bach’s Magnificat (BWV 243) for the ‘Come
Bach - BWV 130, BWV 50 - Solomon’s Knot - Bachwoche Ansbach
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2025, %RAfter enjoyable performances at Bachfest Leipzig and Stour Music Festival, Solomon’s Knot gave two all-Bach concerts on consecutive evenings (Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7 August 2025) at St Gumbertus Church for Bachwoche Ansbach.
The first programme featured movements of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 (BWV 1051) interspersed throughout. For the second, the order was altered:
Walter Holy and Michael Laird: the Evolution of the Finger-Holed Trumpet
%AM, %Europe/London %b %2025, %RI’m delighted to share the release of a long-awaited video interview, filmed in Wandsworth in May 2023, between myself and the now-retired trumpeter Michael Laird (b. 1942). In it, Michael reflects on his studies with Walter Holy (1921–2006), which began in 1963, and the development of the finger-holed trumpet during the ‘Early Music Revival’ of the late 20th century.When I was a student at
Russell Gilmour and Crispian Steele-Perkins play a pair of sterling silver natural trumpets
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2025, %RIt was a treat to welcome Crispian Steele-Perkins to my home for what turned out to be a memorable and fun occasion. We spent Monday 21 July 2025 making a light-hearted video which featured a pair of sterling silver natural trumpets made by Henry Potter & Co. in 1885, which are now in my collection. I had been waiting for a natural trumpet player to visit so we could explore these instruments together.
Bach - BWV 19, BWV 149, BWV 130 & BWV 50 - Solomon’s Knot - Bachfest Leipzig
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2025, %RLeipzig’s Nikolaikirche was the venue for Solomon’s Knot’s all-Bach programme, on Sunday 22 June 2025, as part of the famous and truly international Bachfest Leipzig. I last performed in this festival (also with Solomon’s Knot) in 2016. Solomon’s Knot last performed a similar programme to this at the BBC Proms in 2016. On this occasion the programme began with Johann Christoph Bach’s
Bach - BWV 1, BWV 127, BWV 42, BWV 103 & BWV 28 - English Baroque Soloists & Monteverdi Choir - Masaaki Suzuki - St. Martin-in-the-Fields
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2025, %RI have long been an admirer of Masaaki Suzuki’s recordings with Bach Collegium Japan, so it was an enormous pleasure for me to play for this champion of Bach interpretation when he directed the English Baroque Soloists and Monteverdi Choir for a performance at London’s St. Martin-in-the-Fields on Thursday 19 June 2025 (an exceptionally warm day). The artfully crafted programme featured four
Mozart - Mitridate, re di Ponto - La Scala, Milan & Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2025, %RMitridate, re di Ponto [K. 87 (74a)] was written in 1770 by a 14-year-old Mozart, and it was premiered at Milan’s Teatro Regio Ducale. On Sunday 18 May 2025, I played first trumpet in this work with Les Talens Lyriques under the direction of Christophe Rousset at Milan’s famous Teatro alla Scala. I first performed at this venue only a few months ago, with the English Baroque Soloists, also directed
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,