The Trinity Session
The Trinity Session is the second studio album by the Canadian alternative country and folk rock band Cowboy Junkies, recorded live in a single day on November 27, 1987, at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Toronto, Ontario, using a single Calrec microphone to capture its signature intimate and reverb-laden sound.[1][2] The album features the core quartet of siblings Margo Timmins (vocals), Michael Timmins (guitar), Peter Timmins (drums), and longtime collaborator Alan Anton (bass), with production by band associate Peter Moore.[1] Released independently on Latent Recordings in late 1988 before gaining wider distribution through RCA Records in 1989, it blends original compositions with covers of classics by artists such as Hank Williams, the Velvet Underground, and Patsy Cline, including standout tracks like the band's haunting reinterpretation of "Sweet Jane" and the original "Misguided Angel."[2][3] Renowned for its minimalist production and emotional depth, The Trinity Session marked a breakthrough for Cowboy Junkies, achieving critical acclaim and commercial success by selling over a million copies worldwide, establishing the band's reputation for atmospheric, genre-blending music that influenced alternative country and Americana scenes.[2] The recording's church acoustics and one-take approach created a dreamy, immersive quality that has endured, leading to anniversary reissues and live recreations, such as the 2007 album Trinity Revisited.[1]Background and Conception
Album Development
The Cowboy Junkies formed in Toronto in 1985, consisting of siblings Michael Timmins on guitar and songwriting, Peter Timmins on drums, and Margo Timmins on vocals, alongside bassist Alan Anton. Their early work established an ambient, folk-rock sound characterized by introspective arrangements and a blend of original material with covers of blues and country influences. This foundation was laid with their 1986 debut EP, Whites Off Earth Now!!, recorded in the family's garage using an ambisonic microphone to capture a raw, spacious quality that foreshadowed their evolving aesthetic.[4] Following the release of their debut, the band undertook a tour of the American South in 1987, where exposure to regional country music traditions, including evocative church-based recordings, deepened their appreciation for acoustic intimacy and emotional resonance. This experience inspired them to replicate a similar reverberant environment back in Toronto, prompting a search for an ideal recording space that could enhance their hushed, atmospheric style. Sound engineer Peter Moore scouted several locations before selecting the Church of the Holy Trinity for its exceptional natural acoustics, which aligned with the band's vision of unamplified, live performance capture.[4][5] Prior to the sessions, the band pre-selected a set of 12 tracks, comprising five originals penned by Michael Timmins—such as "Misguided Angel" and "Postcard Blues"—and covers including Hank Williams's "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and the Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane." The selections emphasized Margo Timmins's ethereal, whispery vocals as the emotional core, complemented by Michael's sparse guitar arrangements that prioritized subtlety and interplay over density, all intended to leverage the single-microphone technique for a unified, immersive sound.[4]Influences and Preparation
The Cowboy Junkies drew significant musical influences from artists such as Hank Williams, the Velvet Underground, and traditional folk music, aiming to capture a raw, live feel in their sound.[6] These inspirations were deepened during a no-frills van tour of the Southern United States in support of their previous album, Whites Off Earth Now!!, where exposure to blues and country traditions helped shape the atmospheric, minimalist style of The Trinity Session.[5] The band's desire for an organic, unpolished aesthetic reflected their admiration for the Velvet Underground's groove-oriented intelligence and Hank Williams' songwriting depth, guiding their selection of covers and originals.[6] Logistical preparations emphasized simplicity and efficiency, with the band transporting minimal equipment—including a single Calrec ambisonic microphone—to the Church of the Holy Trinity to leverage its natural reverb.[7] They rehearsed tracks extensively in advance to ensure cohesion, while inviting guest musicians like pedal steel player Kim Deschamps to add subtle textures without complicating the setup.[8] This approach minimized logistical hurdles, allowing focus on performance over technical complexity. Producer Peter J. Moore played a pivotal role in conceptualizing the "one-take" method, drawing from his background in ambient and live recordings, such as capturing punk bands with spatial microphones and indigenous music on location.[7] Reacting against the MIDI-heavy productions of the 1980s, Moore advocated for a single-microphone technique inspired by 1950s recordings and a Billie Holiday album from German masters, prioritizing naturalistic acoustics to evoke intimacy.[7] Challenges arose in adapting songs to fit the band's slow, atmospheric style, particularly with covers like "Sweet Jane," which required extensive rehearsals to transform the Velvet Underground's 1969 live version into a hushed, extended arrangement while preserving its essence.[8][7] This process involved balancing sparse instrumentation and Margo Timmins' vocal delivery to achieve the desired mood without over-rehearsing to the point of losing spontaneity.[8]Recording Process
