From suspense and action, to romance and triumph, movie scores can evoke a range of emotions in people, depending on the mood and tone of the scene. This season, Candlelight invites all music lovers and cinephiles to a very special concert series paying homage to some of the most recognizable scores in movie history at some of Belfast’s most stunning venues.
The themes from “The Wizard Of Oz”, “The Lord Of The Rings”, “The Dark Knight” are only some of the soundtracks you’ll get to hear at the upcoming Candlelight concerts. To top it all, Candlelight is bringing its signature sea of candles to some of Belfast’s greatest venues, such as St Anne’s Cathedral and Ulster Museum.
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A Tribute to Ludovico Einaudi
Gracing The Belfast Empire Music Hall is a tribute to one of Italy’s most iconic living composers. Ludovico Einaudi is known for his unique style of blending different musical genres to create something new. At the concert you can look forward to hearing “Nuvole Bianche”, “Le Onde”, “Elegy For The Arctic”, “Rêverie” and many more.
The normally red velvet interiors of The Belfast Empire Music Hall will be completely transformed by the warm glow of hundreds of twinkling candles. Add to that, the heavenly Einaudi melodies played by pianist Ruth McGinley and you’ve got an evening to remember.
100 Years of Warner Bros.
Candlelight is also celebrating 100 years of the iconic Warner Bros. film studios, one of the leaders in the American film and TV industry. This enchanting tribute concert lets allows film buffs to listen to the magic of the award-winning soundtracks from a range of classics including Casablanca, Singin’ In The Rain and The Wizard Of Oz, to recent blockbusters like Wonder Woman and Justice League.
Enter the dazzling worlds of your favorite movies during an evening of breathtaking live music performed by Belfast’s own Arco String Quartet. The talented musicians have been playing musical gems since 2003 and this season, they’ll connect with audiences on a deeper level as they play iconic soundtracks from some of the most beloved films to date.
Rings & Dragons
Attention, Ringers and Thronees of Belfast! This season, you’ll travel to Middle-earth and Westeros on an evening dedicated to celebrating the amazing music from The Lord Of The Rings and Game Of Thrones franchises. The works of composers Howard Shore and Ramin Djawadi will come to life at St Anne’s Cathedral, which offers the perfect backdrop for such an epic night of fantastical soundtracks.
Catch “The Caverns of Isengard”, “The Passing of the Elves”, “Winter is Coming”, “Fire and Blood (House Targaryen theme)” and many more, completely reimagined by a string quartet that will be announced soon.
Hans Zimmer’s Best Works
Get transported to some of the most tension-filled movie scenes through Hans Zimmer’s scores. The German composer is perhaps best known for his immense contribution to films, creating and producing the soundtracks of some of the biggest box office successes in the last few decades. Hans Zimmer’s exhilarating music blends elements of electronic music with traditional orchestral arrangements, refreshing to enjoy under the glow of candles.
And where better to hear the sounds of Inception, Interstellar and Dunkirk than at St Anne’s Cathedral? The church’s poignant exterior and impressive interior, with a tympanum depicting five angels, not only is a fine Romanesque example, but also offers great acoustics, that will only elevate the music created by the German composer.
The Best of Zelda
Channel your inner hero at this magnificent Candlelight concert dedicated to The Legend of Zelda. A solo pianist will be dazzling gamers and music lovers alike with stunning renditions of the music heard in the incredibly popular game franchise. While seated in the beautiful St Anne’s Cathedral, you’ll be transported to the fantastical kingdom of Hyrule and relive Link’s daring quests all while Candlelight’s signature sea of candles flickers away.
From the iconic title theme to medleys of songs heard in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, hear the mystical melodies from the beloved series of games and experience a sense of nostalgia and excitement along the way.
Candlelight has charmed audiences around the world and has come to illuminate Belfast’s greatest venues in a series of movie soundtracks. Performed live by first-rate musicians, you’ll get to relive your favorite moments of film, that an addition to setting the tone and enhancing the emotional impact of a film, can also be stand-alone works of art.
These scores have achieved commercial success and critical acclaim in their own right, and paired with the flicker of a sea of candles make for an astonishing evening you won’t forget any time soon.