Candlelight Concerts – Queen

Candlelight Concerts are currently a craze the world over. But are they theatre?

Absolutely, if theatre is entertainment that also uplifts and informs and connects, and isn’t that what all theatre should do?

This concert featured the music of Queen, one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Perhaps the presentation was not what you’d expect. Four young and beautiful women dressed in white, carrying string quartet instruments, take the stage lit by what seems to be thousands of candles. What transpires is an hour of sublime and unexpected music.

We all know of Freddie Mercury’s prowess as a songwriter and performer, and Queen have always been noted for their intricate vocal harmonies and sometimes pretentious or obscure lyrics. But how does that translate to a string quartet. The answer is one word. Brilliantly! You become aware of what an amazing composer Mercury is (along with his band members). From the achingly beautiful melody of “Love of my Life”  (which brought tears or a lump in the throat to myself and my companions) to the hauntingly poignant “The Show Must Go on” – the beautiful string arrangements  clarified once and for all that Queen’s musicianship rose far above the best of their peers (yes, even The Beatles) and Mercury was a master composer.

The quartet managed to replicate the amazing Roger Taylor rhythm patterns and even Brian May’s distinctive guitar riffs. And there was even a bicycle bell for “Bicycles”. They had us clapping and stomping to “We Will Rock You” and the audience became a veritable choir for the most astonishing version of Bohemian Rhapsody I have ever heard since the first time I got chills hearing Queen on the radio.

I have always been a Queen fan - now I’m an Invictus Quartet fan too. Four lovely girls (every woman under 50 is a girl to me), four instruments, sixteen strings and hundreds of candles - plus an enthralled audience, many of whom appeared not to have heard music played classically before, and the result was nothing short of sublime and entertainment in its purest form. If you haven’t experienced a candlelight concert, you really must. And that goes double for the Invictus Quartet.

Coral Drouyn

Images: Brooke Arte Studio