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| label = {{hlist|[[Island Records|Island]]|[[Sire Records|Sire]] (US)|[[Warner Records|Warner Bros.]]|[[Elektra Records|Elektra]] (US)|BTM Records|[[I.R.S. Records|I.R.S.]]|[[Giant Electric Pea]]|[[Illegal Records]]|[[Repertoire Records]]|HTD Records|Friday Music}}
| associated_acts = {{unbulleted list|[[The Yardbirds]]|[[The Nashville Teens]]|[[Illusion (band)|Illusion]]|[[Nevada (UK band)|Nevada]]|[[I and Thou (band)|I and Thou]]|Renaissant}}
| website = [https://www.renaissancetouring.com Official
| current_members = {{unbulleted list|[[Annie Haslam]]|Rave Tesar|Mark Lambert|Frank Pagano|Leo Traversa|Geoffrey Langley}}
| past_members =
}}
'''Renaissance''' are an English [[progressive rock]] band, best known for their 1978 UK top 10 hit "[[Northern Lights (Renaissance song)|Northern Lights]]" and progressive rock classics like "Carpet of the Sun", "[[Mother Russia (Renaissance song)|Mother Russia]]", and "Ashes Are Burning". They developed a unique sound, combining a female [[Lead vocalist|lead vocal]] with a fusion of [[classical music|classical]], [[folk music|folk]], [[rock music|rock]], and [[jazz]] influences.<ref name="Snider"/> Characteristic elements of the Renaissance sound are [[Annie Haslam]]'s wide vocal range, prominent [[piano]] accompaniment, [[orchestration|orchestral arrangements]] and [[vocal harmonies]].
The band was founded by vocalist [[Keith Relf]] and drummer [[Jim McCarty]], formerly of [[the Yardbirds]]; along with [[John Hawken]], [[Louis Cennamo]] and Relf's sister [[Jane Relf|Jane]]. They intended to put "something together with more of a classical influence".<ref name="rom130-133">{{cite book|author=Romano, Will|year=2010|title=Mountains Come Out of the Sky: An Illustrated History of Prog Rock|edition=1st|location=Montclair, NJ|publisher=Blackbeat Books|pages=130–133|isbn=978-0-87930-991-6}}</ref> Renaissance released their [[Renaissance (Renaissance album)|self-titled debut album]] in 1969, but fell apart during the sessions for their follow-up, ''[[Illusion (Renaissance album)|Illusion]]'' (1971). New musicians were brought in to complete the record, and Renaissance was kept active through a period of fluctuating personnel until none of the original lineup remained, although McCarty continued providing compositions for the band to record for several more years. By 1972, a stable lineup consisting of [[Annie Haslam]], [[Michael Dunford (musician)|Michael Dunford]], John Tout, Jon Camp, and Terry Sullivan solidified. Aside from McCarty, they were assisted with lyrics on many songs from [[Cornish people|Cornish]] poet [[Betty Thatcher|Betty Thatcher-Newsinger]]. From 1972 to 1979 Renaissance released seven studio albums, toured extensively, and sold out three nights in a row at [[Carnegie Hall]] with Tony Cox conducting the [[New York Philharmonic]].<ref name="Snider">{{cite book|author=Snider, Charles|year=2007|title=The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock|edition=1st|location=Chicago|publisher=Strawberry Bricks|page=233|isbn=978-0-615-17566-9}}</ref> The band's success was largely concentrated in the [[United States]], where they built a [[cult following]].
