English progressive rock band Renaissance rose was founded by vocalist Annie Haslam and principal songwriter and guitarist Michael Dunford joining at the beginning of the 1970s to define their work with folk rock and classical fusions.
The band combined folk rock with symphonic elements, creating a unique progressive rock style influenced by Bach, Chopin, Debussy, and Rachmaninoff. The band released a series of masterful albums that are considered classics from the 1970s era: Prologue, Ashes Are Burning, Turn of the Cards, Novella, Scheherazade and Other Stories, and A Song for All Seasons. The band had their first Top Ten UK hit with “Northern Lights” in 1978.
After extensively touring and popularity in the UK, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, France, Belgium, Portugal and Israel, the most influential progressive rock stations in the US picked up on the band’s unique musical sound and introduced them to fans in the United States of America.
The band has played on the world’s most distinguished stages, from Carnegie Hall in New York City with The New York Philharmonic Orchestra, to the Royal Albert Hall in London with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Over the band’s lengthy career, they have recorded fifteen albums. Despite explorations into solo careers and changes in the line-up Haslam and Dunford remain the creative core of Renaissance.
In 2009 Renaissance embarked on a special 40th Anniversary Fall Concert Tour in 2009 to re-introduce to new generations the lush, orchestral favorites that made them a staple of 1970s progressive rock radio. Joining Haslam and Dunford in Renaissance were keyboardist Rave Tesar and bassist/vocalist David J. Keyes, both of whom were previous members of Renaissance and the Annie Haslam Band.
Renaissance released Grandine il Vento in 2013, reissued in 2014 as Symphony of Light with bonus tracks. The album became a tribute to Michael Dunford, who passed away in 2012.
With a new lineup, Renaissance performed many of its classic at The Union Chapel in London, UK on April 16, 2015. The concert was filmed by Paul Green Productions, with lighting by Russell ‘Tigger’ Matthews. The concert was released in 2016 on a DVD titled “Renaissance, Live at The Union Chapel. The lineup in 2016 included Annie Haslam on lead vocals, Rave Tesar on keyboards, Tom Brislin on keyboards, Mark Lambert on acoustic guitars, Leo Traversa on bass, and Frank Pagano on drums.
The band celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019.
In June 2022, Renaissance announced a Fall tour that will take place during October 2022 along the East Coast of the United States.
In August 2022, Renaissance launched an IndieGoGo campaign for the “Legacy Tour” double live CD to celebrate Annie Haslam’s 75th year. In celebration of Annie Haslam’s 75th birthday, Renaissance will be presenting a series of concerts with the Renaissance Chamber Orchestra, the ten-piece group of classical performers that have been adding an extra dimension to the sound of Renaissance since 2017. One of the shows will be fully multitrack recorded and released as a double live CD set. The lineup of songs will be a combination of Renaissance classics together with a selection of songs from Annie’s solo recordings. Many of these songs will be newly orchestrated and performed for the first time with orchestral arrangements.
This will be the fourth release of a ‘live’ concert by the band since 2015 through the support of crowdfunding. Renaissance credits the longevity of the band to a long-standing relationship with their fan base.
Discography
* Prologue (Sovereign/EMI (UK); Sovereign/Capitol (USA), 1972)
* Ashes Are Burning (Sovereign/EMI (UK); Sovereign/Capitol (USA), 1973)
* Turn Of The Cards (BTM (UK); Sire (USA), 1974)
* Scheherazade And Other Stories (BTM (UK); Sire (USA), 1975)
* Live At Carnegie Hall (BTM (UK); Sire (USA), 1976)
* Novella (Warner Bros. (UK); Sire (USA), 1977)
* A Song For All Seasons (Warner Bros. (UK); Sire (USA), 1978)
* In The Beginning (EMI (UK); Capitol (USA), 1978)
* Azure D’Or (Warner Bros. (UK); Sire (USA), 1979)
* Camera Camera (Illegal (UK); IRS (USA), 1981)
* Time-Line (IRS (UK); IRS (USA), 1983)
* Tales Of 1001 Nights – Parts 1 & 2 (Warner Bros (UK); Sire (USA), 1990) Da Capo Repertoire (Germany), 1995)
* ‘Live’ At The Royal Albert Hall – Parts 1 & 2 (King Biscuit/BMG (USA), 1997)
* Songs From Renaissance Days (HTD (UK); King Biscuit/BMG (USA), 1997)
* BBC Sessions (Wounded Bird (USA), 1999)
* Day Of The Dreamer (Mooncrest (UK), 2000)
* Unplugged ‘Live’ At The Academy Of Music (Mooncrest (UK), 2000)
* Tuscany (Toshiba EMI (Japan); GEP (UK & Europe); Friday Music (USA), (2000)
* In the Land of the Rising Sun ‘Live’ in Tokyo (Toshiba EMI (Japan); GEP (UK & Europe) Friday Music (USA), 2002)
* Dreams And Omens ‘Live’ at the Tower Theatre (Friday Music (USA), 2009)
* Scheherazade And Other Stories • plus DVD (Friday Music (USA), 2010)
* The Mystic and The Muse • EP (Hybrid Recordings (USA), 2010)
* Special Limited Edition Live CD/DVD (2011)
* Grandine il Vento (Symphonic Rock Recordings, 2013)
* Symphony of Light (Red River Entertaint, 2014), reissue of Grandine il Vento with new tracks
* Academy of Music 1974 (Purple Pyramid/Cleopatra Records, 2015)
* DeLane Lea Studios 1973 (Purple Pyramid Records, 2015)
Live At The BBC Sight & Sound (Repertoire Records, 2016)
Live At The Union Chapel (Symphonic Rock Recordings, 2016)
A Symphonic Journey, Live In Concert (Symphonic Rock Recordings, 2018)
50th Anniversary – Ashes Are Burning, An Anthology, Live In Concert (Esoteric Antenna, 2021)
Web site
Updated biography and photos