After seeing and ignoring the endless adverts on my Instagram feed about Candlelight Concerts, I caved and took a look at their page. They’re an organisation that performs a themed collection of songs ranging from Debussy to Taylor Swift with a uniquely selected ensemble made up of musicians or singers to sweetly serenade you in one of over 100 cities worldwide in which they are based in. After being quite indecisive and lost on what to do for February 14th, we booked their Valentine’s special, and it made for a perfect and unforgettable night.
The performance we saw took place in Nottingham Contemporary and was a selection of classical romantic songs including Moon River, My Heart Will Go On and Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet. The warm glow of the candles in the dim industrial architecture of the room teleported us to a place where the outside world became irrelevant, and the anticipation of the performance was looming. All focus fell upon the music.
We were performed to by a quartet, which was made up of two violins, a viola, and a cello. Each musician was moving so in sync and one with not only their own instrument but with each other. The violins were effortlessly harmonising, and there was a complimentary contrast between the cello and viola. By combining each intricate instrument, they created a mesmerising performance which connected everyone in the room, audience and performers, to the music. The quartet each took turns to introduce us to the next couple of pieces they were about to perform, and in giving us some background knowledge about the composer or song itself, we were kept constantly engaged, and the instrumental renditions avoided blending into one.
The performance lasted an hour, and prices for tickets range from £25 – £35 so it is more on the expensive side, but it’s so worth the experience especially if you’re really into one of the themes or want to explore something new! There were no flaws in their performance and the quality of hearing live music is unbeatable. Candlelight Concerts has easily become one of my favourite unique experiences to recommend and the best part is that it’s accessible in many different places, making each performance unique.