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In January 1969, Relf and McCarty organized a new group devoted to experimentation with rock, folk, and classical forms. In his book ''Mountains Come Out of the Sky: An Illustrated History of Prog Rock'', Will Romano quoted McCarty: "Toward the end of the Yardbirds we wanted to do something a bit more poetic, if you like, not so heavy. A bit more folky... We had had enough of heavy rock."<ref name="rom130-133"/> This quintet—Relf on guitar and vocals, McCarty on drums and vocals, plus bassist [[Louis Cennamo]], pianist [[John Hawken]], and [[Jane Relf|Relf's sister Jane]] as an additional vocalist—released a pair of albums on [[Elektra Records|Elektra]] (US) and [[Island Records|Island]] (UK-ILPS 9114), the first one, titled simply ''[[Renaissance (Renaissance album)|Renaissance]]'' (1969), being produced by fellow ex-Yardbird [[Paul Samwell-Smith]].<ref name="ElliotR">{{cite web|url=https://www.nlightsweb.com/lib/renhist.htm|title=The History of Renaissance|publisher=www.nlightsweb.com|access-date=29 April 2009|last=Elliott|first=Russell W.}}</ref>
The band had begun performing in May 1969, before recording had commenced for the debut LP, mostly in the UK, but with occasional forays abroad, including festivals in [[Belgium]] (Amougies, October 1969) and [[France]] (Operation 666 at the Olympia in January 1970, and [[Le Bourget]] in March 1970, both in [[Paris]]). In February 1970, they embarked on a North American tour, but that month-long trek proved only marginally successful. Because of their Yardbirds credentials, they found themselves paired with bands such as [[the Kinks]] and their new classically
Beginning in the late spring of 1970 as touring began to grind on them, the original band gradually dissolved. Keith Relf and McCarty decided to quit performing, and Cennamo joined [[Colosseum (band)|Colosseum]].<ref name="rom130-133"/> Hawken organized a new line-up to fulfill contractual obligations to Island Records and complete the band's second album, ''[[Illusion (Renaissance album)|Illusion]]'' (1971) which had been left unfinished.
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==Second incarnation (1971–1980)==
Sometime in 1971, new manager [[Miles Copeland III]] decided to re-organize the band, focusing on what he felt were Renaissance's strong points – Haslam's voice and Tout's piano. Will Romano in ''Mountains Come Out of the Sky'' explained that "unlike many of the artists to which they were compared Renaissance allowed the piano and female voice to come to the forefront".<ref name="rom130-133"/> Until then Haslam had shared vocals with Terry Crowe, who was in effect the band's chief vocalist. Crowe and Korner went, the former not replaced, the latter replaced by a succession of bass players, including [[John Wetton]] (later of [[King Crimson]], [[U.K. (band)|U.K.]], and [[Asia (band)|Asia]]), [[Frank Farrell (musician)|Frank Farrell]] (formerly of [[Supertramp]]) and [[Danny McCulloch]] (formerly of [[the Animals]] and a former bandmate of Dunford and Crowe in the Plebs), until the position settled with the inclusion of Jon Camp. It was also decided that Dunford would now concentrate on composing, and a new guitar player, Mick Parsons, was brought in for live work. In 1972, shortly before recording sessions for the new band's debut LP, drummer Terence Sullivan joined after Slade's initial replacement, Ginger Dixon,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://renaissance-fanfare.net/forum/topics/jon-camp-interview-2012|title=Jon Camp Interview 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705181215/https://renaissance-fanfare.net/forum/topics/jon-camp-interview-2012|archive-date=2022-07-05|access-date=
''[[Prologue (Renaissance album)|Prologue]]'' was released later in 1972 on [[EMI Records|EMI-Sovereign Records]] in the UK and on [[Capitol Records|Capitol]]-Sovereign in North America. ''Prologue'''s music was, except for two songs by McCarty, composed by Dunford, with all lyrics by Thatcher-Newsinger. Rock radio stations (particularly in the northeast US and [[Cleveland]]) gave the song "Spare Some Love" significant airplay for a few months after the album's release, and fans of [[Yes (band)|Yes]] and [[Emerson, Lake & Palmer]] in particular, took notice of the band. [[Francis Monkman]], of the group [[Curved Air]] (another group managed by Copeland), was a guest on [[EMS VCS 3|VCS3]] synthesizer on the final track "Rajah Khan".<ref name="Snider"/>
Hendry left{{refn|group=nb|In 1974, after leaving Renaissance, Hendry briefly joined The Nashville Teens, which four other Renaissance members had previously belonged to. See [[The_Nashville_Teens#Former_members|The Nashville Teens - Former members]].}} and was replaced for the ''Prologue'' tour by Peter Finberg, but Finberg was already committed to another band and so could not be a permanent replacement.<ref name=Cherry2019/> This left Camp to play most of the guitar on their next album, ''[[Ashes are Burning]]'', released in 1973. Though the band were trying to transition to a more acoustic sound, [[Andy Powell]], of the group [[Wishbone Ash]] (yet another group managed by Copeland), was brought in for an electric guitar solo on the final track "Ashes are Burning",<ref name=Cherry2019/> which became the band's anthem piece, often extended in live performances to over twenty minutes with a long bass solo and other instrumental workouts. The album became the band's first to chart in the US, where it reached No. 171 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]].<ref name="jwchart">{{cite book|author=Whitburn, Joel|year=1996|title=Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums, 1955–1996|location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin|publisher=Record Research Inc|page=649|isbn=0-89820-117-9}}</ref> Shortly after the album's release, Michael Dunford returned as (acoustic) guitarist, completing what most fans regard as the classic five-piece line-up, which would remain together through five studio albums. The band played their first US concerts during this period,<ref name=Cherry2019/> enjoying success on the [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]] in particular, which soon resulted in a special orchestral concert at New York's [[Academy of Music (New York City)|Academy of Music]] in May 1974. Soon Renaissance would choose to concentrate on the US market, as the UK press virtually ignored them.
