
Advertise on podcast: Three In A Bar
Rating
4.2from
This podcast has
165 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
Seb Philpott and Verity SimmonsExplicit
Yes
Date created
2020/04/05
Latest episode
2025/11/17
Average duration
48 min.
Release period
17 days
Description
London based musicians Seb Philpott (trumpet) and Verity Simmons (cello) meet musicians, music industry insiders and music enthusiasts for informal, insightful and lighthearted chats. We delve into their musical backgrounds, careers or in some cases, specifically avoid talking about music at all. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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141. Imogen Whitehead - Launching an album, shooting a video, pre show nausea and a six month wait for an anecdote!
2025/11/17
Hello lovely listeners! It’s been a while eh? We are dropping in briefly with an episode spanning six months in the life of Trumpet soloist and principal of Britten Sinfonia, Imogen Whitehead.
Part one of this pod was recorded back in May when Imogen was launching her debut album Connection with a concert at St Martin in the Fields. We chatted about some of the tracks - including her work with renowned sports psychologist Dr. Pippa Grange and with friend of TIAB Charlotte Harding.
Imogen also discusses the hazardous filming of a music video and the level of work that goes into singlehandedly releasing and promoting an album…turns out it’s quite a lot!
We leave this section with so many questions - How did the launch go? Would Imogen decide to enlist an agent? Any other major life events likely to happen in the following months? Oh and what was that anecdote involving Helena Bonham-Carter?…
Well worry not, Imogen kindly agreed to chat to us via the magic of Zencastr and all the above are answered!
Hope you enjoy our chat(s) with Imogen, back again soon with more TIAB x
To find out more about Imogen you can visit her website; https://imogenwhiteheadtrumpet.com/
Imogen is on Instagram @imogen_trumpet
You can find us on the socials here;
Instagram @threeinabarpod
Tiktok @threeinabarpod
Three In A Bar on Youtube
Anything you’d like to share with us? Any guests you’d love to hear or anything you’d like us to do better? Drop us a line at [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
140. Jack Bazalgette - A Cheltenham Festival Special!
2025/07/11
In this bonus episode of TIAB we speak to the new artistic director of Cheltenham Music Festival, Jack Bazalgette.
Jack is an inspired choice for Cheltenham - as cofounder and director of Through The Noise he has programmed more than 130 concerts with innovative ensembles and repertoire in an eclectic mix of venues. He brings this visionary approach to the festival whilst still appealing to it’s loyal audience.
We chatted to Jack about Cheltenham festival highlights, balancing the new with what has already been established and potential future plans. He tells us about some of the less conventional venues and performances he’s helped bring together over the years - nowhere is too much of a challenge to stage a concert if you put your mind to it!
Jack is an inspirational person and his can-do attitude will make for exciting seasons ahead at the Cheltenham Festival.
Thanks to Dan Hartland for setting up this thoroughly enjoyable chat!
Check out what’s going on at the festival here; https://www.cheltenhamfestivals.org/festivals/music-festival
And to find out more about Jack’s work at Through The Noise click here; https://www.throughthenoise.co.uk/
You can find us on the socials here;
Instagram @threeinabarpod
Tiktok @threeinabarpod
Three In A Bar on Youtube
Anything you’d like to share with us? Any guests you’d love to hear or anything you’d like us to do better? Drop us a line at [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
139. Baroness Thangam Debbonaire and the underrated value of joy
2025/07/09
This week, Seb and Verity welcome the brilliant and utterly charming Baroness Thangam Debbonaire - cellist, former MP, and now fully-fledged member of the House of Lords.
