Because it's Ash Wednesday:

Renaissance, "Ashes Are Burning" (Capitol, 1973)

One night in 1977, I was watching a long-forgotten TV show when the musical guest came on, a British band I'd never heard of before. I was ready to switch the channel when the camera zoomed on the lead vocalist.

She was a gorgeous blonde, and when she started singing ... wow! Even with my rudimentary musical knowledge at that point, I knew her voice was something special, ranging over several octaves while keeping in tune.

The band was Renaissance, and the vocalist was Annie Haslam. And although it never quite broke through here in the States, Renaissance does have its devoted core of fans, particularly in the New York and Philadelphia areas, who appreciate the group's attempts to meld rock with classical music.

"Ashes Are Burning" was the band's second and final album for Capitol Records, and to many enthusiasts represents Renaissance's high-water mark. Three of the album's six songs went on to become staples of live performances:

* "Can You Understand?" opens with an epic piano arpeggio by John Tout, which along with Annie's voice was the group's most recognizable features. At nearly 10 minutes, the track plays like a suite, with various vocal and instrumental sections merging to form a cohesive whole.

* "Carpet of the Sun" was released as a single at the time, and plays as such, with a radio-friendly length and Annie's voice soaring over a catchy chorus. (Unfortunately, the single disappeared without a trace.)

* "Ashes Are Burning" again features one of Tout's signature piano runs, but all members of the band contribute to make this Renaissance's definitive song. Especially notable are John Camp's sonically enhanced bass playing - on live versions of the tune, which often doubled the studio version's 12-plus minutes, Camp would play extended solos - and the guest turn of Wishbone Ash's Andy Powell on electric guitar.

The compositions were written by the team of Michael Dunford, Renaissance's acoustic guitarist, and poet Elizabeth Thatcher. The sole exception was "On the Frontier," penned by Thatcher with former Yardbirds drummer Jim McCarty. The connection: McCarty and fellow Yardbird Keith Relf formed Renaissance, releasing a self-titled album in 1969. By 1972, all the original members had been supplanted by a new lineup. "Frontier" marks the band's last link with its lineal ancestor.

Today, Renaissance is one of those bands where a few different versions tour, featuring various members. As for Annie, she's an accomplished artist and still enjoys singing, with that amazing voice still intact.