Joe Hisaishi's Merry-Go-Round of Life, performed by Candlelight Concerts' Vocalise String Quartet at The Arts House.
Candlelight Concerts is a concept by Fever, first launched in 2019 to make traditional classical music concerts more accessible and affordable to everyone. Since then, they have held a plethora of performances at various locations worldwide, in over 100 cities. While many Candlelight Concerts are focused on classical musicians such as Vivaldi and Chopin, the programmes have eventually been extended to include music by contemporary artists such as Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay and Jay Chou. There are also programmes dedicated to K-Pop, as well as movie and anime soundtracks. The performance I attended on 2nd February was a concert dedicated to Joe Hisaishi; the genius behind many Studio Ghibli movie soundtracks. It was held in Chamber, at The Arts House. Tickets ranged from $35 to $88 and were available for purchase via the Fever app or website. Upon reaching the venue, the friendly Fever front-of-house team scanned my tickets before ushering me to my seating zone. It was a fuss-free, quick and smooth process which I appreciate. The 65-minute-long concert featured soundtracks from Studio Ghibli titles:
Howl’s Moving Castle
My Neighbour Totoro
Kiki’s Delivery Service
Castle in the Sky
Spirited Away
Ponyo
Whisper of the Heart
Princess Mononoke
The biggest selling points of Candlelight Concerts are definitely the beautiful ambience the LED candles create, and the affordable ticket pricing. The romantic atmosphere of the concerts appeals most to couples, which made up a large number of the audience. Candlelight Concerts definitely invested a lot on advertising, especially on social media, which was where I first heard about it. Audience members were encouraged to take photos and videos during the last song and post them onto social media while tagging them (@candlelight.concerts). This method efficiently promotes the performances without any extra cost. As an arts management student, I see this (revision of traditional house rules) as a sustainable method that could be introduced to other events. Though my ears are not professionally trained for classical music, I enjoyed the concert as a casual listener and a fan of Studio Ghibli movies. The string quartet showcased a harmony of melodic strings, led by the first violin and supported by the deep cello and viola. Despite Chamber at The Arts House not being a purpose-built concert hall, the auditory experience was sufficient for casual listeners. I particularly enjoyed My Neighbour Totoro, which is undoubtedly the catchiest soundtrack out of the many songs. Its iconic light-hearted yet high energy melody really got the audience head bopping. In conclusion, I would definitely consider attending another Candlelight Concert, perhaps in a different venue next time.
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