A SYMPHONIC JOURNEY WITH RENAISSANCE
Listen to the Big Blend Radio interview with artist and vocalist Annie Haslam, leader of symphonic rock group Renaissance, who talks about their Fall 2017 “Symphonic Journey” tour in the US Northeast, as well as her vibrant art and music career.
Following their successful South American tour, Renaissance featuring Annie Haslam will be back in the US Northeast in October and November 2017 debuting their “Symphonic Journey” tour. This tour will include four very special concerts featuring a “10-piece Chamber Orchestra” (a handpicked assemblage of strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion); October 26th at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield CT, October 27th at the Keswick Theater in Glenside PA, Town Hall in New York City October 28th and The Egg in Albany NY on October 29th. These performances will be the first time in 40 years that Renaissance will perform on stage with a “live” orchestra and, in addition, 2017 marks the 48th year since the band’s formation and its ninth consecutive year of touring since their reactivation in 2009.
Plans are currently being made for the group to film the October 27th Keswick Theatre show for an upcoming DVD release, which will follow the success of their 2015 London Union Chapel DVD. Additional tour performances without the chamber orchestra are currently being scheduled. A crowd funding campaign has been started to raise the significant funds to produce the new live DVD. For more information: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/renaissance-chamber-orchestra-live-concert-dvd
Renaissance leader and vocalist, Annie Haslam remarks, “The band keeps getting stronger and stronger and the addition of the chamber orchestra will be the most exciting event for the band in years. This addition of ‘live’ orchestral musicians will add an incredible dynamic to our big numbers like ‘Mother Russia,’ ‘Carpet Of The Sun’ and ‘Song For All Seasons,’ all of which included an orchestra on the original recordings.”
Ms Haslam will be joined on stage by long time musical associate Rave Tesar on piano along with Tom Brislin on keyboards, Mark Lambert on guitars, Frank Pagano on drums and percussion, and Leo Traversa on bass.
Renaissance is a band with a rich history unique unto themselves as progressive rock pioneers who rose from the ashes of the seminal UK rock band, The Yardbirds. Acclaimed for their unique blending of progressive rock with classical and symphonic influences, the band’s career has spanned forty plus years spearheaded by the 5 octave voice of Annie Haslam and the masterful songwriting skills of Michael Dunford. They are widely considered to be the band that most successfully and routinely utilized the sound of a full orchestra in their recordings.
The band has toured throughout the world and has performed at Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and additionally at the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Royal Chorale Society. Renaissance had a top ten hit in the UK with their song Northern Lights that still demands airplay to this day.
See www.RenaissanceTouring.com and www.AnnieHaslam.com.