CRISPIAN STEELE-PERKINS picked up his first trumpet at the age of ten, progressing quickly so that just 6 years later he was playing with the English National Youth Orchestra. On graduating from the Guildhall School of Music, Crispian spent his early career playing with the English National Opera and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He then spent 15 years working in recording, TV and film studios, developing a body of work which is universally recognisable today, from Handel to James Bond themes and pop classics. Crispian's interest in collecting and restoring antique trumpets led him to begin performing on them - indeed you may have heard Crispian's playing introducing the BBC’s ‘The Antiques Roadshow’. His unique performances and recordings on genuine historic instruments led Continuo Magazine to describe him as “the world s leading player of the Baroque trumpet”. Playing alongside some of the world’s greatest singers, Crispian’s purity of tone and artistic subtlety have received critical acclaim for more than three decades. Recordings of Handel's Let the Bright Seraphim with Dame Kiri te Kanawa and Eternal Source of Light Divine with James Bowman are familiar to many. More recently his performances with Emma Kirkby, Lynn Dawson, Carolyn Sampson, Bryn Terfel and Lesley Garrett have strengthened his reputation as a modern icon.

Catherine Martin

CATHERINE MARTIN read music at St Anne's College, Oxford, and studied for two two years as a post-graduate at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama on the Advanced Solo Studies course. Now specialising in performance on period instruments, Catherine is leader of the Gabrieli Consort and Players and the orchestra of the Early Opera Company, and has appeared as guest leader of the English Consort and Florilegium. In demand as a violin soloist and director, Catherine has directed concerts with orchestras in Oslo and Wroclaw. She is a member of the Salomon Quartet, exploring the Classical repertoire, and has appeared on many recordings.

Gerard McDonald

GERRY McDONALD studied at the Royal Academy of Music, where he won several major prizes and scholarships. He is one of the few present day musicians to re-create the 18th-century practice of multi-instrument competence, and his performing career is devoted to solo and chamber music on historical woodwind (flute, oboe, recorders and chalumeau), as well as modern works for recorder involving extended techniques. His teaching, coaching and consulting activities have included work for London and Cambridge Universities, the Royal Academy of Music and Trinity College of Music. He has worked with The Consort of Twelve since its inception, playing all his various instruments.

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