Music Review: Ensemble M Candlelight Concert at National Justice Museum

This event was part of the Candlelight Concert series, put on by Fever, as part of a worldwide set of shows, showcasing the music of classic artists, performed by classical musicians, in more than 100 magical venues right round the globe, lit entirely by candles (electric ones these days for H&S). In the UK, there are shows in Nottingham, London, Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, Edinburgh and many many more.

Tonight’s performance was in the old Victorian courtroom in the NJM. On arriving and walking into the room, I was struck by the beautiful high ceilings and dark wood décor, with judges chair high up at the end of the room. Every conceivable flat surface in the room was covered in literally thousands of candles casting a warm, relaxing glow round the room, which flickered.

Tonight’s performance was by four musicians from Ensemble M, a collective of classical musicians, on cello and violin. They took their places in front of the judge’s chair and behind a huge desk covered in candles, the iPads used for the sheet music, casting a pale bluish light on their faces.

I have to admit, that I’m not a huge Elvis fan. I know many are, and don’t get me wrong, there are so many great songs, that I love to sing along to, but I have not bought into the whole ‘King’ thing. I was interested to see, what this would be like. 

We were served up with a set of fourteen tracks, from across his career, and a good mix of styles, from the more rock ’n’ roll tracks such as Jailhouse Rock, Viva Las Vegas and Blue Suede Shoes to the more intimate, soulful tracks such as The Wonder of You, Love Me Tender and Always On My Mind.

I have to say, the performance was exquisite. As you would expect from a string quarter the musical ability was spot on, but the interpretation of the material worked so so well. At the end, the crowd present gave them a well-deserved standing ovation. Most in attendance, were probably Elvis fans, drawn to the event for its content.

As with the recent Royal Philharmonic albums interpreting his music, it clearly went down well with the fans, but I have to say, for me… someone not that keen on the King – it was fantastic. I thought the slower, ballad-like songs would work well, but the more rock ’n’ roll ones? The interpretation was spot on, slowed down to suit the instruments, but retaining the soul of the originals.

Highlight tracks for me were a fantastic delivery of The Wonder of You, Viva Las Vegas, Always On My Mind and the classic Suspicious Minds. Sat up on the balcony watching I kept having to watch I wasn’t singing out loud lol.

From up high, the majesty of the scene struck me. A location historically associated with justice and crime, it was eerily dim, but the event gave it a new life, an aesthetic that bathed the audience in soft light, and a warm and comforting feel from the musicians. It was an incredibly relaxing experience.

It felt like a mental health spa day, and I could listen to Elvis performed in this way all day long! It’s something very different, and I can’t recommend it enough as a audio and visual experience.

With shows all round the country in a wide range of beautiful old, historic locations, there are sets to cater for all tastes, from classical performances to the music of Elvis, Adele, Hans Zimmer, Arctic Monkeys, Queen, U2 and of course Pink Floyd. I’ll definitely be booking seats for the Floyd show at the National Justice Museum for 22 September!

Check out the details for upcoming shows in Nottingham on their website here.

nationaljusticemuseum.org.uk