Vocalist, lyricist and multi-instrumentalist Candice Night will perform at Bethel Woods on May 3 at 8 p.m. with Blackmore’s Night, a band that features legendary guitarist and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Ritchie Blackmore (of Deep Purple and Rainbow). As they tour around the world, Candice and Ritchie spread their love for animals by promoting local animal shelters at their concerts.

Blackmore Night’s music blends melodies of the Renaissance with the modern styles of rock and folk. Shadow of the Moon, their debut album released in 1997, immediately went gold in Japan, and their concerts in castles and historical sites worldwide are filled with thousands of fans dressed in Renaissance costume dancing and singing. 

As lead vocalist and lyricist of Blackmore’s Night, Candice Night has the opportunity to travel around the world and perform for throngs of fans wearing medieval costumes. 

“The most exciting part of touring is when you connect with the audience. We’ve played a lot of historical venues and castles all around the world.” 

Night described the euphoric experience of performing for an engaged crowd: “a clock tower chiming in the distance, watching the moon overhead, with a few thousand people dressed in garb singing the words you wrote along with you and the castle walls wrapped around the stage and audience- if you see that vision once in a lifetime you remember it forever. We are lucky enough to have lived that hundred of times over the past 30 years.” 

Despite these moments of elation, Night said touring is often difficult.

“The most challenging aspect is the travel – the exhaustion, the sickness, the jetlag and having to appear like all is well if it isn’t.” Another downside of touring is the potential for damage to the group’s musical equipment. Night said, “Our instruments sometimes take a beating. My woodwinds I usually keep with me if I can as the reeds are delicate. But Ritchie’s instruments go with the equipment and sometimes things happen to them which is incredibly frustrating because they are irreplaceable.”

Night, who began singing lessons at age 4 and piano lessons at age 5, has been playing music for most of her life. 

“At this point I play about 9 medieval, woodwind instruments; these include hurdy gurdy, pennywhistle, recorder, chanter, shawm, bombard, rauschpfeife, gemshorn, crumhorn, cornamuse, a bit of piano and my trusty tambourine.” To conjure up the sounds of renaissance folk rock, Night picked up playing woodwinds when Blackmore’s Night recorded their 2001 album “Fires at Midnight.”

Night’s connection to medieval music came from Blackmore’s obsession with music from the Renaissance, a period of significant cultural and intellectual revival in Europe from the 13th to the 17th century. 

“Ritchie introduced me to the music of that time period. He played it around the house all the time and looking out the window and seeing the snow fall and the deer outside- it just seemed like that music was the soundtrack to nature- like living in a movie…pure magic.” 

Caring for needy animals

In addition to being inspired by Renaissance music, Night has a passion for nature and a deep love of animals.

“I write this with my black golden-eyed rescue cat, Winter, kneading me and falling asleep on my lap.” Winter was rescued from a parking lot and Night fell in love and adopted him. “I wish I could save them all. But thank goodness there are people out there who are true angels on earth who have the patience and the kindness...to take care of homeless and abused animals. Animals ask so little, yet give so much in return.”

Candice Night and Ritchie Blackmore feel strongly about helping local no-kill animal shelters wherever they perform, and Night said, “we are happy to have All Paws Matter out of Liberty, NY at the Bethel Woods concert. If you are coming to the show, please stop by their donation table and give whatever you can.” 

All Paws Matter Director and President Tamara Depaolo said that all proceeds will go to spaying, neutering, and caring for stray cats. 

“The need is so great [right now],” said Depaolo, who currently has 97 cats ready for adoption. 

To make a donation to All Paws Matter Animal Rescue, you can call or text 845-216-2892 or visit their website at TAPMAR.net. Show tickets can be purchased at www.bethelwoodscenter.org.