Lovatt Eclipsed!

With only 5 days to go until the deadline for submissions for Harrogate International Festivals’ ‘Eclipse’ project, the team at HIF are delighted thrilled to announce Mike Lovatt, virtuoso trumpeter and Professor of Trumpet at the Royal Academy of Music, as soloist on the piece.

Lovatt’s legendary career includes performances on countless film and TV soundtracks, London’s West End, with artists from Robbie Williams to Eric Clapton, and many visits to Harrogate with the Grammy-nominated John Wilson Orchestra.

David Lancaster, composer of ‘Eclipse’ commented “We wrote the opening specially for Mike with a brilliant flourish towards the end of the work – it’s fair to say he nailed it!”.

Brass players everywhere – young and old, novice and professional – are encouraged to join Lovatt in this virtual brass band by  submitting their own performances for inclusion in a video of epic proportions!

Submissions have been received from all over the world, from South Korea to South Africa and India to Ireland. The project has also seen submissions coming in from some top orchestral players who have recorded their own part for Eclipse. Matthew Gee, Principal Trombone with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was delighted to get involved saying “It’s great to see arts organisations taking a fresh and radical approach to music making – for them to be commissioning new material during lockdown is even better!”

Full instructions on how to submit your performance are available here where you can also catch an interview with the composer David Lancaster.

The deadline for all submissions to HIF is this Friday (19^th June) at 5pm.