If On A Winter's Night [Amazon.com Exclusive CD/DVD Deluxe Edition]

Sting | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 26, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Decca U.S.
• ASIN: B002N0KMP8
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #74,878 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Gabriel's Message

2. Soul Cake

3. There is No Rose of Such Virtue

4. The Snow it Melts the Soonest

5. Christmas at Sea

6. Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming

7. Cold Song

8. The Burning Babe

9. Now Winter Comes Slowly

10. The Hounds of Winter

11. Balulalow

12. Cherry Tree Carol

13. Lullaby for an Anxious Child

14. Hurdy Gurdy Man

15. You Only Cross My Mind in Winter

16. Blake's Cradle Song (Bonus Track - Deluxe Version Only)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Composer, singer, actor, activist - Sting has won universal acclaim in all these roles, but he defies easy labeling. He's best described as an adventurer, a risk-taker. As he himself said, "I love to put myself in new situations. I'm not afraid to be a beginner." Husband and father of six, masterful guitarist and bassist, and also a devoted Yoga practitioner, he's made a career, in fact, of new beginnings. 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. With the release of Dream of the Blue Turtles in 1985, followed by Bring On The Night, Nothing Like The Sun, The Soul Cages, Ten Summoner's Tales, Mercury Falling, Brand New Day and All This Time, Sting has evolved into one of the world's most distinctive and highly respected performers, collecting as a solo performer an additional 11 Grammys, 2 Brits, a Golden Globe, an Emmy, three Oscar nominations, Billboard Magazine's Century Award, and MusiCares 2004 Person of the Year. He has appeared in 15 films, Executive Produced the critically acclaimed, "A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints," and in 1989 starred in a Broadway play the "Threepenny Opera". Also an accomplished author, Sting published a memoir entitled "Broken Music" in 2003, which spent 13 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list. Most recently, he released "Lyrics"- a comprehensive collection of lyrics and personal commentary, also featuring photographs from throughout his career.

Sting's support for human rights organization like the Rainforest Foundation, Amnesty International, and Live Aid mirrors his art in its universal outreach. Along with wife Trudie Styler, Sting founded the Rainforest Foundation in 1989 to protect both the world's rain forests and the indigenous peoples who live there. Together, they have raised more than $25 million dollars with their 15 benefit concerts to raise funds and awareness of our planet's endangered resources. Since its inception, the Rainforest Foundation has expanded to a network of interconnected organizations working in 23 countries around the globe. Sting has remained at the forefront of the public consciousness for 4 decades and has written some of the most enduring songs of our time, a talent perfectly showcased by his record Sacred Love, released to both critical and commercial success. Recently, Sting ventured into "new" musical territory with an album featuring the music of acclaimed Elizabethan songwriter, John Dowland (1563-1626) entitled Songs From the Labyrinth - which debuted at the top of the classical charts in the US, UK, France, Canada & Germany. In 2007, The Police reformed and embarked on a world tour. This much heralded tour played to over 3.7 million people on five continents and ranked as the third highest grossing tour of all time. The Police world tour also garnered numerous accolades including 'Major Tour of the Year' (Pollstar), 'Top Selling' and 'Top Tour of the Year' (Billboard) as well as the People's Choice award for 'Favorite Reunion Tour of 2007.' 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).

Product Description

This is the Amazon.com Deluxe Package that contains the standard CD, the deluxe edition "behind the scenes" video and Sting's first music video from this recording entitled, Cold Song! If on a Winter's Night presents an arc of songs that conjure the season of spirits, the eerie silences of the snow; days of solitude and reflection for some, a time of re-birth and celebration for many. 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. For this exploration of the themes and emotions of winter 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 (melodian) 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). Together they've created an album with a wonderful, warm, and unique ensemble sound - an acoustic meditation on winter.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nothing Like the Sun: Sting ponders winter, October 27, 2009

By 

Kevin M. Derby (Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: If On A Winter's Night [Amazon.com Exclusive CD/DVD Deluxe Edition] (Audio CD)

