Trinitones
Trinitones in concert in June 2017.
Trinitones in concert in June 2017.
Background information
OriginDublin, Ireland
GenresAcappella Pop
Years active2012-Present
Websitewww.trinitones.com

Trinitones is an all-male a cappella ensemble from Trinity College, Dublin, the only constituent college of the University of Dublin in Ireland. Founded in 2012, the group are generally considered the pioneers of the collegiate a cappella genre in Ireland,[1] which was hitherto seen as an American cultural phenomenon.

In February 2013, the group released a cover of Wheatus' Teenage Dirtbag, which achieved overnight viral success on YouTube and led to acclaim from Wheatus themselves aswell as performances on The Morning Show on national broadcaster TV3.[2][3] Since this inaugural release, the group have gone on to produce further recordings and music videos of acappella covers which feature as highlights of their diverse popular repertoire.[4][5]

In terms of structure, the group resembles a small male-voice chamber choir of approximately 14 members, featuring bass, baritone, tenor and countertenor parts in addition to a vocal percussionist. Membership is open to current students of Trinity College with auditions held in Fresher's Week of the Michaelmas term.

The group have toured Ireland, the UK, Hungary and Australia and continue to perform in Ireland with great regularity throughout the year.[6] They are regulars at Ireland's main music festival, Electric Picnic, and Trinity Ball, an longstanding annual music event attended by over 8,000 concertgoers in Trinity College.[7] Also of note are the group's biannual productions of their flagship end-of-term shows in their hometown of Dublin.

History edit

Origins (2012-2013): Generation I & II edit

The group was founded by two senior sophister music education (BMusEd) students, Patrick Barrett (not to be confused with the British boxer, Pat Barrett)[8]and Lynsey Callaghan. According to Barrett, himself and Callaghan had discussed the idea when on an exchange programme in Hungary[9]. Upon their return to Ireland, they carried out auditions, and a 14-strong Trinitones had its inaugural rehearsal in late January 2012. "Gen 1" highlights include the group's first performance as part of Trinity Arts Festival, the maiden performance of the would-be viral hit, Teenage Dirtbag[10][11], and the beginning of a relationship with the world-renowned, Grammy-award-winning vocal ensemble, The King's Singers[12].

Barrett and Callaghan continued as directors as Trinitones entered its second year. The group enjoyed the fruits of a rise in popularity, incorporating major college events and balls into their performance schedule. The undeniable climax of the year was the release of a cover of Wheatus' Teenage Dirtbag, with the YouTube video, characterised by a humorous choral pastiche, garnering 80,000 YouTube views in the 48 hours following its release.[13] This led to several appearances on national TV and radio, and the group's first performance at Trinity Ball.[14]

Establishment (2013-2016): Generation III, IV & V edit

With Barrett and Callaghan departing from Trinitones, two new directors were elected in the shape of Ben Jacob and Daragh Kneeshaw, both of whom had been founding members of the group.[15] Two months after taking charge, the pair had led the group to national headlines once more in performing with Scrubs star Sam Lloyd.[16] Over the next two years, Jacob and Kneeshaw slowly built up the group's profile, and led them on two major tours, one to Derry for the Derry International Choral Festival and one to London compete in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella.[17][18]. Jacob and Kneeshaw's partnership culminated in a debut performance at Electric Picnic, Ireland's largest music festival.[19][20]

As the group entered its fifth year, Jacob was replaced as director by Robert Somerville. The new partnership of Somerville and Kneeshaw reaped dividends as three new music videos were released to the public, garnering significant media attention.[21][22] The other notable event of Generation V was the group's tour to Hungary, where they performed at the storied Franz Liszt Academy of Music.[23]

Pre-eminence (2016-Present): Generation VI & VII edit

Kneeshaw and Somerville graduated at the end of the 2014-15 academic year, leaving Neil Dunne to take the reins as director. Despite having a large turnover of members, Dunne led the group to its most successful year to that point. Highlights included joint concerts with the Trinity Tiger Tones of Melbourne and the Yale Whiffenpoofs, as well as an invitation to perform at the prestigious Trinity London Alumni Ball and a sell-out fifth anniversary concert that saw all previous generations perform. [24][25][26][27]

At the end of the year, the group embarked on a tour to Australia that included stops in Sydney and Melbourne. The group received significant media attention, appearing on several radio programmes and featuring in a number of viral videos.[28][29] The three week tour concluded with a joint performance with the Trinity Tiger Tones in the historic Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne.[30] A music video was released to commemorate the tour, a cover of Bob Dylan's I Shall Be Released.[31]

With Dunne leaving Trinity College after the Australian tour, citing "academic differences" with the Engineering department, Andy Keenan replaced him as director for Generation VII.[32] In November 2017, Trinitones were invited to St. Andrew's University to perform in the annual A Cappella Christmas Concert. [33]

Discography edit

The group has officially released five music videos, all covers of songs first performed by other artists. Often, the solo in a music video will be taken by a director, although this is not always the case.