The Sessions
The recording of The Trinity Session took place on November 27, 1987, at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Toronto, beginning around 10 a.m. and extending until approximately 10 p.m., with most tracks completed in that single day.[1][7] The session followed a deliberate flow, with tracks captured in the order they appear on the album to optimize the church's natural acoustics, including breaks for instrument setup and minor adjustments between takes.[1][7] An unintended audience of tourists and passersby emerged during the proceedings, contributing to the raw, unpolished environment.[1][7] The atmosphere was intimate and improvisational, shaped by the close-knit dynamic of the Timmins siblings and invited guests, which fostered a familial sense of collaboration amid the church's reverent quietude.[1] Minor mishaps, such as occasional forgotten lyrics or external interruptions like wandering visitors, were handled spontaneously on the spot to keep the momentum and authenticity intact.[7] Due to time pressures during the main session, the a cappella track "Mining for Gold" was recorded separately the following day, on November 28, 1987.[1] Following the recordings, minimal mixing was done to retain the unadorned, live quality of the performances, with balance primarily achieved through spatial arrangement during recording.[1][7] The sessions employed a microphone approach using a primary Calrec for the ensemble and a second Soundfield microphone for vocals to harness the venue's inherent reverb.[7]Technical Innovations
The recording of The Trinity Session employed a single vintage Calrec 105C Ambisonic microphone as the primary capture device—a model originally developed for the BBC—positioned centrally in the Church of the Holy Trinity to capture the ensemble's performance and the space's natural acoustics without multi-tracking or close miking, supplemented by a second Soundfield microphone for Margo Timmins' vocals positioned 30 feet away and fed through a PA system.[7] This four-capsule tetrahedral design allowed for immersive stereo imaging, blending instruments organically as they interacted in the room, eschewing the isolation typical of contemporary studio practices.[7] The audio was captured digitally onto a Sony Betamax video deck, adapted via a Nakamichi DMP100 digital processor and Apogee analog-to-digital converters, which provided high-fidelity recording at the time without relying on emerging DAT formats due to industry restrictions.[7] This setup preserved the analog warmth of the sources while enabling clean digital storage on video tape, a cost-effective innovation that avoided the need for expensive multitrack machines and contributed to the album's intimate, unadorned fidelity.[7] The Church of the Holy Trinity's acoustics played a pivotal role, with its high ceilings and soft stone construction generating a natural reverb that enveloped the sound; instruments were strategically placed to exploit this, such as drums positioned for optimal snare response and bass amps muffled to prevent unwanted reflections.[7] Producer Peter Moore's philosophy drove these choices, rejecting overdubs and electronic enhancements to emulate the holistic "room sound" of 1950s recordings like those of Billie Holiday, prioritizing live cohesion and human imperfection over polished production.[7] This approach yielded the album's signature ambient depth, where reverb and spatial blending became integral to the musical texture.[7]Musical Composition
Track Listing
The Trinity Session features 12 tracks recorded live-to-tape in a single session, totaling 52:36 in duration.[9] The album includes a mix of original compositions primarily written by Michael Timmins, alongside covers of traditional and classic songs, with credits attributed to their respective composers or arrangers.[10]| No. | Title | Duration | Writer(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mining for Gold | 1:34 | Traditional, arranged by James Gordon | Instrumental cover |
| 2 | Misguided Angel | 4:58 | Michael Timmins, Margo Timmins | Original |
| 3 | Blue Moon Revisited (Song for Elvis) | 4:31 | Michael Timmins (adaptation); Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart | Original adaptation of cover |
| 4 | I Don't Get It | 4:34 | Michael Timmins | Original |
| 5 | I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry | 5:24 | Hank Williams | Cover |
| 6 | To Love Is to Bury | 4:47 | Michael Timmins | Original |
| 7 | 200 More Miles | 5:29 | Michael Timmins | Original |
| 8 | Dreaming My Dreams with You | 4:28 | Allen Reynolds | Cover |
| 9 | Working on a Building | 3:48 | Traditional, arranged by Cowboy Junkies | Cover |
| 10 | Sweet Jane | 3:41 | Lou Reed | Cover |
| 11 | Postcard Blues | 3:28 | Michael Timmins | Original |
| 12 | Walking After Midnight | 5:54 | Alan Block, Don Hecht | Cover |