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 - Zadok the Priest - St Columba’s, Knightsbridge
%PM, %Europe/London %b %2025, %ROn Wednesday 16 July 2025, I played first trumpet in a recording of Handel’s Zadok the Priest (HWV 258) at St Columba’s Church on Pont Street in Knightsbridge, London. The session, conducted by Ben Lewis-Smith, featured a twelve-piece professional choir, three trumpets, and organ.
The recording took place in the organ gallery at the back of the church, with both audio and video captured for use on Encore (a music promotion platform) and for eventual release on YouTube. The large acoustic of St Columba’s lent itself to the grandeur of Handel’s music.
It’s always a pleasure to perform this work, and this occasion was no exception. However, delivering multiple complete takes without relying on any editing brought a renewed focus to the performance; it was a challenge in the heat of the day, but ultimately a rewarding experience. At one point I felt quite dizzy, since it was such a hot day, and we had played Zadok the Priest several times. As the choir was also going to record Parry’s I was Glad, the three trumpeters took a break in an adjacent room for a few minutes. I mentioned that I had been so hot that I could see some kind of heat haze in the church or perhaps lines in my vision. One of the other trumpeters retorted: ‘er, Russ, those lines are called "the stave"!
Handel, LondonThe recording took place in the organ gallery at the back of the church, with both audio and video captured for use on Encore (a music promotion platform) and for eventual release on YouTube. The large acoustic of St Columba’s lent itself to the grandeur of Handel’s music.
It’s always a pleasure to perform this work, and this occasion was no exception. However, delivering multiple complete takes without relying on any editing brought a renewed focus to the performance; it was a challenge in the heat of the day, but ultimately a rewarding experience. At one point I felt quite dizzy, since it was such a hot day, and we had played Zadok the Priest several times. As the choir was also going to record Parry’s I was Glad, the three trumpeters took a break in an adjacent room for a few minutes. I mentioned that I had been so hot that I could see some kind of heat haze in the church or perhaps lines in my vision. One of the other trumpeters retorted: ‘er, Russ, those lines are called "the stave"!