The Boxing Week is over, but here in Russia we are moving straight to the festive week, as we celebrate two dates: New Year on December 31 and Christmas on January 7. Thats why today's #ttt selection will be special. It contains the only artist, please welcome: Ritchie Blackmore! (well, with a little by-product, see below). This is my indispensable playlist every year for the festive Christmas mood.
Before I start, I want to share a little story. It happened more than 25 years ago... the times fly so fast! By the end of 97, I was on a visit to Moscow, heading to the central bookstore on Tverskaya ave; at some underground passage, having passed a kiosk, I suddenly heard the sounds of magical music. I stopped, sniffed the air scanned the space around, retraced my steps and attacked the saleswoman with a question: what was that??! what record was playing a minute ago?!!
It should be noted here that back then I was a big fan of Jethro Tull and Ian Anderson with his flute; I collected all the available records and listened to them up and down many times; no new records promised to appear, and of course like any fan I would like something fresh (or same as good old ones). So, while I walked at said underground passage, the purest Jethro Tull burst in my ears?! a new album that I knew nothing about? I was excited as ... no words can tell.
The saleswoman answered my question by handing me out a CD labeled «Blackmore's Night. Shadow of the Moon» - which told me almost nothing (as I already prepared to examine a new Jethro Tull release, haha!). Of course, I knew who Ritchie Blackmore was, but I had no idea what Blackmore's Night was. At first moment I gave up, but then my hands opened the wallet, I considered, since I liked the music, I’ll buy the disc - it deserves more attention. And when I returned home and carefully read all the small text printed on CD's back... (This CD, of course, was not a licensed edition, it was a pirate copy - thanks to the pirates for not losing or throwing away all the info!) I learned something that amused me so much. Yes, it turned out to be not Jethro Tull but Ritchie Blackmore, who switched to performing medieval music. But!!! to perform a fiery instrumental jig on the flute in the 'Play Minstrel Play' ballad...
...a session musician was invited - and it turned out to be none other than flutist and musical magician Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull - the best of the best men! Does this story teach you something?.. perhaps not... but it is a kind of illustration of how your thoughts shape the world, attract the staff and people you like to you.
Dont want to talk about this song - just listen to it, all is there. It is pure magic. There's a lot of authentic medieval instruments incorporated in the arrangement, like shepherd's horns, bagpipes and god knows what else? Combined with Candice Knight's soft, warm, enveloping, motherly voice this music turns into real gems.
Look how this music is being created live:
Was extremely hard to make the second pick, as all the stuff is brilliant, of pretty same quality level. I love all of them pretty much. Well, after some consideration...
Since then I kept my eye on Blackmore's Night future releases; his second album «Under a Violet Moon» had amazing tracks, digging further into the Renaissance music, but let me skip it, right to the third album «Winter Carols» (2006, which became one of my wife's faves. You may read more about the other Christmas songs included: I Saw Three Ships / Good King Wenceslas / We Three Kings / Ma-O-Tzur / Deck the Halls / God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen -- these are all traditional hits worth listening. I chose one of them for you to enjoy right now, right here. Merry Christmas!
I hope you enjoyed today's music selection, and travelling around the globe without leaving the Hive. 😎 The post goes for Three Tune Tuesday challenge run by 
