Candlelight brings spooky string quartet to Unity Temple

People seeking a quiet evening before Halloween can watch a string quartet perform in candlelight at Unity Temple on the Plaza’s Sanctuary on Friday, October 30. The event, titled Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics, offers a seated concert experience that combines live music with a dimly lit environment.

Fever, a technology company that organizes live entertainment, created the Candlelight concerts. The company aims to create an immersive and intimate atmosphere by placing musicians in distinctive venues for one night only. Tyler Bectle, a junior music specialist at Candlelight, discussed the upcoming show via Zoom.

The set list for Friday’s performance includes a mix of classical and popular music. Bectle described the program as an all-encompassing night of spooky music. The lineup features Charles Gounod’s Funeral March of a Marionette and Edvard Grieg’s In the Hall of the Mountain King. The musicians will also play selections from A Nightmare Before Christmas and the theme from Stranger Things. Michael Jackson’s Thriller rounds out the program.

Bectle explained that the team uses metrics and online resources to build the set list. They aim to create a narrative flow with a satisfying beginning, middle, and end, similar to a curated Spotify playlist. The goal is to create a show that appeals to both music experts and general audiences.

The musicians for the Kansas City show are local. Bectle noted that the music usually skews toward the tastes of the specific area where the performance takes place. He mentioned that there is trial and error in the process. A song that works on the East Coast may not resonate on the West Coast. The team tries to tune each program to what the local audience is sensitive to or looking for.

The local quartet has input on the final program. Bectle said that musicians often request to swap songs or add a personal favorite. As long as the changes stay within the approved bounds, the team encourages these adjustments. This means the set list in Kansas City may differ from the list in other cities like Dallas.

Candles are present from the moment attendees arrive until they leave. Bectle stated that Candlelight is an experience rather than just a concert. The company attempts to guide the audience immersively from parking the car to returning to their transportation. The use of candles is a constant element in every performance.

The choice of venue is critical for the sound. Bectle said the team often selects beautiful churches or large buildings with big open spaces. These locations provide good acoustics and allow for an intimate experience. The sanctuary at Unity Temple fits this requirement.

The musicians are central to the event. Bectle observed that the performers often lean into the experience as much as the audience. He noted that the musicians are the centerpiece and are easily immersed in the same atmosphere as the listeners. They go through the same immersive journey as the people watching them.