A former Manx Youth Orchestra member features on a recording of one of the ’most demanding pieces ever written for trumpet’, released this week.

Russell Gilmour, who also played for Isle of Man Wind Orchestra before leaving the island for Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, is one of the soloists in Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No.2 for a recording as part of the Ansbach Bachwoche in 2019.

The recording by the label ’Berlin Classics’ came out on Friday.

The concerto is described as one of the most demanding pieces ever written for the trumpet and 2021 marks 300 years since Bach presented the completed Brandenburg Concertos to the Margrave of Brandenburg.

Russell, a former pupil of St Thomas’ Primary School and St Ninian’s High School, started playing in Onchan Silver Band under bandmaster Gordon Astill at the age of five before having lessons with the Department of Education’s music service’s Steve Wortley.

Speaking about performing and recording during lockdown, Russell, who also studied at the Royal College of Music in London, added: ’I’ve been doing mainly audio and video recording projects at the moment. Some enquiries are beginning to come in for attended performances after the pandemic and I’m so looking forward to having the audience back.’

The recording is available to buy or stream on Amazon, Apple Music and Spotify.