Song Original Artist Year of Release Arranger Soloist
Teenage Dirtbag[34] Wheatus 2013 Daniel Cummins Patrick Barrett

Daniel Cummins

Gabriel Corcoran

Robbie Kitt

After the Storm[35] Mumford and Sons 2015 Ben Jacob Ben Jacob
Stacy's Mom[36] Fountains of Wayne 2016 Luke Duffy Richard O'Connell

Fergus Grant

Ignition (Remix)[37] R. Kelly 2016 Daragh Kneeshaw Daragh Kneeshaw

Robert Somerville

I Shall Be Released[38] Bob Dylan 2017 Neil Dunne Neil Dunne

Trinitones have yet to produce an album. However, in an interview with 3AW in September 2017, director Andy Keenan revealed plans for an independent release in 2018. [39]

Associated groups edit

Trinity Belles — an all-female a cappella group from Trinity College, Dublin, founded in 2014.

Trinity Tiger Tones — an all-male a cappella group from the University of Melbourne, who twice performed in concert with Trinitones, once in Dublin in November 2016, and once in Melbourne in September 2017. [40][41]

Yale Whiffenpoofs — an all male a cappella group from the University of Yale, who performed in concert with Trinitones in Dublin in June 2017. [42]

Members edit

Name Number I II III IV V VI VII
Lynsey Callaghan 0 Ct. Ct.
Patrick Barrett 1 Bt. Bt.
Daniel Cummins 2 Bt. Bt.
Henry Burrows 3 Bs. Bs.
Gabriel Corcoran 4 Bt. Bt. Bt.
Robbie Kitt 5 Tn. Bt. Bt.
Cian McCarthy 6 Bs. Bs.
Declan Molloy 7 Tn. Tn.
Dan MacManus 8 Ct. Ct.
Conor O'Shea 9 Ct. Ct. Ct. Ct. Ct. Ct.
Michael Broderick 10 Bt. Bt. Bt.
Ben Jacob 11 Bs. Bs. Bs. Bs. Bs.
Daragh Kneeshaw 12 Tn. Tn. Tn. Tn. Tn.
Mark O'Donnell 13 Tn. Tn. Bs. Bs. Bs.
Kevin Collins 14 Bs.
Luke Duffy 15 Tn. Tn.
Killian Horan 16 Bs. Bs.
Rob Boos 17 Ct.
Max Doyle 18 Ct.
Yewhoan Hong 19 VP VP
Declan O'Beirne 20 Bs. Bs. Bs. Bs.
Robert Somerville 21 Tn. Tn. Tn. Tn.
Diarmaid Brennan 22 Bt. Bt. Bt.
Richard O'Connell 23 Tn. Tn. Tn.
Tom Marr 24 Ct.
Fergus Grant 25 Ct. Ct.
Matt Murtagh 26 Bs. Bs. Bs.
Dahnan Spurling 27 Bt. Bt. Tn. Tn.
Dermot Wildes 28 Ct. Ct.
Neil Dunne 29 Bt. Bt. Bt. Bt.
Young Chae Soon 30 Tn. Tn.
Magnus Gyllenhammar 31 Bs.
Fionn McGorry 32 Bs. Bs.
Jeff Johnston 33 Ct. Ct. Ct.
Sam White 34 Bt. Bs. Bs.
Rajat Nair 35 VP
Evan Holland 36 Ct. Ct.
Jemil Saidi 37 VP VP
Andy Keenan 38 Tn. Tn.
Matthew Douglas 39 Bt. Bt.
Karl Hegarty 40 Bs. Bs.
Barra MacMahon 41 Bt. Ct.
Zach Miller-Frankel 42 Tn. Bt.
Patrick Kennedy 43 Ct. Ct.
Barry O'Connell 44 Tn.
Billy Behan 45 Ct.
Ranald Macky 46 Bs.

