Blackmore's Night
Shadow Of The Moon

We are all grown up now, and it's no longer time for fairy tales... but if for a moment we could turn back the years, we would surely remember that the only proper background to our fairy-tale dreams had to be naturally represented by the voice of the narrator (...mom for the luckiest ones - R.I.P. Mom). Listening to this CD really makes you want to be transported back to that period of inner serenity and mental bliss called childhood; to be drawn in by the merry and joyful melodies capable of conveying joy through harmonies, able to make magical the whole world they manage even simply to touch. Mr. Ritchie "ex Purple" (still?) Blackmore, even without ever concealing his classical background (remember that he graduated as a cellist from the London Conservatory?) embarks on a work that sees him handle compositions that achieve levels of unprecedented beauty, also thanks to the voice of the ethereal Candice Night.

The stirring "Shadow Of The Moon" takes us through the colossal wooden door of the imaginary royal fortress, where fairy Candice proves to be a great vocal performer from whom everyone would like to be taken by the hand and led into this medieval phantasmagoria, where you can freely sing: "In the shadow of the moon, she danced in the starlight, whispering a haunting tune, .....to her night" (All'ombra della luna, lei danzava nel chiarore stellare bisbigliando un'incantevole melodia, ...alla notte). Next is "The Clock Ticks On", where the trumpet and French horn introduction can beautifully represent the beginning of a dancing evening at Her Majesty's court, while the lullaby of choice is surely "Be Mine Tonight,” where the soothing lyrics can even induce the listener to a melancholic sentimentalism. "Play Minstrel Play” (no title seemed more fitting!), sees the gradual incursion of the most loved flute in rock - read that as Ian Anderson’s -, which after accompanying the extraordinary singing, finally bursts in claiming the track until the end... listen to believe it. A musical journey capable of guiding the listener through the unusual and fantastic atmospheres of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, even more so with excellent tracks like "Ocean Gipsy” (many thanks to Anna Haslam), "Magical World” and "Renaissance Faire,” artfully interspersed with brief instrumental compositions: in sequence "Minstrel Hall,” "Memmingen,” and "Mondo Tanz” complete with applause at the end. Not mentioning "Spirit Of The Sea” ("Living In The Water” was its baptismal title during production) would truly be a shame: the lyrics dedicated to the guardian angel constantly watching over us are further highlighted by the band’s accompaniment, which like in the final "Wish You Were Here” gives it a pleasantly folk-pop inclination, without in any way deviating from the musical discourse undertaken on the entire CD.

In short, Mr. Blackmore feeds us for more than an hour with his masterful acoustic guitar (set aside only for "Writing On The Wall,” where a drum machine even appears) that floods us with relaxing atmospheres far removed from that world reflecting only greed and hunger for success. Once listening is over, what emerges is the excellent performance of Muse Candice, capable with all her grace of giving an unusual fortitude to the nursery rhymes she interprets and of being able to drag anyone into her enchanted castle, ensuring that the exquisite game and the presence of Bacchus capture us for as long as possible in this splendid snapshot of the Middle Ages, facilitating our memory to momentarily escape the harshness of the world in which we live.