NEWTON — English symphonic rock band Renaissance will bring their sound to the Newton Theatre on Sunday, April 21, where they will perform two of their albums in their entirety, Turn of the Cards and Scheherazade and Other Stories.
Renaissance came about out of the seminal UK rock group, the Yardbirds, with vocalist Annie Haslam and principal songwriter and guitarist Michael Dunford joining at the dawn of the 1970's to define their work with folk rock and classical fusions. Including quotations from and allusions to, such composers as Bach, Chopin, Debussy and Rachmaninoff, the band had their first Top Ten UK hit with Northern Lights in 1978 as well as creating progressive rock classics Mother Russia and Ashes Are Burning.
After extensively touring and popularity in the UK, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, France, Belgium, Portugal and Israel, rock stations in the U.S. began playing their music.
The band has played on stages, from Carnegie Hall in New York City with The New York Philharmonic Orchestra, to the Royal Albert Hall in London with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
They have recorded 15 albums in total. Despite explorations into solo careers and changes in the line-up Haslam and Dunford remained the creative core of Renaissance. In November of 2012, composer and guitarist Michael Dunford passed away from an instantaneous cerebral hemorrhage.
The current line-up, joining Annie Haslam, includes keyboardist Rave Tesar and bassist/vocalist David J. Keyes, both of whom were previous members of Renaissance and the Annie Haslam Band. Also in the band are drummer/percussionist/vocalist Frank Pagano (Bruce Springsteen, Smashing Pumpkins, Bette Midler, Barry Manilow), and Jason Hart (Rufus Wainwright, Duncan Sheik, Suzanne Vega). Renaissance recently hired a guitarist/vocalist from New Jersey, named Ryche Chlanda, whom the band feels will be the right one to carry on with Michael’s legacy.
Tickets for Renaissance are $59 for premium seating, $49 for orchestra and $39 for balcony and are on sale at thenewtontheatre.com or call the box office at 973-383-3700. Newton Theatre is located at 234 Spring Street in Newton.