Key:

  Member
  Director

Ct. — Countertenor

Tn. — Tenor

Bt. — Baritone

Bs. — Bass

References edit

  1. ^ "Setting the Trinity Tone". www.universitytimes.ie. Retrieved 2017-10-14.
  2. ^ wheatus (9:03 AM - 18 Feb 2013). "OK so, u really need 2 see this "@marthadearest: @wheatus Have you seen/heard this yet? From Trinity College, Dublin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gnSdxlku5s …"". @wheatus. Retrieved 2017-10-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |title= (help)
  3. ^ "Setting the Trinity Tone". www.universitytimes.ie. Retrieved 2017-10-14.
  4. ^ "JOE's New Song of the Day #326: The Trinitones - 'Ignition (Remix)' | JOE.ie". JOE.ie. Retrieved 2017-10-18.
  5. ^ "WATCH: A cappella version of Bob Dylan's 'I Shall Be Released' will send tingles down your spine - Independent.ie". Independent.ie. Retrieved 2017-10-18.
  6. ^ "Trinitones launch Australian tour". Trinity News | Ireland's Oldest Student Paper. 2017-09-08. Retrieved 2017-10-18.
  7. ^ admin (2017-08-17). "Trinitones". Electric Picnic. Retrieved 2017-10-18.
  8. ^ "LinkedIn Profile of Patrick M.P. Barrett BA MA, choral conductor".
  9. ^ "Five years on: the anniversary of the Trinitones". Trinity News | Ireland's Oldest Student Paper. 2017-04-03. Retrieved 2017-10-18.
  10. ^ Trinitones (2013-02-17), Teenage Dirtbag - Trinitones, retrieved 2017-10-18
  11. ^ SamuelKLis (2012-03-28), Teenage Dirtbag (Wheatus) - Trinitones, TCD, retrieved 2017-10-18
  12. ^ "Association of Irish Choirs". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2017-10-18.
  13. ^ Trinitones (2013-02-17), Teenage Dirtbag - Trinitones, retrieved 2017-11-29
  14. ^ "Setting the Trinity Tone". www.universitytimes.ie. Retrieved 2017-11-29.
  15. ^ "Five years on: the anniversary of the Trinitones". www.trinitynews.ie. Retrieved 2017-11-25.
  16. ^ "Ted from Scrubs performs Hey Ya and Help at Trinity College Dublin". www.dailyedge.ie. Retrieved 2017-11-25.
  17. ^ "Choral Trail 2013". www.derrychoirfest.com. Retrieved 2017-11-25.
  18. ^ "Great Hall packed as hundreds flock to see the A capella finals". www.felixonline.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-11-25.
  19. ^ "Electric Picnic 2015". www.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2017-11-25.
  20. ^ "Festival: Elecrtic Picnic '15 - Saturday". www.state.ie. Retrieved 2017-11-25.
  21. ^ "Watch: Trinity students' acapella cover of After the Storm". www.journal.ie. Retrieved 2017-11-25.
  22. ^ "JOE's New Song of the Day #326: The Trinitones - 'Ignition (Remix)'". www.joe.ie. Retrieved 2017-11-25.
  23. ^ "Trinitones - No Diggity, Cry Me A River, Heya Mashup". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2017-11-25.
  24. ^ "Trinity Alumni Ball 2017", www.ti.to, retrieved 2017-11-26
  25. ^ "Upcoming performances", www.squatespace.com, retrieved 2017-11-26
  26. ^ "Trinity Tiger Tones European Tour", unimelb.edu.au, retrieved 2017-11-26
  27. ^ "Five Years On: The Anniversary of the Trinitones", www.trinitynews.ie, retrieved 2017-11-26
  28. ^ "Watch: 'Pitch Perfect' Group Of Irish Students Wow On Australian Radio", www.collegetimes.com, retrieved 2017-11-29
  29. ^ "Trinitones from Dublin in Blue Mountains", www.bluemountainsgazette.com.au, retrieved 2017-11-29
  30. ^ "Irish vocal group 'Trinitones' perform for Red", www.abc.net.au, retrieved 2017-11-29
  31. ^ "WATCH: A cappella version of Bob Dylan's 'I Shall Be Released' will send tingles down your spine", www.independent.ie, retrieved 2017-11-29
  32. ^ "Trinitones Newest Video: Bob Dylan and the Band's 'I Shall be Released'", www.universitytimes.ie, retrieved 2017-11-29
  33. ^ "A Cappella Christmas Concert", facebook.com, retrieved 2017-11-29
  34. ^ "Teenage Dirtbag - Trinitones". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2017-11-24.
  35. ^ "After the Storm - Trinitones". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2017-11-24.
  36. ^ "Stacy's Mom - Trinitones". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2017-11-24.
  37. ^ "Ignition (Remix) - Trinitones". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2017-11-24.
  38. ^ "I Shall Be Released - Trinitones". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2017-11-24.
  39. ^ "Ross and John Highlights, September 20th". www.omny.fm. Retrieved 2017-11-25.
  40. ^ "Clash of the Tones Hits the Right Notes". www.universitytimes.ie. Retrieved 2017-11-25.
  41. ^ "Ticketek Australia". twitter.com. Retrieved 2017-11-25.
  42. ^ "Trinitones Present: the Powerpuff Boys with the Yale Whiffenpoofs". www.evensi.com. Retrieved 2017-11-24.