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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Handel - Messiah - Aldeburgh Music Club - Snape Maltings
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2025, %RExactly one week after performing Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 (from memory) with the Aurora Orchestra at Snape Maltings, I returned to this magnificent venue to perform Handel’s Messiah (HWV 56) with the Aldeburgh Music Club and Suffolk Baroque Players, under the direction of Tom Appleton.
Aldeburgh Music Club, founded by Benjamin Britten in 1952, brought this festive work back to Snape Saturday 29 November 2025; for me, this festive season is looking very busy with Bach’s music and so this was my one and only Messiah this season. Fortunately it was a really good one, full of energy, and I felt in very fine fettle. It was great to hear the choir in full voice and these fine soloists, who also have strong local connections: Elenor Bowers-Jolley (soprano), Diana Moore (mezzo soprano), Jonathan Hanley (tenor) and Rob Gildon (bass), with whom I performed ‘The Trumpet Shall Sound’.
Baroque, HandelAldeburgh Music Club, founded by Benjamin Britten in 1952, brought this festive work back to Snape Saturday 29 November 2025; for me, this festive season is looking very busy with Bach’s music and so this was my one and only Messiah this season. Fortunately it was a really good one, full of energy, and I felt in very fine fettle. It was great to hear the choir in full voice and these fine soloists, who also have strong local connections: Elenor Bowers-Jolley (soprano), Diana Moore (mezzo soprano), Jonathan Hanley (tenor) and Rob Gildon (bass), with whom I performed ‘The Trumpet Shall Sound’.
While I was at Snape Maltings, I bumped into my old college friend, Laura, who now works there. It was so great to see her! It’s been quite a while since we were both at the Royal Northern College of Music.
As I mentioned earlier, it’s now over to Bach for the festive musical marathon. My first performance in December is a trumpet and organ recital with myself and Jörg Halubek (organ), performing in the Hospitalkirche, Stuttgart. After that I will be performing with Vox Luminis in Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, De Doelen in Rotterdam, Konzerthaus Dortmund, AMUZ in Antwerp, London’s Wigmore Hall, the Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam, as well as in Modena and Brescia in Italy.
As I mentioned earlier, it’s now over to Bach for the festive musical marathon. My first performance in December is a trumpet and organ recital with myself and Jörg Halubek (organ), performing in the Hospitalkirche, Stuttgart. After that I will be performing with Vox Luminis in Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, De Doelen in Rotterdam, Konzerthaus Dortmund, AMUZ in Antwerp, London’s Wigmore Hall, the Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam, as well as in Modena and Brescia in Italy.