John Keys (Nottingham City Organist) – organ
Josie Sleigh – trumpet
Marc-Antoine Charpentier: Prélude (Te Deum)
Félix-Alexandre Guilmant: Grand Chœur in D
Franz Schubert: Ave Maria (arr. Denwood)
Léon Boëllmann: Prière à Notre Dame
Georg Philipp Telemann: Heroic Marches 5, 9 & 12
George Shearing: Amazing Grace
Florence Price: Adoration
Trad.: Shenandoah (19th century, traditional American/Canadian folk song)
Charles-Marie Widor: Symphonie no.2 – Final
Jeremiah Clarke: Prince of Denmark’s March (arr. Rondeau)
The always rousing combination of organ and trumpet makes for a splendid concert here, framed as it is by two of the best-known trumpet tunes: the Prélude to Charpentier’s Te Deum enjoys, over three centuries after its composition, an international reputation through its use as the theme music for Eurovision broadcasts, notably the Eurovision Song Contest. The piece which ends the recital was known for many years by the wrong title and attributed to the wrong composer: the Trumpet Voluntary by Henry Purcell. Amends have more recently been made, and it is good to give the unfortunate composer his due.
The trumpet, as well as being a heroic instrument as in the marches of that name by Telemann, is also a very lyrical one, as Schubert’s Ave Maria and the ancient airs Shenandoah and Amazing Grace will tell. Organists get their due here as well: Widor of St-Sulpice fame with another rousing finale, Boëllmann’s exquisite Prière à Notre Dame and Florence Price’s Adoration, a reminder that she too was once an organist.
The concert runs from 1.10pm to 1.55pm.
Admission £5 at the door, or book online.
Feel free to bring your own lunch.
Josie Sleigh began her studies at the Royal College of Music, London, in September 2023. She is continually inspired by her professors: Kate Moore and Jason Evans. Some notable highlights of her time there so far include playing Mahler 1 with RCM Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano, and performing in masterclasses with Alison Balsom and Mattias Höfs. In 2025 she completed an exchange semester at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, studying with Nikolaj Viltoft and Jonas Wiik.
As a soloist, Josie has performed the Neruda Trumpet Concerto with the Orchestra of Restoration at St Marys Church, Nottingham, and the third movement of the Hummel Trumpet Concerto with Trent Chamber Orchestra as well as repertoire in the RCM lunchtime concert series.
For the 24/25 academic year, Josie was selected for the Royal Opera House Overture Scheme and was mentored by David Carstairs, sub-principal trumpet. She is a keen orchestral musician and has enjoyed projects with the German-Nordic Youth Philharmonic performing in the Berlin Philharmonie.
In addition to her performance career, Josie has a keen interest in music journalism. In 2023, she contributed to the development of the new Klaverly App, and most recently, she wrote live commentary for the National Brass Band Championships at the Royal Albert Hall for the website 4bars rest.
Born and raised in Nottingham, Josie’s musical education was nurtured by Gerald Douglas, Nottingham Youth Orchestra and the Tony Farrell Big Band. Her studies at RCM are supported by an Ian Evans Lombe Scholarship and grants from the Kathleen Trust and Women’s Careers Foundation.
Since retiring as Director of Music at St Mary’s, Nottingham, last year John Keys gives recitals in various parts of the country and is delighted to be able to spend more time devoted to the upkeep of Nottingham’s wonderful Binns organ. Since its major restoration in 1993 some issues have arisen due to understandable wear and tear. Look out for more information in due course.