"While the repertoire timelines the bands journey to the present day, it derives much from the 70s: wisely it seems, as the whoops and hollers from a packed house get notably louder for the likes of At The Harbour, Island (Annies auditioning song back in the day), Song For All Seasons, and a formidably moving Mother Russia. The quality stamp is not banged down on Haslams focal-point performance alone; it emblazons those of her band and orchestra, sound-desk and studio mixing, camerawork and editing. And it likewise tributes the authorship of musicians John Tout and Michael Dunford and lyricist Betty Thatcher, all of whom played major roles in forging this music, and are now deceased. The only member of the 1971 line-up still with Renaissance, Annie Haslam is momentarily overcome at one point. Reflecting on the orchestras evocative cradling of their songs, theres a hesitation, a tick at the back of the throat, remembering them."
Michael Dunford, componist en gitarist van de Britse band Renaissance, stierf op 20 november 2012 aan de gevolgen van een hersenbloeding. Hij was juist teruggekeerd van succesvolle tournee door de VS. Tevens waren de opnamen van een compleet nieuw album net afgerond. Renaissance ontstond al in 1969 uit de as van The Yardbirds, maar ontwikkelde zich pas echt tot een grote band vanaf 1971. Dunford was de belangrijkste componist. De kristalheldere stem van zangeres Annie Haslam en de statige, vaak orkestrale arrangementen zorgden voor een bijzondere symfonische rockklank. In de jaren tachtig viel de band uiteen, maar sinds het album "Tuscany" (2002) werken Haslam en Dunford weer samen, culminerend in een bijzondere tournee in 2011 tijdens welke de twee meest geliefde albums integraal werden gespeeld, waarbij het duo o.a. werd aangevuld met de talentvolle toetsenist Jason Hart (zie ook diens eigen band I And Thou). Wonderbaarlijk hoe engelachtig Haslam op haar 67-ste klonk! Majestueuze pracht, dames en heren!
"Finally some footage (all TV shows) from the first Renaissance era, even if this release only holds two tracks from the ex-Yardbirds line-up (Keith Relf and Jim McCarty plus John Hawken, Louis Cennamo and singer Jane Relf), the rest of the tracks being from the intermediary line-up that finished the group's second album "Illusion". The first 2 tracks were recorded in early 71 for a German TV show with the original line-up and are 2 of the stand out tracks from the debut. The band was disintegrating during the making of the second album, leading McCarthy to form a new group to finished it. Before the album's release, the group went for a Belgian TV special in October 70. The next 5 tracks are from that short-lived line-up. Actually two of the members are well-known to Renaissance fans, as keyboards-man John Tout and guitarist/future main writer Michael Dunford are both there, with Terry Grove on male vocals, bassist Neil Korner, drummer Terry Slade and American female singer Binky Cullom." (Progarchives)
Uit 1975, met 't 25 min. durende 'Song Of Scheherazade', waarin alle elementen die Renaissance's muziek kenmerken (episch, folky, sprookjesachtig, arty, orchestraal, de heldere maar ook melancholieke stem van Annie Haslam) de ruimte krijgen.
Een soort van 'greatest hits', maar dan live: de mega-composities 'Scheherazade' en 'Ashes Are Burning' vullen de 2de CD, op CD1 staan betoverende songs als 'Mother Russia' 'Running Hard' en 'Can You Understand'. Op een deel (o.a. tijdens "Scheherazade") wordt de groep bijgestaan door The New York Philharmonic.
"The music presented here by the much-loved Annie Haslam and crew is very much of a 'New-Wave' 80's creation, but in all fairness, the music is still firmly prog-rock (kind of on-par with Camel's 'Nude' album from the same time). The production is crisp, with the overall mix well balanced, with emphasis on Jon Camp's busy (and often complicated) bass-lines, the drumming is pretty good, the keyboards are quite dominant and well played and Michael Dunford plays more electric guitar this time around. The compositions themselves, in particular the longer tunes, maintain the quality of earlier material, maybe with harsher tones, complete with complex instrumental passages and tempo changes, and Annie in exceptionally fine form - stretching her vocal chords as far as they can go, whilst the remaining tracks could be considered prog-pop. A few are quite commercial but pleasant." (Tom Ozric, Progarchives)
Hun 5de album, uit 1974; het 3de met Annie Haslam. Sprookjesachtige symfonische folkrock (met de melancholie van bijv. Tim Buckley's 'Goodbye & Hello'), gedragen door de wonderschone, kraakheldere stem van Haslam, soms met orkestbegeleiding.
Hun vierde album uit 1973 (het tweede in deze bezetting, met Annie Haslam). Op deze kleedt men voor het eerst de gedragen, meeslepende folk-artrock aan met orkest, in epische nummers als 'Can You Understand' en 'Ashes Are Burning'.
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