Monday, 26 July 2021

Purcell - King Arthur - Gabrieli Consort - Three Choirs Festival - Worcester Cathedral

I was called in as a last-minute replacement first trumpet player (during the so-called pingdemic) for the Gabrieli Consort’s performance of Purcell’s King Arthur at the Three Choirs Festival. The performance took place in Worcester Cathedral on Monday 26th May 2021. I had performed this version of King Arthur at short notice once before with the Gabrieli Consort in Groningen and in Hamburg in 2018.

Paul McCreesh conducted the Gabrieli Consort and Players and used the edition that he and Christopher Suckling devised, which includes some pieces from Dioclesian; the performing pitch was A=392Hz. Although my short memorisation paled in significance to the singers who all performed entirely off-copy, I played the first two entries from memory (Come If You Dare, and Trumpet Tune) and from high on the choir riser. I performed the Act V Symphony with Catherine Martin (violin) and Joel Raymond (oboe) [and the remaining numbers] from the normal stage level. 

edgeI had never before performed in the Three Choirs Festival. At over 300 years old it is the longest-running non-competitive classical music event in the world. I had never been to Worcester before either, and I particularly enjoyed the charming view of the cathedral from the other side of the river.

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It was great to listen to, and play, Purcell’s King Arthur again after all this time. My wife and I had chosen several movements from King Arthur to be played at our wedding, and I have happy memories of playing King Arthur when I first played with Vox Luminis at Snape Maltings, and on several other occasions
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