Yesterday, I witnessed Dutch-Turkish psych-folk band Altın Gün join conductor Jules Buckley and the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall for the BBC Proms.

My prior experience with the band was stumbling into a late-night festival set before an intimate crowd. This was a whole different scale. As someone whose preferred venue is a basement or the back room of a pub, walking into that awe-inspiring hall to find a massive orchestra about the same size of that festival crowd was amazing.

I’ve always been skeptical of orchestrating grassroots alternative music, but witnessing this crossover was a privilege. The live orchestral texturing added immense power, depth, and character to their sound, making the hall vibrate with energy.

When watching orchestral collaborations on TV, I often spot classical players drifting off into a Rachmaninoff-inspired "happy place," visibly underwhelmed by simple pop arrangements. But watching Jules Buckley knit the two worlds together was a joy, he clearly loved the band, having followed them for nearly a decade. While a few classical players still had that distant look, the band was beaming. During the encore of "Şeker Oğlan", lead singer Erdinç Ecevit Yıldız even stood just to the side of the orchestra, seemingly to absorb the experience.

Şeker Oğlan by Altın Gün

For the archive I have gone for 2023s Rakıya Su Katamam.

Rakıya Su Katamam by Altın Gün

As much as I enjoyed Erdinç's performance, I still miss the original female lead vocals of former singer Merve Daşdemir. (Though also really enjoyed Derya Yıldırım's contribution to the evening.) Studio recordings rarely capture the raw magic of their live show. I suppose that’s why true believers buy top-tier speaker rigs, or, in Queen Victoria’s case, build a huge massive great big hall!

I’m enjoying their 2026 releases but will see if they make the end-of-year list!