Ever since Cherry Red acquired the catalogue of RENAISSANCE, there’s been anticipation for the label to pick up where they left off with "Illusion" and move on to expanded editions of the band’s albums with Annie Haslam at the front. It looks like this will have to wait for the time being, because – following up on the success of the "Live At The Union Chapel" DVD from 2016 – the ensemble will issue a new concert document. Scheduled for release on Esoteric Recordings on September 14th, “A Symphonic Journey” – was preserved for posterity in “Keswick Theater” in Glenside, Pennsylvania on October 27th, 2017 at one of the four shows played with a specially created RENAISSANCE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA featuring, among others, Joe Deninzon of STRATOSPHEERIUS on violin. Spread across two CDs and accompanied by a DVD with the same tracklist, the set includes not only regular epics such as “Mother Russia” and “Carpet Of The Sun” but also rarities: “Kalynda” from 1979’s “Azure d’Or” which the band never seemed to perform on-stage back then, and “Island” from their debut that had been laid down before Annie joined the RENAISSANCE ranks.
Housed in Haslam-painted cover, the set has previously been available to those who pledged for it, yet now there’s a well-deserved mass release, with a running order looking like this (read the review):
A Symphonic Journey
1. Prologue
2. Trip To The Fair
3. Carpet Of The Sun
4. At The Harbour
5. Grandine il Vento
6. Symphony Of Light
7. Kalynda
8. Island
9. Mother Russia
10. Song For All Seasons
11. Ashes Are Burning