With such a huge understanding and love of the arts - Thangam was shadow secretary for culture, media and sport, this was a throughly enjoyable and insightful chat including;
Swapping Parliament for the LordsThangam’s memories of music school in the 1980’s - both the brilliant education and a much darker undersideHow the arts can keep pace with AI and harness the positive elementsThe importance of music as a way of processing grief Crafting the perfect running playlist - this is next level curation! How arts organisations can make a real noise in politic
Thangam brings a rare and beautiful mix of musical soul and political nous to this episode and we loved having her. She is an incredibly positive person with a clear vision on ways to support and maintain/grow the arts - what a huge asset she is to the House of Lords!
You can find us on the socials here;
Instagram @threeinabarpod
Tiktok @threeinabarpod
Three In A Bar on Youtube
Anything you’d like to share with us? Any guests you’d love to hear or anything you’d like us to do better? Drop us a line at [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
138. Aaron Akugbo X Seb Philpott
2025/06/27
Aaron is back already! And this time Verity is nowhere to be seen. That's right, it's Seb's first solo interview. Well, it's not an interview really, more a chat, digging further into many aspects of being a trumpet player.
They discuss the following!
How important is equipment? They chat about trying out trumpets, mouthpieces, becoming (or not becoming) obsessed with gear. Or maybe it's better to actually work on own playing instead of just buying a new trumpet. Do some hard work or just buy a shiny new instrument?
Then a discussion on tonguing, articulation, and the POO ATTACK - which Seb can’t do, and it brings up some trauma for him from his time at RAM. Seb describes double tonguing everything he can rather than single tonguing because he’s lazy.
Playing the most difficult piece in the world AKA Brandenburg 2.
The first time they met on a gig in Poland where Aaron realised he knew Seb from watching a particular YouTube video.
Playing in symphony orchestras with minimal rehearsal.
Auditioning and doing trials.
The solitude of a soloist, and Seb gets a new gig as Aaron’s coach and mentor.
To get tickets for Aaron’s concert at the Cheltenham Festival 2025 click here; https://www.cheltenhamfestivals.org/events/aaron-akugbo-and-zeynep-%C3%B6zsuca
You can find us on the socials here;
Instagram @threeinabarpod
Tiktok @threeinabarpod
Three In A Bar on Youtube
Anything you’d like to share with us? Any guests you’d love to hear or anything you’d like us to do better? Drop us a line at [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
137. Jack Jones - Acid Brass @ EartH Hackney
2025/06/09
Your eyes do not deceive you - it’s two episodes in two days!
Fresh off of zencastr we wanted to whip out this chat with trumpeter Jack Jones as he has a HUGE gig this Friday (13 June ‘25) at EartH Hackney entitled The Listening Project Presents Acid Brass…if you haven’t got your ticket yet, what are you waiting for?! It’s going to be epic and we’ve stuck a link below so you can snap up the few remaining spots.
We chatted to Jack all about the origins of Acid Brass - originally performed in the 1990s it consists of a full brass band playing acid house music.
This project was originally the brainchild of artist Jeremy Deller and Jack has been collaborating with him on this latest incarnation. He discusses what it was like to work with this creative icon, sartorial choices and what Friday night will offer for the lucky audience members.
To get more info and bag a ticket click this link;
https://earthackney.co.uk/events/the-listening-project-presents-jeremy-dellers-acid-brass-afterparty-w-a-guy-called-gerald-13th-jun-earth-london-tickets-mxkwak/
You can find us on the socials here;
Instagram @threeinabarpod
Tiktok @threeinabarpod
Three In A Bar on Youtube
Anything you’d like to share with us? Any guests you’d love to hear or anything you’d like us to do better? Drop us a line at [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
136. Aaron Akugbo - high stakes Haydn, tactical programming, touring tales and the mystery of the International date line.
2025/06/09
This week, Seb and Verity are joined by trumpet sensation Aaron Akugbo. From unwittingly making it to the finals of a trumpet competition to playing the Haydn Concerto from memory and then smashing out Jolivet’s Second Concerto with basically zero prep, Aaron embodies an entirely admirable cool, can do attitude!
We also chat about:
✈️ Touring the US with Chineke! (hello, business class)
🧠 Performing from memory and tactical programming to save the chops.
