Over the last week, I have had the pleasure of both performing in, and listening to, some truly inspiring concerts.
Saturday 7th:
Last Saturday I joined the Academy of St Martin in the Fields for a candlelit performance of Haydn's Nelson Mass. The concert opened with Mozart's sublime Ave Verum Corpus and the audience completely filled St Martin in the Fields, Trafalgar Square.
Sunday 8th:
Remembrance Sunday is always a special day in a trumpeter's diary and it is one that I particularly look forward to. I have played the Last Post in various church services for ten years now and it is a real privilege to play such an important part in a service that is meaningful for so many people. It never gets any less powerful - or any less exposed!!!
Wednesday 11th:
On Wednesday evening I was invited as a guest of the Royal Philharmonic Society to a recital by RPS Young Musicians. As a recipient of the Julius Isserlis Scholarship, I met many generous supporters of the RPS and heard wonderful performances by Marta Kowalczyk, the Ruisi Quartet and Clare Hammond, all in the beautifully intimate setting of 49 Queen's Gate Terrace.
Thursday 12th:
On Thursday I performed the Hummel Trumpet Concerto in Eb Major as part of the Southbank Sinfonia's 'Concerto Day'. This is an opportunity for supporters and new members of the orchestra to meet and perform to each other in a friendly and relaxed environment. It was a fantastic day and has made me even more excited to start the programme in January!
Friday 13th:
On Friday evening I decided to go and watch a concert at St James's Piccadilly. One of the items in the programme was a world premiere performance of Stephen Dodgson's Songs of the Heart. The performance (by the New London Singers) was absolutely brilliant and I feel so sad that Stephen never had a chance to hear these songs performed live during his lifetime.
I have a special connection to Stephen Dodgson; he wrote me a trumpet concerto in 2011, and it turned out to be the last piece he wrote before he died. I will be performing Dodgson's Trumpet Concerto at St James's Piccadilly on Wednesday 9th December as part of the Park Lane Group recital series. Click here for more details.
Saturday 14th:
Last night I played in a concert in Parsons Green with the Fulham Camerata. It was a concert of French music, with performances of both the Duruflé and Fauré Requiems. Playing a concert of music by two Parisian composers felt particularly poignant in light of this week's tragic events in Paris. A minute's silence at the start of the concert encouraged the audience, orchestra and choir to reflect on the terrible situation there and resulted in an incredibly moving performance.
Sunday 15th:
This afternoon I enjoyed a rehearsal with the girls from Bella Tromba. I am currently stepping in for Vickie, who has just had a baby, and we have an upcoming recital in Steyning at the end of the month. Today was a perfect opportunity to run through the programme and it provided a fun end to my wonderful, music-filled week!
