2009 release from the multi-million selling singer, songwriter,
musician and former leader of The . This release is
dedicated to Sting's favorite season, Winter: a season which has
inspired countless songwriters over the centuries and produced a
wealth of music exploring all of its many guises. If On a
Winter's Night... presents an arc of songs that conjures the
season of spirits, resulting in a haunting, spiritual and
reflective musical journey. ''The theme of winter is rich in
inspiration and material,'' comments Sting; ''by filtering all of
these disparate styles into one album, I hope we have created
something refreshing and new.''
About the Artist
----------------
Composer, singer, actor, activist - Sting has won universal
accl 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 her 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 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
O nominations, Billboard Magazine's Century Award, and
MusiCares 2004 Person of the Year.
He has appeared in 15 films, Executive Produced the critically
accled, "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 accled 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 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 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).