What's New

Our Discography has been updated with information on a new Annie Haslam holiday release with Rave Tesar called Snowball;  the CD is available through Annie's web site.  (updated 1 January 2010)

 

Annie Haslam sent us several photos from the recent tour.  Click here to see the new Renaissance 2009 Gallery!  You can also see the photos on the band's MySpace page, right here.  We expect more photos in the near future as the band goes through their collections.  (updated 12 November 2009)

 

Northern Lights co-editor Joe Lynn wrote a review of Jim McCarty's new CD, Sitting on the Top of Time!  Check it out in our Press Box section! (24 September 2009)

 

Friend of Northern Lights Mark C Doyle sent us information on several new Japanese reissues, including some SHD releases from Universal Music and some remastered versions of some of the Sire-era releases!  Check out the Discography for more information!  (10 August 2009)

 

Northern Lights co-editor Russ Elliot has posted a review of the Friday Music reissue of Live at Carnegie Hall (see below for more release information).  Follow this link to the Musical Discoveries site for the review!  (10 August 2009)

 

Northern Lights contributor Matt Parish forwarded us this link to his review of Annie Haslam's CD Woman Transcending.  Check it out! (30 June 2009)


Renaissance News And FAQ

This section is kept up-to-date with the latest information on Renaissance and its members. We publish news as soon as we receive it, and if you have specific questions, please write to us and we will do our best to get the answers for you.

Correspondent Peter Tim reports that Stephanie Adlington's web site has been updated: you can visit the site at stephanieadlington.com. (1 January 2010)

 

Renaissance's recent tour was a great success!  The reviews are starting to roll in, and here's what's been said so far:

Greg Haymes, from the Albany Times Union said: "The barefoot Haslam was clearly the focus, but the band ... carried her on their shoulders, spinning orchestral whirlwinds and one climactic rush after another from the wordless vocals of the opening 'Prologue' to the rousing encore of 'Ashes Are Burning.'"  Check out Greg's full review by following this link.

Another review appears on the Vintage Rock website. Ralph Greco says that Annie and Michael led the band "through a two-hour show at the brand-new South Orange Performing Arts Center and teleported the audience back to the mid 70s with a near-perfect performance."  Follow this link to that review!

A review by Pete Pardo appears on the Sea of Tranquility web site.  His piece can be found here and in it he tells us "The sound was wonderful, all the musicians were spot on, and Annie's voice was remarkable."

The Rochester City Music Blog says "The rock-opera band got a standing O after its very first song. The crowd damn near gushed after every tune....  I found it interesting that with the big productions like Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and even Celtic Women, that Renaissance could pull off just as much evocative magic without all the flash and smoke."  Read the complete piece here.

We're certain more reviews will be coming in, and we'll be posting links as we learn about them.  (updated 8 November 2009)

 

Longtime Northern Lights friend Dave Owen tells us that the UK magazine Classic Rock Presents Prog has a four-page feature on Renaissance in their latest edition.  Watch your newsstand for the magazine!  (25 November 2009)

 

Steve Houk interviewed Michael Dunford for his blog-- check out the excellent article where Michael talks about Renaissance's past, present, and future!  Follow this link to the article at Steve's blog! (30 September 2009)

 

Listen to an interview and live performance with Annie and Michael on Pete Fornatale's "Mixed Bag" on WFUV, New York! 

Click here and then choose the September 26 2009 link!  (1 October 2009)

 

Attention Renaissance Fans!  Annie Haslam and Michael Dunford will join together with some special friends for a series of concerts in the Northeast this Fall as "Renaissance 2009." We are in contact with Annie and the band's management, and we will have more details posted here very shortly!  Click here for more info on the dates that have already been announced! (29 August 2009)

The rest of the show dates have been added!  Click here for more info!

The latest press release appears below...  (14 September 2009)

 

 
Annie Haslam and Michael Dunford to Lead World-Class Musicians
 On 9-City Concert Tour of Theaters and Performing Arts Centers Starting Oct. 6
 
In celebration of their 1969 formation, English "classical rock" pioneers Renaissance are embarking on a special 40th Anniversary Fall Concert Tour to re-introduce to new generations the lush, orchestral favorites that made them a staple of 1970s progressive rock radio.
 
Led by Annie Haslam and Michael Dunford, the voice and principal songwriter, respectively, of the band’s most popular lineup, RENAISSANCE 2009 will mount a nine-city East Coast tour of theaters and performing arts centers that kicks off Oct. 6 in Annapolis, MD, and includes New York, Philadelphia and Washington, home to the nation’s top progressive rock stations during the classic Renaissance era.
 
"I'm thrilled to be performing these truly unique masterpieces again," says Haslam, whose five-octave voice is one of the most legendary in rock history. “These songs are a big part of my life and I will sing my heart out."
 
