Candice,
I am 28 and live in Ohio, and have just
been introduced to Blackmore's Night over
the weekend. My husband bought the album
and I have completely become entranced by
the music and the feel of your songs. I
can not believe that it has taken me this
long to hear of your group, but I am so
completely grateful for it!
As for my question, I do, quite often, wonder
about the mundane life versus the mystical,
spiritual life of the past that I feel so
drawn toward. Do you find it hard to live
within the mundane world, yet dream of faeries
and chivalry and a time that seems so far
away? How do you mix the mystical renaissance
life with the everyday facets of life?
Thank you again for bringing your music
to us, and giving not only my feet something
to dance to, but also my spirit!
*The newest Blackmore's Night Fan*
~Traci
Hello Traci and welcome to our family!
I am so pleased to hear that you are enjoying
our music. I must admit, in answer to your
question, that I have always been fascinated
by people...and am often at a loss in the
ways of trying to figure out why some people
do what they do. In that way I never find
this world mundane...the world in itself
is a wonderful place filled with beauty,
adventures and a mysticism of its own...
humans on the other hand have a tendency
to enjoy to destroy, corrupt and sometimes
have very little conscience. That not only
worries me...it breaks my heart. I often
think that mandkind may be an oxymoron.
It saddens me to feel this way...and I try
as much as I can to help to heal the problems
others have caused or left behind. Sometimes
it is impossible. In doing that it is oftentimes
my magical world that saves me. That reminds
me of the greater good and helps me to escape
in order to be able to face the challenges
once again. I draw a power from that realm...
that magic that surrounds us that most...
but not all... choose to ignore... I don't
find that time too far away because I try
to energize myself with it daily. And I
choose to keep people around me who are
equally entranced and belong there as well.
But, no I never find this world mundane...
The colors in this life are too vibrant
to be boring!
Thank you for your question...
Love,
Candice
Hello Candice!
I am Alexandra from Ukrain.Sorry for my
bad English and last stupid letter. I will
be 14 in May.My native town is Khmelnitsky.
It is like village.That your discs are not
sold here! I bought one CD "Shadow
of the Moon" in Kyiv (our capital).
My favorite songs are No second chance and
Shadow of the moon.Your voice is wooooonderful!!!I
want to bought others your CD. I knew about
Blackmore's Night because of song Wish You
Were Here.But it Wasn't sung by you(!).Please,
say,what group sang this song?
Have you ever got letters from Ukraine?
Say me,please, a few e-mails
of teenagers of Ukrain or Russia or USA
or.....Please,answer my letter!
Before hand thank you.
Hello sweet Alexandra,
We have played in Kiev last year! I wonder
if you had a chance to come see us when
we played in your country... We had such
a wonderful time there! I do hope that by
now some of the other cds are available
in your area...if not you can always get
them online. And we will have a new cd out
this year!
I am so glad that you are enjoying the songs
you have heard so far. The song you are
asking about was orignally done by a band
called the Rednex... I believe they are
from Scandinavia. We saw the video for that
song on a German television station years
ago and thought it was beautiful. So when
Ritchie asked me to sing it I thought it
would be a great idea. It was sort of out
of character for the Rednex to do it because
I believe they are more of a hillbilly/techno
band better known for their song "Cotton
Eye Joe". But it is still one of my
favorite songs to do live...
Yes, we get quite a few emails from the
Ukraine...and as you may know...my grandfather
was born in Odessa...
Thank you for your question!
Love and light,
Candice
Dear Candice,
I wrote an e-mail in the summer of last
year. I don't know whether you still have
it saved. I read the news on your site that
the computer was down and that some e-mails
were wiped off. Hope the tour went really
well this year and I hope that yourself,
Ritchie and all the other minstrels had
a great christmas and new year.
I am aged 22 and really like Blackmores
Night. In April 2003 my ears first touched
this medieval music. By November 2003 I
felt blessed with the chance to see Blackmores
Night for the first time live having listened
to all the albums. Your website is looking
very magical and glamorous.
I am also a fan of Rainbow, Deep Purple,
Uriah Heep, Magnum, Abba and The Beatles.
Do you attend renaissance faires in the
UK?
Would Blackmore's Night ever consider coming
to play live in Bournemouth this year or
in the near future?
Look forward to hearing your e-mail response.
All the best to you and the Blackmore's
Night minstrels and the new album and tour.
Hope to see you live in the UK.
Take Care.
With love, light, peace and prosperity.
From Dan.
Hello Dan,
Thank you for writing again...ah computers...I
love and hate them daily!
Sounds to me like you have good taste in
music. Isn't it strange that Abba was never
as big here in the US as they were throughout
the rest of the world? They were so talented...the
songwriting with its classical elements,
the voices... For a country as large as
America its strange that those making the
musical decisions on what will be heard
here seem to be very closed minded. Ritchie
calls it musical communism.
I have never attended a Renaissance Faire
in the UK as of yet... I would love to visit
one! I did go to a couple in Germany and
many throughout the states... but the ones
in the UK seem to elude me. When I'm there
they aren't on- or at least not in the area
I have access to. If my path crosses with
a Renaissance Faire while in England, though,
you can bet I'll be there. I love to experience
the way other countries interpret those
days into our present faires. And of course
I believe England had the most magical places
within one country out of anywhere I've
seen...
