Brew City’s spooky season celebrations often involve trick-or-treat trails, pumpkin carving and light shows. This year, you can celebrate All Hallows’ Eve in a fun new way, listening to spine-tingling songs at Candlelight Halloween in Milwaukee. The best experiences oftentimes slip away like black cats into the darkness so book your tickets before it’s too late!
Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics
Charles Gounod composed his “Funeral March of a Marionette” in 1872, never imagining it would become synonymous with Alfred Hitchcock’s television introductions decades later. This classical piece pairs unexpectedly with Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and the electronic dread of “Stranger Things theme”, spanning centuries of fear-inducing artistry in a single nerve-rattling performance.
Thanks to their years of training and talent, the bow-wielding musicians transform these different eras into a cohesive performance. Gounod’s marching strings provide the foundation while Jackson’s pop sensibilities get reimagined through the soaring melodies of the violins. The Stranger Things synth becomes hauntingly organic through the textural weaver of viola, all illuminated by the dancing light of candles that cast shadows worthy of any horror masterpiece.
Candlelight Halloween at The Abbey at St. James 1868
St. James 1868 in Milwaukee offers an extraordinary backdrop for a chilling concert, where English Gothic Revival architecture and vivid stained glass will set the stage for an evening unlike any other. The warm flicker of thousands of candles will dance across limestone walls and hand-carved woodwork, infusing the historic space with an air of intrigue and subtle suspense as guests settle in 30-45 minutes before the music begins.
During the 60-minute performance, the string quartet brings pieces like “Danse Macabre” by Camille Saint-Saëns, “Psycho (Prelude)” by Bernard Herrmann, and Medley from The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack by Danny Elfman to life, their melodies echoing through the soaring nave. For those who wait too long, missing out means letting one of Milwaukee’s most breathtaking Halloween experiences slip away.