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.
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