Symphony of Light

Album: Symphony of Light (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Renaissance lead singer Annie Haslam is an accomplished painter, and often feels that she is channeling Leonardo da Vinci and Vincent van Gogh in her work.

    Da Vinci was the inspiration for this song, as Annie thought about the last few years of his life, where Leonardo lived at the Chateau of Cloux in France in service to the king. "It was like he was in my head," Annie told us. "I could see him going to the window and opening up these curtains and connecting with the light. I was so excited about it."
  • Michael Dunford, who was the longtime guitarist for Renaissance, wrote the music for this song. It was one of his last works, as Dunford died on November 20, 2012 before the album was released. In 2014, the album was reissued with three bonus track, one of which was written in honor of Dunford called "Renaissance Man."

    Annie Haslam draws parallels between Dunford and Da Vinci, as they were both exceptionally creative and giving. Da Vinci was known as "The Renaissance Man," and that title was also fitting for Dunford. The songs bookend the album, with "Symphony of Light" the opening track and "Renaissance Man" closing it.
  • Annie Haslam had a hard time convincing Michael Dunford to release a song about Leonardo da Vinci, as Dunford thought it was "too literal." Annie won him over after pointing out another beloved song about a famous painter: "Vincent" by Don McLean.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Tom Johnston from The Doobie Brothers

Tom Johnston from The Doobie BrothersSongwriter Interviews

The Doobies guitarist and lead singer, Tom wrote the classics "Listen To The Music," "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove."

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.

Jon Anderson of Yes

Jon Anderson of YesSongwriter Interviews

From the lake in "Roundabout" to Sister Bluebird in "Starship Trooper," Jon Anderson talks about how nature and spirituality play into his lyrics for Yes.

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.

Chris Frantz - "Genius of Love"

Chris Frantz - "Genius of Love"They're Playing My Song

Chris and his wife Tina were the rhythm section for Talking Heads when they formed The Tom Tom Club. "Genius of Love" was their blockbuster, but David Byrne only mentioned it once.

Richard Butler of The Psychedelic Furs

Richard Butler of The Psychedelic FursSongwriter Interviews

Psychedelic Furs lead singer Richard Butler talks about their first album since 1991 and explains what's really going on in "Pretty In Pink."