Over the last few years, Cherry Red Records’ Esoteric arm has delivered deluxe editions of many classic Renaissance albums.  The imprint recently turned the spotlight on the band’s more recent work on-stage with Tour 2011: Live in Concert, a deluxe 2-CD/DVD set.

The legendary band gained acclaim in the ’70s for their string of prog gems, including Prologue (1971), Ashes Are Burning (1973), Turn of the Cards (1974), Scheherazade and Other Stories (1975), and Novella (1977).  The classic line-up of Annie Haslam (vocals), Michael Dunford (guitar and vocals), Jon Camp (bass and vocals), John Tout (keyboards), and Terry Sullivan (drums) eventually fractured in the ’80s and the band entered a hiatus that was interrupted only briefly in 2000 by the Tuscany album, which saw the classic lineup reunite for two tracks.

After another break of seven years, Haslam and Dunford sought to “breathe life back into Renaissance” by hitting the road.  By 2011, the new Renaissance included Haslam and Dunford, plus David J. Keyes on bass, Frank Pagano on drums, Jason Hart on keyboards, and Rave Tesar on piano and keyboards.  The band had hit the road performing Turn of the Cards and Scheherazade and Other Stories in their entirety to audiences across the US.  Tour 2011: Live in Concert documents their stop in Keswick, PA at The Keswick Theatre on September 23.

Tour 2011 originally saw limited release that year on the band’s Symphonic Rock Recordings and was originally only available through the Renaissance website.  After many years out-of-print, Tour 2011 is now finally available to a wider audience. This time, it’s presented not in a DVD case, but in a deluxe, eight-panel digipak featuring photos of the band and an illustrated, annotated 16-page booklet full of photos and notes from Annie Haslam and Michael Dunford (replicated from the original edition).

CD One of Tour 2011 is devoted to the band’s performance of Turn of the Cards, which made up the first act of the concert.  After a brief intermission, the band returned to play Scheherazade and Other Stories  and an encore of “The Mystic and The Muse,” as heard on CD Two.  The DVD includes the full, nearly two-hours-long performance from The Keswick, plus a bonus interview with Haslam and Dunford and backstage footage.

The performances on the DVD are presented in stereo, as on the original issue, and there are no indications of the material having been remixed, remastered, or re-edited.

The band’s powerful and marvelously replicated takes on their classic albums prove that neither the fire nor the magic had left Renaissance.  However, Tour 2011: Live in Concert was the band’s final release to feature Michael Dunford, who passed away in November 2012.  As such, the deluxe 2-CD/DVD set not only serves as a document of an excellent performance, but as a tribute to Dunford’s indelible mark on Renaissance’s music.

Tour 2011: Live in Concert is available now form Cherry Red/Esoteric. You can purchase your copy from the links below!

Renaissance, Tour 2011: Live in Concert (originally released as Symphonic Rock Recordings set SRR 000-01, 2011 – reissued Cherry Red/Esoteric, 2019) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

DISC ONE: CD

ACT ONE: “TURN OF THE CARDS”

1. RUNNING HARD
2. I THINK OF YOU
3. THINGS I DON’T UNDERSTAND
4. BLACK FLAME
5. COLD IS BEING
6. MOTHER RUSSIA

DISC TWO: CD

ACT TWO: “SCHEHERAZADE AND OTHER STORIES”

1. TRIP TO THE FAIR
2. VULTURES FLY HIGH
3. OCEAN GYPSY
4. SONG OF SCHEHERAZADE
5. THE MYSTIC AND THE MUSE

DISC THREE: DVD

1. RUNNING HARD
2. I THINK OF YOU
3. THINGS I DON’T UNDERSTAND
4. BLACK FLAME
5. COLD IS BEING
6. MOTHER RUSSIA
7. TRIP TO THE FAIR
8. VULTURES FLY HIGH
9. OCEAN GYPSY
10. SONG OF SCHEHERAZADE
11. THE MYSTIC AND THE MUSE