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.
Handel - Israel in Egypt - Mayfield Festival Chorus
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2026, %ROn Sunday 26 April 2026 I visited Mayfield in East Sussex to perform Handel’s Israel in Egypt. The 2026 Mayfield Festival opened with this performance at St Dunstan’s Church, conducted by Jeremy Summerly, with George Clifford leading from the violin, and the following soloists: Natalka Pasicznyk (Soprano), Aneska Diament (Soprano), Alexandria Moon (Alto), Francis Melville (Tenor), Edward Burchinall (Bass), and Gabriel Tufail-Smith (Bass). I played first trumpet, with William Russell on second, and Elsa Bradley on timpani; we played alongside the trombonists Steph Dyer, Martyn Sanderson, and Guy Morley.
I last visited Mayfield to play Bach’s Christmas Oratorio in this church in November 2023, which remains a particularly memorable occasion. One of my favourite moments of this concert was when bass trombonist, Guy, lent back in his chair and looked towards me with an encouraging grin and offered, by means of a hand gesture (turning up an invisible volume dial), the idea to reprise of the movement ‘The Lord Shall Reign Forever and Ever’ one notch more prominently!
Handel, Natural Trumpet
I last visited Mayfield to play Bach’s Christmas Oratorio in this church in November 2023, which remains a particularly memorable occasion. One of my favourite moments of this concert was when bass trombonist, Guy, lent back in his chair and looked towards me with an encouraging grin and offered, by means of a hand gesture (turning up an invisible volume dial), the idea to reprise of the movement ‘The Lord Shall Reign Forever and Ever’ one notch more prominently!
It was great to perform Israel in Egypt—surely one of Handel’s most vivid works. I'm looking forward to performing more of Handel's music next month, including Deidamia, Messiah, and Music for the Royal Fireworks, with Festspiel Orchester Göttingen at the International Handel Festival in Göttingen.