I'm glad that you are enjoying the website
and the music...
We will be back in your country around October...till
then I hope you enjoy the DVD we just released!
And if you have a venue in mind in your
area, please let us know...
See you then...
Love and light,
Candice
Hello Candice
!
John from Charlotte, Michigan here.... and
I just wanted to drop you and Ritchie a
note to let you know how much I appreciate
your music !!, and what a wonderful, angelic
voice you have !!!
Being a rocker (played guitar since 16),
Ritchie was and still is one of my guitar
heros. I still go crazy trying to figure
out some of his leads. But anyway, my question
is regarding the instrument Ritchie is playing
in the casual photos of you two together
at the various faires on your site. I think
that I make out 8 tuning pegs, and pear
shaped. So would this be a bouzouki ? or
another instrument? And also, if you could
tell me the brand he plays so that I may
purchase one.
Thank you so much.... and I think Blackmore's
Night would be a excellent addition to Lansings
Riverfront Festival held every year !!!
Keep up the great work, and hopefully I'll
be able to see you and Ritchie live someday.
Warm regards.... John.
Hi John,
Thanks for your sweet words...
Don't try to keep up with Ritchie's leads-unless
you're up for a really good challenge! Even
Ritchie never duplicates what he's played...so
create your own!
You must be more than 'just' a rocker though,
you must be a "musician" to know
that, yes, Ritchie is playing a bouzouki
at the Faire. He finds it a lote easier
to carry around, much lighter than a guitar,
and those faires can get pretty warm so
the lighter the better!
He gets them from and English company called
Fylde. You can find out more about them
here.
Thanks for your question and, yes, I hope
to see you at the Lansings Riverfront Festival
at some point. I'm glad that you brought
it to my attention....
Love and light,
Candice
Hi Candice
Wow, what a fantastic website.
Like many others I was a Purple and Rainbow
fan first and then after discovering your
website and music I fell head over heels
for it.
I wish I could express myself with the beautiful
words that I read some of your talented
fans using for you but I'm afraid I don't
have the poets soul that they seem to possess.
Forgive me.
All I know is that your music and voice
take both myself and my partner to some
undiscovered beautiful paradise. Anyhow
I was wondering giving the various and at
times conflicting views that certain ex
members of both Purple and Rainbow give
about working with Richie, what your thoughts
are of working with him, and considering
that it seems obvious that you both share
a very close and loving personal and professional
relationship, what you believe to be the
secrets of a lasting partnership.
I understand that you can only reply to
a small amount of letters and so all thats
left is to wish both you and Richie joy,
happiness and every success that your beautiful
soul richly deserves in this life and the
next.
Best wishes
Brad
Hello Brad,
From the last line in your letter it does
sound as if there is a poet in there...
You should never compare yourself to anyone
else - your writing and sentiments and every
way that you express yourself is your own
and no one else compares to that . Its funny
how we as humans do that... we will always
feel that someone else is better at something,
and someone else is worse and we love to
measure that...but we forget how important
the individual is - how special and how
no one else will do it (what ever it may
be) quite like you do... and really thats
overlooking the most important part of expression...So
in that, forgiveness, as you requested,
is not needed...just encouragement and belief.
It's true that I have seen Ritchie working
in different enviornments over the years
and be in conflict with some around him.
But I must admit that I have never seen
it be unfounded. Although perhaps the problems
could've been communicated better and better
resolves accomplished... I suppose everything
happens for a reason.
My only advice and true key to having a
fulfilling working relationship, and I suppose
this would work in many situations, is to
just leave the ego at the door! Ritchie
is like this incredible energetic ball of
creative ideas...they flow easily but are
electric in intensity at teh same time.
So to just sit back and watch that happen
is always a thrill for me. I appreciate
him for what he is, where he's been but
also where he's going... With such a strong
personality and genuis you kind of just
have to sit back and see where that river
goes... Otherwise it would be like trying
to tame a wild stallion...they're beautiful
wild! Leave them be...enjoy watching...absorb
that energy and get out of the way...and
if you really feel inspired...run WITH them...but
never tame them! That would take all the
magic away! I think that a lot of others
have tried to run the stallion into a stable
with their own rewards in mind.
I know this explanation is kind of convoluted...There
are just so many aspects of the "working
relationship" to try to explain ina
short amount of space. The other thing is
to always give 100% of yourself...on stage,
in the studio, in writing... If you don't
give your all...no one else will be able
to feel you and to go where you are trying
to take them. Again, a lot of others didn't
give that...
So in a partnership...I would say to appreciate
the other for who they are, keep open forms
of communication where no one "wins"
but everyone understands and the playing
field is equal, honesty and understanding
is so important... Ritchie and I are both
very strong minded strong willed people
so if we can do it, I suppose anyone can.
Just never try to tame the wildflower...it's
to be loved for its beauty....
I hope that you can understand...
Love,
Candice
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