2018 Performer Profiles: Russell Gilmour
Associate Artistic Director Jamie Campbell introduces some of the outstanding performers taking part in the 2018 Southwell Music Festival.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming trumpeter Russell Gilmour to the Southwell Music Festival for the first time.
1) Who are you, where are you based, and what work do you do?
My name is Russell Gilmour. I’m originally from the Isle of Man and I’m now based in the UK but tend to travel a lot for the music I play. I specialise in performing on early brass instruments – specifically the natural trumpet (otherwise known as the baroque trumpet) and I also play the Renaissance Cornetto.
2) What music are you most looking forward to performing in Southwell this year?
I will be playing first trumpet in Bach’s B Minor Mass on Wednesday 22nd August 2018 in Southwell. I’m particularly looking forward to the performance because we are using a small (but perfectly formed) orchestra and choir. I can imagine the musicians of Bach’s era huddling around a few music stands in the small galleries at the back of Bach’s churches and I think this scale of performance will be in keeping. I think this will make for an intimate performance at Southwell and it will sound great in the acoustic. From the natural trumpet section’s point of view we will be playing as considerately as possible to compliment the small orchestra, and the trumpets will be playing in the ‘clarino’ (high) register which will (we hope) demonstrate our most refined delicacy! Bach’s trumpet parts are famous for being challenging, ingenious and rewarding (and at times mystifying), and I simply love playing them and I learn more about them all the time.
3) What other things have you got coming up that are interesting in the next few months?
After playing in Southwell, I’m going to Utrecht in Holland to perform Delalande’s Te Deum with a Belgian group and immediately after that I will be joining a British group for a performance of Monteverdi’s Orfeo in Antwerp. Beyond that there’s some hand engraving to be done (I engrave garlands that eventually end up on natural trumpets) and later in the year I’m looking forward to playing Handel’s Water Music on a tour with a British period instrument orchestra in Brunei, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam.
I write blog articles about the various projects and concerts I am involved with and these can be found after the event at www.russellgilmour.co.uk