===Joining BTM label===
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''Live at Carnegie Hall'''s follow-up, ''[[Novella (Renaissance album)|Novella]]'', saw more chart success in the US, peaking at No. 46 in 1977,<ref name="jwchart" /> although its UK release was delayed by yet another label change. Will Romano in ''Mountains Come Out of the Sky'' describes the band: "Renaissance was at an all-time popularity high, finding themselves playing to sold-out audiences ... in the U.S., particularly in the northeastern part of the country, in Pennsylvania and New York."<ref name="rom130-133"/>
[[File:Renaissance
===UK hit single===
Although commercial success was limited during this period, Renaissance scored a hit [[single (music)|single]] in Britain with "[[Northern Lights (Renaissance song)|Northern Lights]]", which reached No. 10 during the summer of 1978. The single was taken from the album ''[[A Song for All Seasons]]'' (a No. 58 album in the US),<ref name="jwchart" /> and received significant airplay in the US on both [[Album-oriented rock|AOR]] and on radio stations adapting to a new format known as "soft rock", now known as [[adult contemporary]]. The band performed on a modestly successful tour of the US east of the Mississippi and drew significant crowds in [[State College, Pennsylvania|State College]], [[Pennsylvania]] and [[Cleveland]] in May and June 1979, promoting both ''A Song for All Seasons'' and a mix of old and new tracks. Additionally, the band gained exposure via US television; performing "Carpet of the Sun" in 1977 on [[The Midnight Special (TV series)|''The Midnight Special'']], and appearing as guests on the May 4, 1978, edition of the ''[[Mike Douglas Show]]'', where they played "[[Northern Lights (Renaissance song)|Northern Lights]]".
Renaissance floundered following 1979's ''[[Azure d'Or]]'', as many fans could not relate to a largely [[synthesizer]]-oriented sound.<ref>{{cite web|author=Eder, Bruce|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/azure-dor-mw0000195099|title=Renaissance – ''Azure D'or'' (1979): Review|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|accessdate=26 January 2014}}</ref> As a result, the band's fan base began to lose interest and the album only reached No. 125.<ref name="jwchart" /> Dunford and Camp assumed most of the band's songwriting.
In the 1970s, Renaissance defined their work with [[folk rock]] and classical fusions. Their songs include quotations from and [[allusion]]s to such composers as [[Jehan Alain]], [[Johann Sebastian Bach]], [[Frédéric Chopin]], [[Claude Debussy]], [[Remo Giazotto]], [[Maurice Jarre]], [[Sergei Rachmaninoff]], [[Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov]], [[Sergei Prokofiev]] and [[Dmitri Shostakovich]]. Renaissance records, especially ''Ashes Are Burning'', were frequently played on American progressive rock radio stations such as [[WDCH-FM|WNEW-FM]], [[WHFS (historic)|WHFS-FM]], [[WMMR|WMMR-FM]], [[WUML|WJUL-FM]], [[KSHE 95]] and [[WVBR]].