🥴 Time zones and why the International Date Line is chaos
🏴 From Edinburgh to London – compare and contrast.
🥂 Going sober and feeling good
Plus, keeping in shape on the road and what it’s like to start at the Royal Academy of Music at just 17.
Hilarious, humble, and full of trumpet gold – you’ll love this one.
To get tickets for Aaron’s concert at the Cheltenham Festival 2025 click here; https://www.cheltenhamfestivals.org/events/aaron-akugbo-and-zeynep-%C3%B6zsuca
You can find us on the socials here;
Instagram @threeinabarpod
Tiktok @threeinabarpod
Three In A Bar on Youtube
Anything you’d like to share with us? Any guests you’d love to hear or anything you’d like us to do better? Drop us a line at [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Petit Trois - Dame Sarah Connolly
2025/05/22
An extra slice of Dame Sarah Connolly who graciously and patiently answered a few vaguely daft quickfire questions! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
135. Dame Sarah Connolly - Positive thinking, evolving roles, fat suits and every singer’s nemesis…the common cold.
2025/05/20
Sound the klaxon - it’s a national treasure alert!
This week we are honoured to be joined by internationally celebrated Mezzo-soprano Dame Sarah Connolly.
Dame Sarah has had an incredible career to date with standout performances including Giulio Cesare at Glyndebourne , multiple roles at the Met, the Royal Opera House, La Scala, Paris Opera and, of course Admiral Nelson in full naval regalia at the Last Night of the Proms.
Dame Sarah’s 24/25 season includes playing Auntie in WNO’s new production of Peter Grimes and Dido in Dido and Aeneas at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw.
We are hugely grateful to Dan Hartland at the Cheltenham Festival for setting up this chat - Sarah will be performing Brahms’ Alto Rhapsody at the festival on 5 July (ticket link below)
With such a stellar career and a vast list of honours to her name, Dame Sarah remains incredibly warm and down-to-earth. We chat about controlling performance anxiety, how to avoid being pigeon holed, dealing with colds, auditioning, the power of positive thinking and how to wear a fatsuit…Enjoy!
To buy tickets for Dame Sarah’s performance at the Cheltenham festival on Saturday 5 July click here; https://www.cheltenhamfestivals.org/events/berlioz-te-deum
You can find us on the socials here;
Instagram @threeinabarpod
Tiktok @threeinabarpod
Three In A Bar on Youtube
Anything you’d like to share with us? Any guests you’d love to hear or anything you’d like us to do better? Drop us a line at [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Petit Trois - James Flannery
2025/05/15
Want a bit more James Flannery in yer life? Who wouldn’t we say! So here’s an extra serving where we discover who he’d choose as his ideal co-pilot and what went on when he toured with an ‘interesting’ artist…..Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
134. James Flannery - the missing link between Easy Jet, Worzel Gummidge and the viola
2025/05/12
This week’s guest is Viola player, Negroni specialist and potential pilot of the future, James Flannery.
You may well recognise James’ dulcet tones as he has previously guest hosted the podcast for an Ivor Novello Awards special. This was a baptism of fire due to some speed guerilla reporting and Verity’s technical inabilities. It felt only right that we get James back for a full episode to banish the memories of his chaotic first appearance and restore his faith in podcasting!
We chat to James about some of the extraordinary, weird and wonderful gigs he has experienced already in his career - think wedding on a runway, tours with a questionable vocalist, a BBC Christmas special and countless other scrapes along the way.
James also reveals a childhood passion for planes which got him into hot water with his family and airport security. And to think James was concerned he wouldn’t have enough to talk about!
You can find us on the socials here;
Instagram @threeinabarpod
Tiktok @threeinabarpod
Three In A Bar on Youtube
Anything you’d like to share with us? Any guests you’d love to hear or anything you’d like us to do better? Drop us a line at [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Petit Trois - Stephanie Cummins
2025/05/06
It’s round two of our new feature where we throw extra questions at our poor, unsuspecting guests!
