April 2005

Dear Candice,

My name is Diane and I am 13 years old. My friend started playing your music one day and I wanted to hear it every moment so I went out and bought Fires at Midnight. You are so inspiring. My favorite song on the album is Sake of Song or Home Again. I love them all very much. I really like how you are trying to bring out the Renaissance. Especially the way you all dress. I wish I could dress like that. I have two questions. Where are you from? & How did you get started in music? Thank you so much for being so inspiring and such a wonderful role model.

Forever your devoted fan,
~*Diane*~

Hello Diane,
Thank you for enjoying the music.... I am from an island off of New York. I was born here, on Long Island, so therefore I am a child of the ocean and the sands... I live on the water, with the reflections of the fiery sunsets and the swans swimming past my home each day- stopping for their daily food that I bring out to them. Besides my home is a deep woodland where we go to speak with the owls around the midnight hour. The setting here is perfect for creating our music. I can't think of a better place to be inspired by. Although, there are more and more homes being built on the fields that were once abundant here, and there are many animals being displaced so...although I love it and it is the place of my birth, it is also a place that I fear for its future...It saddens me what may happen. But I will share in the beauty and serenity of this place until I can no longer stay here because of what some people term to be "progress"...I have other words for the expansion...I know someday I will have to move on, like the deer, the birds and other wildlife - to find another area like this one once was...but it breaks my heart to do so.
As for your other questions, thank you for the compliments on my clothing! I really love renaissance inspired clothes...they are so feminine, romantic and dreamy... You can dress like this too! Many of my outfits have been put together from items I find at stores around my area. A peasant blouse here, a broom skirt there, a corset in another shop, and a shawl...layer them together and you have your own individual look! And that is really the best way to go...because it should express you - no one else...

I first got started in music when I was 4 and my parents enrolled me in acting and singing lessons. I was in little theater productions until I was 12. Then I would sing in chorus, in school and for my friends- if they promised not to look at me because that made me too nervous! But then I went to work for a radio station just so I could be around music. While I was there, I met Ritchie and we started writing our own songs for our own pleasure around 1996. We never thought it would be out for the world to hear. But many people have joined us on this wonderful journey. It is truly a dream come true. Thank you for your questions, your kind words and for believing...
Love and light,
Candice

PS- You can read the History page on this website for more details as to how this path lead me here.

Candice, Hello! my name is Brett. I saw the show last night in SD. It was great! You have a beautiful voice, and the band was awesome. I have been a fan of Ritchie since the Purple days. It was great to hear how you incorporated all the classical style within the group. I am a guitar player myself and have played in many clubs around LA in the past years. The think is I somehow lost the courage to play and let my music be heard. Do you have any hints on finding inspiration?

Sincerely,
Brett

Hello Brett,
I am glad that you enjoyed the show. Finding inspiration is so difficult to advise on because it is such an individual journey and is so different for each person. Perhaps you can not find it because you are distracted or overwhelmed or simply do not have the time so sit and create. Or perhaps it is the very human feeling of being scared to play, feeling as if you are not good enough or others won't understand. When writing, to be inspired, I find that I have to be by myself, away from distractions and allow myself the time to just be. To breathe in all that is around me. To feel. It is almost a sense of channeling since I think music comes from somewhere so much deeper than the physical realm. If you can interpret your thoughts, your dreams or disappointments, your simple breathing or heartbeat, or your complex philosophies into lyric or music, you have a good start. But I think that 1st it starts with the journey of exploring and trying to understand you and things that matter to you most.

In being inspired to play, you must strip it all away to the simple reasons you play in the first place. Because you love it, because it expresses you, because it is in your blood. It doesn't matter who likes it or not, it doesn't matter if others don't "get it". What matters is that it is a true representation of whatever you feel it should be at the time. You should never try to sound like anyone else or try to follow...you should always lead-- and lead with honesty.
At the end of the day...if you are proud of what you have created...then you have done the right thing. And that is inspiration in itself.
Much love,
Candice

Hello Candice
My name is Anton. I from Russia.
I adore your music. When I close the eyes Your beautiful, charming
voice carries away me to the place,where is always sun, birds sing and I imagine myself.
I have all your albums. I like Ritchie's guitar.
I opened your site and saw your photos. What are the cats there?
I wish you with Ritchie further great success.

Hello Anton,
I am so happy to hear your words and how our music is able to transport you to another place...

