While promoting and touring with the first album, Fionnuala had an accident that nearly terminated her career. After falling down a stairway, she broke her shoulder in two places. With two surgical operations, endless physiotherapy sessions, and a specially constructed metal brace - she was able to play again. Meanwhile, fueled by the success of Songs from a Secret Garden, Rolf’s creativity was in motion writing and recording for their next CD, White Stones. When Fionnuala recorded her violin parts for White Stones in November 1996, her arm still racked with pain. The new repertoire was technically more challenging and they didn't have the option of her injury being an "excuse". She wished to perform even better than before. And it seems she accomplished her goal, as did Rolf in his endeavor to keep the same creative spirit alive, using the same seeds and reaping a new crop.

White Stones was received by Secret Garden’s public with the same enthusiasm as Songs from a Secret Garden, and enjoyed sales of the same magnitude as well. It achieved another maximum stay at the Billboard charts with two years. The artists describe the album as a continuation of the ideas and conceptual thoughts developed in the debut album. But also as a performance album where the compositions were designed to be more suitable for a live concert program. This also led to the forming of a touring ensemble and the start of live concerts around the world.