Blackmore’s Night

Candice Night was a Rainbow fan, and first encountered Ritchie Blackmore to ask him for an autograph in 1989, while she was working for a local New York radio station. The two started living together in 1991, and discovered they both had a passionate interest in Renaissance music.[2]

During the reformed Rainbow’s recording of the album Stranger in Us All in 1995, on which Night contributed some of the lyrics and backing harmony vocals, the duo were already gearing up their debut album. Night’s personality and singing ability made her the natural choice as frontwoman. In 1997 the project started as being a pun of their own names, which would consist of themselves plus session musicians.
1997 to 2005
Live in Heidelberg, Germany 2002

Their debut album Shadow of the Moon was a musical success and featured Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull on flute for the song “Play Minstrel Play”. In subsequent albums, particularly Fires at Midnight, there was an increased incorporation of rock guitar into the music, whilst maintaining a folk rock direction. Over time, Night has increasingly participated instrumentally as well as singing the vocals, and is competent in a wide variety of Renaissance instruments.

The group performs at Renaissance fairs and Renaissance Festivals, as well as in stand-alone concert tours in appropriate venues including ‘castle tours’ of Europe, where they perform in historic surroundings for an audience dressed largely in period costume. The duo has been successful enough to inspire a number of international tribute bands including: Renaissance Night, the Italian Morning Star and the Midnight.

They have also performed the music for MagiQuest, a live simulation game.[3] 2006–present
Candice Night at the House of Blues, Chicago, in 2009

In 2006, Night performed a duet with Andi Deris on Helloween’s “Light the Universe”, which was released as a single in certain countries and is available on their album Keeper of the Seven Keys: The Legacy, released in the same year.

On June 27, 2008, the duo released its seventh studio album called Secret Voyage, a mix of medieval-sounding tracks and some contemporary ones. In addition to some covers of some traditional folk music (“Locked Within the Crystal Ball” is from the fourteenth century) and some originals, Blackmore’s Night also performed a cover of a Rainbow song (“Rainbow Eyes”) and an Elvis Presley cover (“Can’t Help Falling in Love”).

On October 5, 2008, Night and Blackmore were married after 19 years together. This is the fourth marriage for Blackmore.[4]

Autumn Esmerelda Blackmore was born on May 27, 2010. A new album titled Autumn Sky was released soon afterwards. Their son Rory Dartanyan was born on February 7, 2012.
Discography
Logo based on artwork of their albums
Main article: Blackmore’s Night discography
Studio albums

Shadow of the Moon (1997)
Under a Violet Moon (1999)
Fires at Midnight (2001)
Ghost of a Rose (2003)
The Village Lanterne (2006)
Secret Voyage (2008)
Autumn Sky (2010)
Dancer and the Moon (2013)

Live Albums

Past Times with Good Company (2002)
Paris Moon (2007)
A Knight in York (2012)

Holiday albums

Winter Carols (2006)

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