Ritchie Blackmore and His Wife Candice Night Play Renaissance Music in Blackmore’s Night [VIDEO]

I want to thank Rich "On The Radio" Moore for turning me on to Ritchie Blackmore's side project.

Have you heard of Blackmore's Night?

The guitarist for Deep Purple has put out 8 studio albums and 2 live albums since 1997 as a traditional folk duo, Blackmore's Night, with his long time girlfriend and now wife, Candice Night.

The two met when Night was working at a New York radio station and approached Blackmore for an autograph while he was in Rainbow. They began living together in 1991. Night sang backing vocals on the reformed Rainbow album "Stranger in All Us."

The duo shared a passionate interest in Renaissance music and released their group's debut album, "Shadow of the Moon," in 1997.

Blackmore plays guitar, mandolin, domra and hurdy gurdy while his wife Candice sings lead and plays several traditional Renaissance-era instruments including the cornamuse, shawm and rauschpfeife.

Blackmore's Night performs at Renaissance fairs and festivals around the world and has done "castle tours" of Europe where they play concerts in historic castles with much of the audience dressed in period costumes.

A Christmas-themed cover album, "Winter Carols," was released in 2006.

Their 2008 release, "Secret Voyage," included a cover of Rainbow's "Rainbow Eyes" and the Elvis Presley hit "Can't Help Falling In Love."

The latest Blackmore's Night release, "Autumn Sky," was released in 2010.

Check out this video of the title track to Blackmore's Night's second album, "Under a Violet Moon," in 1999.
Blackmore\'s Night \"Under the Violet Moon\" (YouTube)