When people ask me if I believe in time travel I say I do believe because when I sing our songs I can transport myself to another time and place, as you see too... And what we believe, to us, really is...it is our reality, you see. So, thank you for taking the trip with me...

Ah, my cats!! My angels... I will include more pictures of them on my site in the near future, as they always give so much to me every day. They give me comfort, understanding, laughter, and we are very psychically connected. Especially the grey one, Hopscotch. He is my soulmate, in furry form! And so very wise...

The orange one is Romper- or Romperstilskin which is his full name. But they both have many name, Romper becomes Scrumpy; Hopscotch becomes Poppenstein...I think sometimes they think we are a bit crazy with all the affectionate nicknames we have for them.
But they love us anyway!
Love and light,
Candice

Hi Candice!
My name is Anastasia, I m from Russia and I m 17 years old.
I love your songs very much, thank you for them!
I know you were in Russia on 2002 but unfortunately I couldn t see your concert, because I live quite far from Moscow, in the city Tomsk, it is in West Siberia.

We have very beautiful nature, forest and a lot of snow in winter. Forest is very attractive in all seasons, and I like to walk there with my friends and watch on it out of the window of a car then I go to the country to my granny. When I walk in the forest I feel myself very happy because I believe we become a part of the nature at those moments.

Will you come to Russia again some time? It ll be great if you do...
And one more question. I know you love animals and keep them at home. I had a cat named Kesha, he lived with us 9 years. A few month ago he died. Now I don know if I should keep other animals. I want, but every time I think about it, I remember Kesha. Can you advice me something?

It is great that you had so wonderful New Year! I also had a good holiday, near to my house they built a real SNOW CASTLE! It is fantastic. We did some photos there and I m sending one to you.

Best Regards,
Anastasia

Hello Anastasia,
I love coming to Russia, not only because it is in my blood and my ancestry, but the people have always been so wonderful to us there. We have been asked to play many towns in Russia and we have always wanted to, but the problem seems to be the way to get to these towns. It seems that internal travel within Russia is difficult so we only really get to play Moscow and St Petersburg because you can fly directly to them. I wish there was another way so that we could experience more of your beautiful country, and so that you wouldn't have to travel so far to see us...
I agree with you about being part of nature...I wish more people in this world would enjoy the maic of nature as we do. It is an incredible feeling to be open enough to absorb the sights and sounds and feeling of energy that it exudes... It is so sad to me that people are so motivated by money these days that every bit of open space is being built upon. Hold on to those forests and the magic they share...There may not be many left soon. I hope we, and others that feel as we do, can change that.
I am so sorry to hear about Kesha, it is devestating when a pet/friend/family member (they are one and the same...) goes to the other side. I know that you are in terrible pain right now with her loss, and you should give yourself as much time as you need to grieve.

When you pain goes away a bit ( and it may never go away completely...you may always feel a bit wistful when you think of her)...Remember that the love you gave Kesha made her so very happy...and it would be a gift to share your love, your home and your caring with another pet. They will never be the same as Kesha, and they are not replacements for her, but they will bring you love and joy and they will be so happy for what you give them in return. Animals are amazing creatures...I feel they are more advanced than we are.

So, when you are ready to share yourself again...know it will be greatly appreciated. Love is the greatest gift you can give...and so many animals need it.
But, please, only when you feel you are ready...
I loved your snow castle...great idea! I hope to be back in Russia soon...
Love always,
Candice

Confidential to: Jersey, Cher's own, Hell on Wheels
I amso sorry that you had that experience. I have never heard of a fan club of ours doing hat and we certainly do not appreciate the kind of response you received. Religion is a very sensitive matter for a lot of people, but if you are not harming anyone and you allow others to have their own opinions that inspire their own belief...there should be no problem. No one has the right to tell you that you are wrong for what you believe in. It is a personal decision and, really no one's business but your own. What can potentially come out of religion: hope, believing, inspiring people to do good...are beautiful traits and it shouldn't matter what path you take to attain those traits.

The ironic thing is that so many people who listen to our music are of the path that you were shunned for. I would've thought that you should've been welcomed with open arms...strange...

We are receiving tourdates and working on a routing. Soon the dates will be confirmed and we will have them up on www.blackmoresnight.com on the tourdates page. Check there for new dates...
Thanks for your letter...
Love,
Candice