===Critical
Reviewers were deeply divided in their reactions to the "classic" period of Renaissance, and their style of music. Some critics saw little value in their music, like Wayne King's entry in ''The New Rolling Stone Record Guide'' describing the period 1974 to 1983: "Their inability to compose songs that would allow for any fluidity or improvisation meant that Renaissance's appeal, nonexistent in their native England and cultish at best in America, declined ... and the remainder of the Sire material matches this commercial decline with an artistic one. The comeback attempt on IRS ... was a ludicrous failure."<ref name="RollSt" />
Progressive rock reviewers were much more supportive, such as Charles Snider in ''The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock'' evaluating the album ''Scheherazade and Other Stories'', who describes:
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[[Betty Thatcher]] (born 16 February 1944), the band's non-performing lyricist who wrote most of the lyrics for the band (mostly for the second 'classic' lineup, but starting with the original Relf-led version), died on 15 August 2011.
On 20 November 2012, Michael Dunford (born 8 July 1944) died from a [[cerebral hemorrhage]] at his home in [[Surrey, England]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Eder, Bruce|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/michael-dunfords-renaissance-mn0000460958/biography|title=Michael Dunford's Renaissance biography|publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=6 September 2014}}</ref> A few weeks later, Haslam stated that the band would continue touring in the future,<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Hughes, Rob|date=April 2013|title=I and Thou|magazine=PROG magazine|issue=35|page=27}}</ref> despite losing "her guiding light".<ref name="HaslamFB">{{Cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/AnnieHaslamArt |title=Annie Haslam: Artist |last= Haslam |first= Annie |date=5 December 2012 |website=[[Facebook]] |access-date= 22 December 2012}}</ref> In February 2013, it was announced that Ryche Chlanda would be the guitarist on their 2013 tour
John Tout died of lung failure on 1 May 2015 at the [[Royal Free Hospital]] in [[Hampstead]], London.<ref name="Tout" >{{cite web|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/john-tout-dies |title=Renaissance Keyboardist John Tout Dies|last=Giles |first=Jeff |date=6 May 2015 |website=Ultimateclassicrock.com|access-date=13 May 2015 }}</ref>
==''Symphony of Light''==
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===Studio albums===
{| class="wikitable"
! width="25" rowspan="2" | Year
! width="270" rowspan="2" | Title
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===Live albums===
{| class="wikitable"
! width="25" rowspan="2" | Year
! width="270" rowspan="2" | Title
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* ''Live at the Royal Albert Hall: King Biscuit Flower Hour'', 1997 (live performance recorded 1977; two volumes)
* ''Songs from Renaissance Days'', 1997 (compilation of [[out-take]]s, including one [[B-side]] and two Haslam solo tracks, 1979–88)
* ''The BBC Sessions 1975–1978'', 1999
* ''Day of the Dreamer'', 2000 (live performance recorded 1978)
* ''Live at the Academy of Music, Philadelphia'', 2000 (live performance recorded 1985){{refn|group=nb|The title of this CD is not given consistently in the CD package. The title listed here is the one given on the spine of the CD package. However, the text on the front cover and physical CD reads: ''"Unplugged" "Live" at the Academy of Music, Philadelphia USA''.}}
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* ''Dreams & Omens'', 2008 (live performance recorded 1978)
* ''Live in Chicago'', 2010 (live performance recorded 1983)
* ''The Mystic and the Muse'' (
* ''Past Orbits of Dust'', 2012 (live performances, plus one remastered studio track, from 1969 to 1970)
* ''Symphony of Light'', 2014 (includes all songs from ''Grandine il vento'' and ''The Mystic and the Muse'' plus one new track)
* ''DeLane Lea Studios 1973'', 2015 (live performance recorded 1973)
* ''Academy of Music'', 2015 (live performance recorded 1974)
* ''Can You Hear Me? Broadcasts 1974-1978'', 2024 (2 CDs, 1 Blu-ray)
===Singles===
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|-
| rowspan="1"| 1978
| "[[Northern Lights (Renaissance song)|Northern Lights]]"
| align=center | 10
|
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* "Ashes Are Burning" on the [[Faith & Disease]] albums ''Fortune His Sleep'' (1995) and ''Livesongs: Third Body'' (1996).
* "Ocean Gypsy" on the [[Blackmore's Night]] album ''[[Shadow of the Moon]]'' (1997 – a ballad version).
==References==▼
==Notes==
{{reflist
▲==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
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[[Category:British musical sextets]]
[[Category:Mixed-gender bands]]
[[Category:1969 establishments in England]]
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