Fires at Midnight

The title track from the third Blackmore's Night album, released in July 2001, is based on a composition by Alfonso The Wise of Castille (1221-1284). Ritchie and Candice first heard it from German traditional musicians. In an interview with issue 3 of Hush magazine, Candice explained how she wrote around it: "Lyrically the words came very naturally. The song itself, without knowing the original texts, seemed to have an inherent mystical quality while also being so connected with the earth and her wonders. And so it came to be that I was standing outside looking out across the hillsides of the Czech republic around April when they burn the bonfires on the hills across the country and the visuals and the mystery that filled the air from this age old tradition and the stories and superstitions that surrounded it just overwhelmed me. The seven sisters mentioned in the song is the name of a constellation that was overhead at the time. And how the stars can guide us, even speak to us if you listen to them."

Running to 7 minutes 33 seconds, the new musical arrangement is by Ritchie; "Fires At Midnight" is another very fine example of the melding of ancient music and modern, a unique niche Ritchie and Candice have carved out for themselves.