Fresh from his reunion with the Police and his album covering the hits of Elizabethan composer John Dowland, Sting now offers "If on a Winter's Night." This is not some Christmas album with yet another cover of "Sleigh Ride" or "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." While there are some Christmas songs, these are not the usual Yuletide fare as Sting offers up an odd look at the relationship of Joseph and Mary in the "Cherry Tree Carol." Long time Sting listeners will recognize new versions of "Gabriel's Message" and "The Hounds of Winter." There are a number of traditional English songs here and Sting is accompanied by a company of excellent musicians. There are other influences as well. The charming "You Only Cross My Mind in Winter" is based on a piece by Bach while "Cold Song" is based on a poem by John Dryden. Needless to say, this is not an album for everyone. Some of the songs are as dark as a winter's night and Sting sounds mournful and melancholy (even by his standards). It's a wonderful concept and very few artists could pull it off. Critics of Sting will call it pretentious and there may be some truth to that. The bottom line remains that Sting is one of the most versatile rock/pop artists of the last few decades having taken on rock, world, jazz, classical, Spanish and Portuguese songs, and, now, traditional English folk songs. This is a fine album for a night by the fire with a glass of brandy or a mug of hot mulled cider but, again, it is not for everyone. Fans of Sting's Dowland album will probably like it but if you prefer his stints with the Police or even his more popular solo stuff, you may find "If on a Winter's Night" a bit too cold for your liking.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Songs of the Season rather than overtly Christmas-ey, October 28, 2009

By 

Todd Bartholomew (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: If On A Winter's Night [Amazon.com Exclusive CD/DVD Deluxe Edition] (Audio CD)

The first A Very Special Christmas CD (1989) included Sting's very stark modern take on Gabriel's Message, an old Basque folk carol. It was an odd fit amongst the usual buoyant Christmas cheer presented by the other artists on that disc, yet reflective of Sting's artistic canon. It's no surprise then that "If On A Winter's Night" follows that same easthetic; it's not overtly Christmasy, or to paraphrase Lucy Van Pelt from A Charlie Brown Christmas [Blu-ray] it's not Santa Claus and ho-ho-ho and mistletoe. If anything "If On A Winter's Night" could be more appropriately titled "Songs for the Season" as in songs for and about the winter season. In that respect it's more like George Winston's December, Piano Solos: 20th Anniversary Edition in that it contains songs that are more evocative of the winter season than songs that are more obviously Christmas songs. And as with his earlier foray into Christmas music, Sting delves back into traditional folk carols that likely will be unfamiliar to many listeners. Fans of folk music however will recognize many of the songs here such as "Cherry Tree Carol" and "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" among others, and there are reworkings of classic pieces as well as two new compositions by Sting ("Lullaby for an Anxious Child" and "The Hounds of Winter"). Sting reprises a reworked version of "Gabriel's Message" that is warmer and more approachable and which is reflective of the musical underpinning as well. Many casual fans and listeners may be tentative about purchasing "If On A Winter's Night" fearing it will be musically similar in it's stark minimalism, but fear not, as it is very lush and intricately arranged, yet not syrupy or treacley as some seasonal records can be. Longtime guitarist and accompanist Dominic Miller joins as do an array of traditionalist musicians on fiddle, pipes, melodian, and harp. They are at times joined by an array of guest musicians such as trumpeter Chris Botti and the Webb Sisters on vocals. The result is warm and charming, evoking the spirit of the season of another era, much like Phil Manzanera and Andy Mackay's 1987 Christmas.

The overall mood of "If On A Winter's Night" is evocative of the season without being so obviously Christmas related. This is what you want to hear when you are burned out from hearing Christmas music and want something a bit less obvious. This wouldn't be out of place at low-key seasonal gatherings or for those who want something more refined and more restrained for the season. If you like hearing sleigh bells jingle, precocious children singing about their two front teeth, barking dogs, or Grandma's tragic encounter with Santa then this probably isn't for you. Some listeners may feel it is all a bit too cold, too detached, and too calculated for their liking, and those certainly can be valid criticisms. For some Sting's concept here may seem a bit too cold-blooded and calculated rather than a gathering of people who want to revel in the music of the season. Few artists possess the talent to pull off such a restrained yet charming set of music arranged around the theme of the winter season. And unlike most Christmas music you could enjoy this well before and well AFTER Christmas Day.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not for everyone, but certainly special!, November 2, 2009

By 

A. Sebyl Sholler "Sebylita" (Hoboken, NJ) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: If On A Winter's Night [Amazon.com Exclusive CD/DVD Deluxe Edition] (Audio CD)

If you have the chance, watch the video before you listen to the album. You will be enchanted and this will help you appreciate the musical talent that went into the making of this magical collection of songs. Enjoy!