Joining Haslam and Dunford in RENAISSANCE 2009 are keyboardist Rave Tesar and bassist-vocalist David J. Keyes, both of whom were previous members of Renaissance and the Annie Haslam Band, plus keyboardist-vocalist Tom Brislin (Yes, Debbie Harry, Meat Loaf, Francis Dunnery) and drummer-percussionist Frank Pagano (Bruce Springsteen, Smashing Pumpkins, Bette Midler, Barry Manilow). Together, these world class musicians will revisit the symphonic textures, stunning vocals and poetic lyrics that embody the band’s hauntingly compelling international themes, with fresh interpretations of their most admired compositions. “Carpet of the Sun,” “Ocean Gypsy,” “Mother Russia,” "Ashes Are Burning," “Running Hard,” “Prologue,” and "Northern Lights" are central to Renaissance’s most prolific period (1972-78), which produced the albums Prologue, Ashes Are Burning, Turn of the Cards, Novella, Scheherazade and Other Stories, and A Song for All Seasons, as well as 'Live' at Carnegie Hall (1976), the deluxe two-disc set recently reissued.  
 
Renaissance originally rose from the ashes of the Yardbirds, with Haslam and Dunford joining at the dawn of the 1970s to define their work with folk rock and classical fusions, including quotations from and allusions to, such composers as Bach, Chopin, Debussy, and Rachmaninoff. It wasn’t long before influential progressive rock FM stations like WNEW (New York), WMMR (Philadelphia) and WHFS (Washington) were turning on America to Renaissance, while the band was thrilling concertgoers on the world’s most distinguished stages, from Carnegie Hall in New York City to the Royal Albert Hall in London.
 
"We've wanted to bring these songs to American audiences again and now with these great musicians," adds Michael Dunford, "I'm looking forward to it with great anticipation."

 

The DVD release from Cherry Red Records called "Song of Scheherazade" featuring a Renaissance performance from 1976 is now available!

Annie Haslam says:

At last the corrected DVD Song of Scheherezade is available. Although the footage is in black and white, the magic of the band is still captured and a must for any Renaissance fan.

The DVD is available at this link in the UK, and if you're in the US you can get the DVD from Amazon at this link.  You can also read a review of the DVD at Musical Discoveries, the creation of Northern Lights co-editor Russ Elliot.  (30 June 2009)

 

Longtime friend of Northern Lights Mike Silveus has started an eBay store featuring his collection of Renaissance and other rock-related material.  Visit the store here or look for the seller "jans501".  (30 June 2009)

 

A new reissue of Live at Carnegie Hall is available from Friday Music!  Annie Haslam sent us an update:

Live at Carnegie Hall is available again on CD.

This magnificent live performance by the band has to be one of their best and most prestigious shows, performing with The New York Philharmonic and full choir.

It is STUNNING!

Re-mastered and sounding better than ever! With personal memories from Annie in the liner notes.

This has been re-released by Friday Music and is available now at www.fridaymusic.com

Be sure to check it out!  (9 May 2009)

 

The Jane Relf Appreciation Society's Brian Williams sent us a note about a new compilation that's just been released:

The JRAS is proud to announce the upcoming release, November 11, 2008, for the comprehensive Jane Relf compilation called Jane's Renaissance, from Renaissance Records USA. This will mark the CD debut of the songs that Jane released as solo singles ("Gone Fishing," "Without a Song from You," and "Make My Time Pass By") - all of which were professionally digitally remastered from pristine source 45 RPM vinyl. Another vocal demo bonus ("Carpet of the Sun") has been recently added after a complex denoising procedure. Total music time - 156 minutes.

This set can be ordered from Amazon at this link.

Please note that Amazon incorrectly lists the product as 1 CD, when in fact it is a 2-CD set (verified by the label). These corrections will be made on Amazon about 2 weeks before the November 11 release. The list price according to the label will be $19.99, so quickly pre-ordering on Amazon (who guarantees their pre-order prices) may land the buyer a major bargain!

This Boxed Set's concept was based largely on the WPKN Radio Show that we produced and aired in November 2003.

Another great release for Renaissance fans!  (16 November 2008)

 

A new live Renaissance release is available from Friday Music!  Dreams & Omens: Live at the Tower Theatre, Philadelphia 1978 is now downloadable on iTunes and available through Friday Music's web site!  Annie told us:

The concert stands out as one of our best live performances, it was truly a magical night! I am happy to share this with you and  hope it gives you as much pleasure and joy as it gives me. I feel so proud when I listen to this CD, and to have been a part of such a unique and inspiring part of musical history. The five band members, John, Michael, Terry, Jon, and myself were perfectly matched. The Tower Theatre holds fond memories of an era that was the pinnacle in the evolution of Renaissance.

Check out this fantastic release!  (26 October 2008)


Last updated: 1 January 2010 Return to Northern Lights Home Page