Renaissance Tickets

Slow beginning by Annie on the opening few songs. Each one got better than the other and by the time Mother Russia came along, she was hitting all the notes. First time I saw them they didn't play Ashes are Burning

An amazing voice in her time, its also amazing now - painfully so.

You might wonder how Annie Haslam would sound after all these years and being in her sixties. Let me tell you, if you closed your eyes you would think you were back in the seventies. she was brilliant along with all the great musicians in the band. Mother Russia got a standing ovation and that was the last song of the first set. Annie seemed surprised. All in all a splendid evening...

Was a little disappointed with the Renaissance concert at the Keswick. They did not perform well. Saw them two years ago at the Keswick and they were awesome! Most of the songs sounded like another band playing Renaissance music. The last song, Scheherazade was by far their best of the night. Hopefully they'll do better next time. They encored with The Mystic And The Muse. They should have ended th show on a high note with a fan favorite song, not one from their latest release.

Very well done, great vocal performances by the entire band, great musical craftsmanship.

great show with many of my favorite songs. i liked the fact they also talked to the audience which made it seem more personal

I think Annie Haslam and Michael Dunsford were the only original members from Renaissance but the band was fantastic. The sound was so big and wonderful...the playing and Annie's singing was exquisite. I only wish I could have stayed for the encore. I would have loved to hear Carpet of the Sun!

Whle it was a pleasant evening listening to two classic album's worth of music by the (mostly) reunited Renaissance, it really is about time for Annie and Michael to hang it up. Great idea to play two albums in their entirety, and the venue was a wonderful place to hear it, but there really is little more to add to the Renaissance repetoire that hasn't been done better before. I'm not really complaining. Being old enough to recall seeing Renaissance numerous times in the mid to late 70s, I have fond and foggy memories of those heydays. But something was lacking... I guess it's unfair to compare but how can we not do that when most in the crowd were of the age to have heard the songs when originally performed? You can call it a warm fuzzy nostalgic night but I came away wondering why we all bothered. First, the sound was nowhere as dynamic as I recall for their early live shows. Maybe some of that has to do with Jon Camp's playing. He is missed. But overall there was no "big" sound and sonic wash of music that makes the softer interludes so special and dynamic. I have many exquisite memories of the wondrous performances of their classic songs, where I was entranced by the dynamics between the orchestral feel of the synth/bass and the achingly beautiful acoustic guitar and Annie's vocals. Unfortunately, this performance made it all more intimate and less majestic. Michael Dunford's playing was pretty as always, and Annie still has a wondrous voice. But there were times that it felt like they were going through the motions. The peaks were dulled. The pace was slowed. There was little magic (apart from the splendid and faithful renditions of Ocean Gypsy and Mother Russia). The anticlimactic encore of a newer piece left us wishing for something more, something more special. It was nice to hear the music and to be there for a nice performance, but I cannot say it would draw me back for future performances. Still, I would recommend it to those who adore Annie and the music of Renaissance. Just don't expect it to be magical.

Love Annie Haslam's voice and the songs are great. Took a friend along to the gig and she brought her sister. Fantastic show.

Renaissance performed Turn Of The Cards and Scheherazade in their entirety. Although my favorite Renaissance album is Ashes Are Burning, Turn Of The Cards and Scheherazade are both outstanding. It was a real treat to hear the story of Scheherazade. Annie proved that she can still awe with those high notes. The only disappointment was not realizing that Renaissance was going to do a meet and greet after the show. If I had known, I would have brought my copy of Scheherazade to get signed.

I have seen this group more than any other single group and they are still as amazing as they were 35 years ago. Annie has an incredible voice that seems to just keep going. Keswick Theater is one great venue, not a bad seat in the house.

What a pleasure to see Annie Halsam and Michael Dunford together again performing some of the most beautiful music ever written! The last two minutes of Things I Don't Understand still brings tears to my eyes and Mother Russia brought everyone to their feet. The Songs of Scheherazade is surely their best work--quite possibly the best album side ever made! Worth traveling for, try to catch one of their performances live! Just incredible!

Annie's voice has lost alot of steam. Most obvious during Running Hard. Good song selection but should have ended with a familiar song. Band sounded good.

Such a great venue for a concert, have been to the Keswick dozens of times and always a memorable experience, sound is great, performers have been wonderful....Renaissance was in great form, Annie Haslem's voice is still amazing, played entire albums, over 2 hours of music!

I enjoyed the first 40 minutes or so, but then it was too much of the same. The lyrics of some of the songs were inane (I went to the fair....and no one was there) or extremely repetetive (sheherezade....times 20). The music itself did not appeal to the emotions - the last song, the encore, was from their new album and was some sort of gothic mish mash that did not make sense neither from a lyrical nor a musical point of view.

This was a great show. Annie Haslam's voice is as good as it was in the seventies.

Prior to Renaissance's Keswick performance on Sept. 23, I hadn't seen Annie Haslam on stage in 7 years. The last time I saw her live, her voice was excellent but the materiaI and arrangements weren't to my liking. Therefore I was a little hesitant and apprehensive about attending this show. Although the band is called "Renaissance", only Annie and Mickey Dunford remain from the original band. Certainly John Tout and Jon Camp were a huge part of the writing, arranging and performances of the original ensemble. I also wondered how seven more years had affecterd Annies vocal skills (she is now somewhere in her early 60's). So I took a chance, forked over the money, and was pleasantly surprised at how well Annie's voice has held up and at the overall precise and spot-on performance by the entire band. They played the complete "Turn of the Cards" album in the first set, followed by the complete "Scheherezade" lp in the second set, plus an Annie Haslam original, "The Mystic and the Muse" as an encore. Annie's voice is not quite as strong as it used to be, but she could still hit and sustain the high notes well. Listening to this ensemble was as good as listening to the original albums. Annie's long-time keyboardist and arranger, Rave Tessar, kept the band on-track and followed the original arrangements almost letter perfect. This was not a concert for someone who wants to hear improvisational pyro-techniques: it's not jazz! The other keyboardist (I forget his name but he's a younger musician) played most of the orchestral backgrounds and fills, plus other keyboard moments such as the celeste solo in "Trip to the Fair" and heavy organ accompaniment on "Cold is Being". If you weren't watching him, you would swear that most of these parts were being played by an orchestra, not an electronic/computerized keyboard. Overall, an excellent performance. If you're a Renaissance fan, this is highly recommended. Nothing new, but it's great to see and hear these two classic albums performed live almost to perfection. If you're looking for something different from Annie Haslam, this isn't the tour for you.

They've still got it. Can't wait until next year! -- an old Renaissance fan

This performance by Renaissance was outstanding. The sound mix was amazing, with every square inch of the theatre being a perfect spot to hear any and every note played and sung. Timeless and ageless grace, wonderful instrumental breaks and of course one of the finest voices ever to surface in the history of music. Every song really took me back (as Annie stated to the crowd at one point)... This was a highlight of my year, seeing them again, still so emotive and in tune with the audience...

Renaissance is playing two of their best albums from start to finish on this tour: Turn of the Cards and Scheherazade and other Stories. One of the best rock trivia questions is to name the two groups that rose from the ashes of the Yardbirds. Everyone knows about Led Zeppelin, one of my favorite bands. Renaissance (and progressive rock in general) isn't given the credit that is due. In 2011 Robert Plant's voice is shot and he is backed by an incompetent band. Meanwhile, Annie Haslam maintains the voice of an angel. I have previously seen her backed by a keyboardist. She sounds even better backed by a full band.