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.
Related Journal Articles:
writing on music, photography, travel and life as a freelance professional musician.
Mozart and Friends - Les Talens Lyriques - Montereau & Würzburg
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2024, %RI performed the programme ‘Mozart and Friends’ with Les Talens Lyriques and the bass soloist Benjamin Appl. Rehearsals took place at La Seine Musicale in Paris, with the first concert at ‘Le Majestic’ in Montereau (around an hour south of Paris) on Wednesday 22 May 2024, and two subsequent performances in the Würzburg Mozartfest (Friday 24 and Saturday 25 May).
It was great to revisit this programme after very successful and memorable performances in Kraków and Paris last year.
I last visited Würzburg in June 2021. On that occasion my experience was somewhat muted—pun intended, as we were playing Mozart’s Idomeneo (which features muted trumpets)—but in all seriousness, our trip was somewhat inhibited by the pandemic: we had to show letters at passport control to travel for work, quarantine upon arrival, and observe a 10-day quarantine upon return; concert audiences had to wear masks, and tourism was very limited—simply stopping to enjoy the view from the Alte Mainbrücke was not permitted. So it was with great delight that I was able to revisit this wonderful city for the Mozartfest, once again with Christophe Rousset and his orchestra, Les Talens Lyriques. It was wonderful to see the city in full swing, so to speak: the previously deserted market was thriving and locals and tourists alike enjoyed a convivial glass of wine on the narrow (formerly pandemic-restricted) medieval stone bridge over the River Main.
Just before the second concert in Würzburg, I heard news from the Isle of Man that the wonderful bass singer Allan Wilcocks has passed away, at the age of 90. I had the pleasure of performing ‘The Trumpet Shall Sound’ with Allan on several occasions (it was, without doubt, with him that I first performed the aria). We were always pleased to see each other in Strand Street or at the Guild (the Manx Music, Speech and Dance Festival). He has been described as a leading light of the Guild and he often used to introduce the brass classes. I’d like to dedicate my performance in the Würzburg Mozartfest to Allan, who would have loved listening to the orchestra with the bass soloist Benjamin Appl.
Classical, France, Germany, Les Talens Lyriques, Mozart, Natural Trumpet, The Section
It was great to revisit this programme after very successful and memorable performances in Kraków and Paris last year.
I last visited Würzburg in June 2021. On that occasion my experience was somewhat muted—pun intended, as we were playing Mozart’s Idomeneo (which features muted trumpets)—but in all seriousness, our trip was somewhat inhibited by the pandemic: we had to show letters at passport control to travel for work, quarantine upon arrival, and observe a 10-day quarantine upon return; concert audiences had to wear masks, and tourism was very limited—simply stopping to enjoy the view from the Alte Mainbrücke was not permitted. So it was with great delight that I was able to revisit this wonderful city for the Mozartfest, once again with Christophe Rousset and his orchestra, Les Talens Lyriques. It was wonderful to see the city in full swing, so to speak: the previously deserted market was thriving and locals and tourists alike enjoyed a convivial glass of wine on the narrow (formerly pandemic-restricted) medieval stone bridge over the River Main.
We once again performed in the resplendent Kaisersaal in the imposing Residenz Würzburg. We enjoyed two wonderful concerts in this generously reverberant acoustic; the second was broadcast live on the German radio station Bayerischer Rundfunk.
Just before the second concert in Würzburg, I heard news from the Isle of Man that the wonderful bass singer Allan Wilcocks has passed away, at the age of 90. I had the pleasure of performing ‘The Trumpet Shall Sound’ with Allan on several occasions (it was, without doubt, with him that I first performed the aria). We were always pleased to see each other in Strand Street or at the Guild (the Manx Music, Speech and Dance Festival). He has been described as a leading light of the Guild and he often used to introduce the brass classes. I’d like to dedicate my performance in the Würzburg Mozartfest to Allan, who would have loved listening to the orchestra with the bass soloist Benjamin Appl.
A wonderful interview with Allan, preserved as part of Culture Vannin's oral history, can be found here.
I did the journey entirely by rail: 1) Bedford–London, 2) London–Paris, 3) Paris–La Seine Musicale, 4) La Seine Musicale–Paris, 5) Metro to Gare de Lyon 6) Paris–Montereau, 6) Metro from Gare de Lyon, 7) Paris–Frankfurt, 8) Frankfurt–Würzburg, 9) Würzburg–Frankfurt, 10) Frankfurt–Brussels, 11) Brussels–London and finally, 12) London–Bedford.
I will be returning to Würzburg to play Cosí fan tutte in the Mozartfest in just a couple of weeks; Christophe Rousset is a featured artist of this year’s festival. In the meantime (after only 24 hours at home), I will be returning to Belgium and Germany to revisit Handel’s Jephtha, in Namur and Halle.
In other news my book, www.justnaturaltrumpet.com is tantalisingly close to being ready to print; I received the final proof just before departing for the beginning of this project. I’m very much looking forward to sending it to print!
I did the journey entirely by rail: 1) Bedford–London, 2) London–Paris, 3) Paris–La Seine Musicale, 4) La Seine Musicale–Paris, 5) Metro to Gare de Lyon 6) Paris–Montereau, 6) Metro from Gare de Lyon, 7) Paris–Frankfurt, 8) Frankfurt–Würzburg, 9) Würzburg–Frankfurt, 10) Frankfurt–Brussels, 11) Brussels–London and finally, 12) London–Bedford.
I will be returning to Würzburg to play Cosí fan tutte in the Mozartfest in just a couple of weeks; Christophe Rousset is a featured artist of this year’s festival. In the meantime (after only 24 hours at home), I will be returning to Belgium and Germany to revisit Handel’s Jephtha, in Namur and Halle.
In other news my book, www.justnaturaltrumpet.com is tantalisingly close to being ready to print; I received the final proof just before departing for the beginning of this project. I’m very much looking forward to sending it to print!