This week it’s our guest from the main episode, cellist Stephanie Cummins sitting in the hot seat.
If you would like to send over any questions for future guests either DM us on Instagram (@threeinabarpod) or email us at [email protected]. Thanks!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
133. Stephanie Cummins - Transatlantic ‘cello relations
2025/04/28
In this week’s episode we chat to cellist Stephanie Cummins.
Having spent many years working as a freelance cellist in New York Stephanie relocated to London and has since been working in the West End on shows including Aspects of Love and Hello Dolly as well as various solo and chamber projects.
We spent a lovely morning with Stephanie discussing growing up in a musical family, highs and lows in her cello studies and how things don’t always work out the way we expect them to.
Stephanie talks about working on Broadway and the similarities/contrasts with the West End. We discuss audiences in 2025, shows that have been particularly special to her and what drew her back to theatre after swearing off it!
We also chat about exciting future projects and falling back in love with music.
You can find us on the socials here;
Instagram @threeinabarpod
Tiktok @threeinabarpod
Three In A Bar on Youtube
Anything you’d like to share with us? Any guests you’d love to hear or anything you’d like us to do better? Drop us a line at [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Petit Trois - Ian Wilson
2025/04/24
Road testing our ‘Petit Trois’ bonus feature is our guest from this week’s main episode, Ian Wilson.
We throw some quick fire questions at Ian and he responds appropriately…
If you would like to send over any questions for future guests either DM us on Instagram (@threeinabarpod) or email us at [email protected]. Thanks!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
132. Ian Wilson - a plethora of recorders, birdsong, panels, pedagogy and the Mexican Hat Dance.
2025/04/22
We are joined for episode 132 by recorder player supremo Ian Wilson.
Ian is the principal recorder professor at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, the Head of Woodwind at Eton College and is the visiting recorder specialist at the North East of Scotland Music School in his hometown of Aberdeen.
We were so pleased Ian agreed to come back to chat to us again having originally joined us last April. Due to various Three In A Bar style holdups we never managed to release that episode so have a brand shiny new chat with Ian for you!
We talk to Ian about his extensive recorder selection, how the sound of a great recorder ensemble is definitely not what you remember from Primary School days but also a harrowing experience involving hundreds of renditions of the Mexican Hat dance - something surely no one should ever have to experience?
Ian demonstrates his quite astounding knowledge of bird song with a starting resemblance to a British countryside stalwart.
We chat about the use of recorders in various film and TV scores and its renewed popularity.
Anyone preparing for auditions listen up! Ian gives some excellent advice on preparations for scholarship or Music college auditions. He gives insightful information from a panelist’s point of view - what they are looking for might not be what you’d think…
To find out more about Ian take a look here; https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/staff/professor-ian-wilson-bmus-pgdipmus-lgsm-fhea
You can find us on the socials here;
Instagram @threeinabarpod
Tiktok @threeinabarpod
Three In A Bar on Youtube
Anything you’d like to share with us? Any guests you’d love to hear or anything you’d like us to do better? Drop us a line at [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Bonus Episode - What’s in yer bag & murdering a mermaid
2025/04/03
What, another one?! Yep…it’s mid week bonus time!
In the first of our new bonus episodes we are basically road testing quickfire/emergency questions on each other to see if this hastily planned format will work.
Over the coming weeks the guests from our main podcast with feature in the bonus episode answering some intellectual and insightful questions such as ‘what is your karaoke song of choice’ and ‘what’s in yer bag’.
Hard.Hitting.Journalism.
Warning: there is some excruciating singing at the end of this episode for which Verity would like to offer a full apology.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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RJH928 2022/08/29
Annoying laugh!
Couldn’t even listen to the whole Sam Okell podcast bcuz of her annoying laugh.
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