If On A Winter's Night... : Sting
A milkman's son from Newcastle, England, Sting was a teacher, soccer coach and ditchdigger before turning to music. Inspired equally by jazz and the Beatles (eclectic tastes that would prove prophetic), he met Stewart Copeland and they, along with guitarist Andy Summers, formed the Police in 1977. The band quickly became a success both in the UK and U.S. scoring several No. 1 hits including "Roxanne," "Every Breath You Take," "King of Pain," and "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic." They earned five Grammy Awards and two Brits, and in 2003 the band was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The trio's live work forecast the astonishing inventiveness and range of influences that Sting would realize fully in his solo career. Sting's forthcoming album, If on a Winter's Night... to be released this Fall on Deutsche Grammophon, presents an arc of songs that conjure the season of spirits, featuring a collection of carols and lullabies spanning the centuries, resulting in a haunting, spiritual and reflective musical journey. In collaboration with esteemed producer and arranger, Robert Sadin, Sting is joined by friend and long time colleague, guitarist Dominic Miller - and an ensemble of three remarkable musicians from Northern England and Scotland: Kathryn Tickell (fiddle and Northumbrian pipes) Julian Sutton (melodean) and Mary MacMaster (metal string Scottish harp). Additional guest artists include Vincent Ségal (cello), Daniel Hope (violin), Chris Botti (trumpet), Ibrahim Maalouf (trumpet), Stile Antico (vocal ensemble), Cyro Baptista (percussion), Bijan Chemirani (percussion) and the Webb Sisters (vocals).
With traditional music of the British Isles as their starting point, Sting and his guest musicians draw the listener in through a collection of songs, carols, and lullabies spanning the centuries - such as The Snow it Melts the Soonest (traditional Newcastle ballad), Soul Cake (traditional English "begging" song) Gabriel's Message (14th century carol), as well as two of Sting's own compositions - Lullaby for an Anxious Child and The Hounds of Winter. Also featured on the album is Hurdy Gurdy Man - a musical reworking and English translation (by Sting) of Der Leiermann from Schubert's classic winter song-cycle Winterreise.
Song List:| 1. | Gabriel's Message | 2:33 | | 2. | Soul Cake | 3:27 | | 3. | There Is No Rose Of Such Virtue | 4:03 | | 4. | The Snow It Melts The Soonest | 3:43 | | 5. | Christmas At Sea | 4:37 | | 6. | Lo How A Rose E'er Blooming | 2:41 | | 7. | Cold Song | 3:16 | | 8. | The Burning Babe | 2:42 | | 9. | Now Winter Comes Slowly | 3:05 | | 10. | The Hounds Of Winter | 5:49 | | 11. | Balulalow | 3:10 | | 12. | Cherry Tree Carol | 3:11 | | 13. | Lullaby For An Anxious Child | 2:50 | | 14. | Hurdy Gurdy Man | 2:49 | | 15. | You Only Cross My Mind In Winter | 2:35 |
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