On Friday, October 27th, Canoe Place Inn & Cottages in Hampton Bays hosted “A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics” presented by Fever’s Candlelight Concerts. Those in attendance were invited into an intimate seating space where hundreds of tealight and flameless candles adorned the room surrounding the perimeter and stage, along with spiderweb décor, and a simultaneous eerie and cozy ambiance.
The bar served beer, wine, and a couple holiday-themed cocktails as ushers attentively helped guests locate their sections and seating. As guests awaited the performers, the mood was set with music aligned with the Halloween season from the likes of Radiohead, Evanescence, Misfits, and other haunting melodies.
The performance from the Highline String Quartet started promptly at 9:00 p.m. as the young and talented artists took the stage, beginning the evening with a rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” The Highline String Quartet is a group of four musicians based out of Manhattan, performing shows across New York and Long Island, one of which is their events through Fever’s Candlelight Concerts. They performed well over 100 shows throughout the year, noting how much they love to take the stage and that no one performance is ever exactly the same as they take in the energy of each unique audience, channeling this through their live playing.
The artists, consisting of two violinists, a violist, and a cellist took turns introducing their favorite songs and themes of the evening and speaking about their background and affiliation with the music. Their passion for the music and attention to detail was evident as they went on to perform classics from the horror and Halloween world like the theme from The Exorcist, “Tubular Bells,” by Mike Oldfield, the Stranger Things theme by S U R V I V E, Danny Elfman’s Beetlejuice theme, as well as a medley from The Nightmare Before Christmas by Elfman.
The quartet involved the crowd with their rendition of Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr., queuing them to sing along to the ever-popular verse “Ghostbusters!” Other haunting numbers included the prelude to Psycho by Bernard Herrmann, The Addams Family theme by Mic Vizzy, and of course, a Halloween-themed evening of chamber music wouldn’t have been complete without John Carpenter’s Halloween theme song. Other terrifying, ominous, and fan favorites were executed with precision and an engaging stage presence throughout the evening by the quartet.
After the hour-long performance, they ended with an encore, which their program director and violinist touted as the “greatest theme song of all-time in his opinion,” which was Hedwig’s Theme (theme from Harry Potter) by John Williams.
The Highline String Quartet certainly brought the spirit of Halloween alive and had viewers riveted and ready to embrace the remainder of this spooky season. It was the perfect event to kick off Halloween weekend, capturing all the sensory, ominous vibes.
Candlelight Concerts presented by Fever take place throughout the year, all with different themes and to suit holiday seasons. Next up for Candlelight Concerts at Canoe Place Inn & Cottages will be “The Best of Hans Zimmer” and “A Tribute to ABBA” both in different time slots on November 17th, “Holiday Special featuring ‘The Nutcracker’” on December 15th, and many other specials across New York and Long Island.
For more information about upcoming events, visit https://candlelightexperience.com.
