With its rich local folklore and cultural diversity, Halloween in Montreal is unique and full of activities. That’s why it’s never too early to plan the best evening of the year. If you’re feeling brave, take a stroll in search of the ghosts of the Algonquin warrior of Mount Royal or Marie-Joseph Angélique. Otherwise, Montreal’s Candlelight Halloween concerts are sure to enchant you with movie songs and other Halloween classics resonating to the strings of a quartet.
Candlelight: Halloween Classics
The greatest Halloween soundtracks understand that true terror lies in anticipation, and it’s by building psychological tension that they leave their mark.Bernard Herrmann’s “Prelude to Psycho ” and its strident strings have defined cinematic suspense for generations, Vic Mizzy ‘s theme from “The Addams Family” proves that the strange can be irresistibly seductive, and Edvard Grieg’s “In the Lair of the King of the Mountain” turns classical music into a supernatural adventure.
Performed by a string quartet, these unmissable Halloween anthems take on a bewitching dimension that large ensembles cannot match. Acoustic clarity strips each track of its electronic trappings to reveal all its raw emotional power. Four musicians succeed where a full orchestra would fail: establishing an intimate dialogue with the darkness, where every bow stroke and string vibration resonates with blood-curdling intensity.
And if that weren’t enough… Candlelight: horror classics including The Conjuring and many others
To the delight of thrill-seekers, the exclusive “horror classics” edition, produced in partnership with Warner Bros. Films, will cross the Atlantic to Montreal. In the majestic and mystical setting of theÉglise Saint Jean-Baptiste, spectators will be invited to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of Halloween.
Faced with a talented string quartet and surrounded by thousands of candles, audiences will relive the most emblematic musical themes from cult horror films. The program includes terrifying pieces from sagas such as The Conjuring, The Shining, The Exorcist and Friday the 13th. An eerie immersion guaranteed, making this the perfect soundtrack to a spellbinding Montreal Halloween.
Candlelight Halloween at Théâtre Rialto
Thousands of flickering candles give Théâtre Rialto’s neo-baroque decor a unique, warmly macabre atmosphere. The“Funeral March of a Puppet“, Danny Elfman ‘s “This Is Halloween” and the theme from The Exorcist will echo off the theater’s gilded moldings and stained-glass dome, the flickering candlelight will make shadows dance on the painted ceilings, and the sounds of the string quartet will fill the space with melodies for 60 minutes.
Arriving 30 to 45 minutes before the show allows you to fully immerse yourself in this spellbinding atmosphere, where every detail is sublimated by the warm, dancing light. Missing this event means missing out on the magic of candlelight and music that envelops you in the enchanting, timeless atmosphere of the Rialto.
