This May the Trinity Orchestra Chamber Ensemble made it’s debut, performing as part of the very first LINK Culturefest by Dublin-based arts organisation Block T. Stripped-down arrangements of Radiohead’s complete third album, ‘OK Computer’, were played by a 30-piece orchestral group with strings, acoustic band and singers. St. Michan’s Church, a specially atmospheric venue and one of Dublin’s oldest Medieval churches, housed our wonderfully enthusiastic audience and contributed towards making this intimate concert all the more enjoyable.

Special thanks go to the amazingly talented OKO, who provided a great opening set on the night. With impovised beats and melodies drawing from influences such as krautrock, vintage TV shows, free jazz, noise, dub, drum ‘n’ bass, dubstep, musak, metal and more, the band’s compositions filled the church with waves of original synth-infused sounds, setting a high standard of musicianship for the evening.

Following this Trinity Orchestra Chamber Ensemble took centre-stage, showcasing our take on Radiohead’s alternative rock. From Airbag‘s attention-grabbing guitar opening and Paranoid Android‘s shifting moods and melodies to The Tourist‘s last lilting phrases, the arrangements by Éna Brennan, Brian Denvir, Rob Farhat, Rob Kearns and James O’Leary were received with escalating appreciation by a crowd of hundreds.

Photography by Tadhg Nathan // www.photographicmemory.ie