“There’s no doubt that this is a fresh and enjoyable “return to form” […] and should be an essential purchase for Renaissance lovers.”

http://www.dprp.net/reviews/201438.php#renaissance

Renaissance have secured a distribution deal with Red River Entertainment, which now allows the new music of Renaissance to be heard worldwide. Grandine il Vento has been re-named Symphony of Light  with three additional bonus tracks, ‘Immortal Beloved’, ‘Tonight’, and ‘Renaissance Man’, a song specially written by Annie Haslam and Rave Tesar in honor of the late Michael Dunford. The album has new artwork and design and the release date by Red River Entertainment is April 15th 2014.

For the first time, the album and the new tracks will also be available for purchase and download in the iTunes music store.

Before release, the CD can be purchased at Renaissance April shows including Cruise to the Edge.

Symphony of Light  is a testament to the unforgettable melodies and love that Michael Dunford infused into his work. Michael died prematurely in 2012 after this album was finished. The album starts off with powerful lyrics by Annie Haslam in the title track about the life of Leonardo da Vinci followed by Waterfall, a song written about the rainforests in Brazil. All the songs bathe the listener in flavors from far off countries, with lush orchestral arrangements and unusual lyrical content, with guest performances from Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) and John Wetton (Asia).

Renaissance is:

Annie Haslam lead vocals, Rave Tesar keyboards, David J Keyes bass guitar, Jason Hart keyboards, Frank Pagano drums, Ryche Chlanda acoustic guitars

TRACK LISTING

1. Symphony of Light

2. Waterfall

3. Grandine il Vento

4. Porcelain

5. Cry to The World

6. Air of Drama

7. Blood Silver Like Moonlight

8. The Mystic and The Muse

9. Tonight

10. Immortal Beloved

11. Renaissance Man

Annie Haslam returns to the Sellersville Theater in Sellersville, PA for two Holiday concerts on December 21 and 22 2013.

Performing with Annie will be Rave Tesar, David J. Keyes, Charles Descarfino and Ryche Chlanda.

Opening the show will be gifted singer/songwriter Garrett Gardner who was on season 4 of The Voice.

Review at Musical Discoveries by Russ Elliot:

“As Northern Lights co-editor-in-chief, it’s difficult to pen anything other than a biased review of a Renaissance recording. […] Musically, listeners will find a range of recorded material with sounds that span the band’s history extending the sound into more mature almost-operatic pieces like the title track. Listners will find classic progressive rock Renaissance, entries from Dunford’s musical and musings from Haslam’s solo career. […] The treasure of Grandine il Vento is actually its diversity, and diversity is after all the central theme of progressive rock.”

http://www.musicaldiscoveries.com/digest/digest.php?a=viewr&id=1056

Debbi Calton of WMGK Philadelphia interviewed Annie Haslam last week – listen here

Review at examiner.com by Ray Shasho:

“After listening to Grandine il Vento, I thoroughly enjoyed the all-encompassing musical arrangements and was overwhelmed by the commanding classical orchestrations. Haslam’s vocalizations were majestic and the duets were poetic … I gave Grandine il Vento (5) Stars.”

http://www.examiner.com/review/renaissance-grandine-il-vento-album-review-fantastico

Grandine il Vento is available for purchase in CD and digital formats.

Renaissance are proud to announce that their new studio album Grandine il Vento is available for purchase with worldwide delivery as of June 1st  2013:

• Compact Disc in deluxe digipack with 8-page booklet on Amazon.com (shipping worldwide on June 1**)
• Digital download with PDF booklet
• Compact Disc autographed by Annie Haslam (ships worldwide, available now)

Our first studio album in thirteen years, Grandine il Vento marks a bittersweet career landmark: on November 20, 2012, we suffered a great loss in the passing of our beloved friend, composer, and guitarist Michael Dunford. Grandine il Vento was to become his swan song.

You can hear samples of the music on the digital album page (three complete tracks) or this four-song sampler medley.

We hope you will share and introduce Grandine il Vento to family and friends. Purchases will not only help keep our music alive, but will also assist Michael’s widow Clare to raise sons William and Oliver.

Most sincerely,

Annie and the boys

** The album will be available to fans in Japan through the Marquee label

Vocalist Annie Haslam describes the tracks:

Symphony of Light
A tribute to the genius Leonardo Da Vinci.

Waterfall
About the rainforests in Brazil… I have been there many times and love it!

Grandine il Vento
A love song that transcends life itself.

Porcelain
About an African village and the people who live there.

Cry to the World
Our ‘World Song’ in honour of Mother Earth and all who are part of her.

Air of Drama
A love song about two people who come together again later in their lives in Paris, where they had first met.

Blood Silver Like Moonlight
This is a duet with John Wetton. He has been a friend for many years and I always felt our voices were similar in their timbre and range. I was told once by a ‘spiritual’ energy friend that John and I sang in the Angels choir together. That is what this song is about. Remembering the choir!

The Mystic and The Muse
I was inspired to write this by two of my paintings The Mystic and The Muse. Although it is a fantasy in a way, I see Michael as The Muse and me as The Mystic.

John Wetton (Asia, King Crimson, UK, Uriah Heep) appears as guest vocalist on the new Renaissance album Grandine il Vento, performing a duet with vocalist Annie Haslam accompanied by only the grand piano of keyboardist Rave Tesar.

Although Annie Haslam and John Wetton are life-long friends and musical collaborators, it is not widely known that John Wetton was a touring member of Renaissance briefly in 1971. With this guest vocal appearance, he has finally recorded with the band as well.

Grandine il Vento will be available in April.

Hear a sample of the track Blood Silver Like Moonlight  below:

Dear Renaissance family

The sad circumstances of losing Michael that befell us all recently, will always bring tears to my eyes, but the joy he brought to so many through his music will live on through all eternity. Your notes and posts over the past few months have meant so much to Clare Dunford and the boys. Your wonderful outpouring of love and admiration for Michael has helped them through these roughest of times. Clare and I discussed the quest to find a guitarist that would be worthy Michael’s blessing, and she too feels that Ryche Chlanda is the right one to carry on with Michael’s legacy.

Clare asked that we share the following letter with you: