Holy Trinity’s growing reputation as a unique and atmospheric events venue was given a major boost as it hosted a highlight of the Freedom Festival, Hull’s premier cultural event.

The church was the majestic setting for two sell-out performances of Tubular Bells For Two, a ground-breaking reworking of Mike Oldfield's multi-layered masterpiece.

Australian musicians Daniel Holdsworth and Aidan Roberts recreated the seminal album – originally recorded in 1973 and the first release on Richard Branson's Virgin record label – as they leapt around the stage using more than 20 instruments.

The award-winning show, described as “the musical equivalent of the triathlon, with bells on”, proved to be one of the standout performances of this year’s Freedom Festival.

Holy Trinity Education and Operations Co-ordinator Jane Owen, whose responsibilities include events at the church, said: “The shows were a great success and Holy Trinity proved to be a perfect venue for such unique performances.

“It was a pleasure to work with the Freedom Festival Trust, their artistic directors Walk The Plank and the volunteer Freedom Makers. Our own volunteering team thoroughly enjoyed being part of the experience and we would love to host even more events such as this before, during and after Hull’s year as UK City of Culture in 2017.”

This year’s Freedom Festival has been hailed by many as the best yet, with the footprint of the event extending to cover a number of new city centre locations, including Holy Trinity. An estimated 114,200 people attended the three-day celebration of street theatre, music, dance and comedy, which is now in its eighth year.

Tubular Bells For Two was reviewed by Freedom Maker William Taylor who wrote that “the wonderful acoustics in Holy Trinity helped to create a marvelous sound”. You can read William’s review here: http://www.freedomfestival.co.uk/list/tubularbells_review.php

The performances highlighted the potential of Holy Trinity to host a wide range of events and become a must-visit destination in Hull. Holy Trinity’s exciting development project aims to realise this potential by replacing the church’s outdated and inadequate facilities; enhancing its extraordinary heritage; making it much more accessible to local people and visitors; and enabling an even wider range of cultural and social events.

These changes will open up new income streams to secure a long-term sustainable future for Holy Trinity as a vibrant and welcoming place of worship and community use. You can find out more about our plans here: http://www.holytrinityhull.com/amazing-development/