At the opening night of Blackmore’s Night’s Autumn 2025 U.S. tour—on Sunday, November 13 at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia—the band surprised fans with a stripped-back rendition of Deep Purple’s 1970 epic “Child in Time”. Originally captured in their In Rock era, the track is far removed from Blackmore’s Night’s usual Renaissance-inspired, folk-rock repertoire.
Filmed by a member of the audience, the footage shows Blackmore steering the band there mid-set, abandoning the printed list of songs after the fifth number. “This song was not on the setlist,” the fan recorded. “Ritchie changed the songs after the fifth song on the setlist.”
At the closing of the piece, Blackmore quipped to the crowd: “We’ve never done that before, and we’re never doing it again!” Details pulled from archive setlist-tracking show that the track has appeared on rare occasions since 2004—with one of the last times being in Reading, UK in June 2007—making this Virginia performance notable for its unusual appearance.
Blackmore’s Night, formed in 1997 by Ritchie Blackmore and vocalist Candice Night, is typically rooted in neo-medieval and folk rock. Only one other Deep Purple song—1974’s “Soldier of Fortune”—has ever featured frequently in their setlist.
The surprise performance came as part of the duo’s theatre-run in the Eastern U.S., raising funds for animal-charity partners. Tour dates include Nov 15 (2025) Newton NJ and Nov 20 Wilmington DE.
For fans of Blackmore’s storied career—from Deep Purple to Rainbow to his Renaissance-inspired Blackmore’s Night—this moment offered a rare reverence for past glories. And though the band insists it was a one-time moment, for the audience in spacious Alexandria, the echo of that legendary riff will linger far beyond the night.
