This fall, Sting will release a new album dedicated to his favorite season, Winter. “If On a Winter’s Night…” will present 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.” He continues, “Our ancestors celebrated the paradox of light at the heart of the darkness, and the consequent miracle of rebirth and the regeneration of the seasons.”
In collaboration with producer and arranger, Robert Sadin, “If On a Winter’s Night…” will feature traditional music of the British Isles as its starting point. Sting and guest musicians interpret a stirring collection of songs, carols, and lullabies including ‘The Snow it Melts the Soonest ‘(traditional Newcastle ballad), ‘A Soalin’ (traditional English “begging” song), ‘Gabriel’s Message’ (14th century carol), ‘Balulalow’ (lullaby by Peter Warlock) and ‘Now Winter Comes Slowly’ (Henry Purcell).
Two of Sting’s own compositions will also be featured on the album, ‘Lullaby for an Anxious Child’ and ‘The Hounds of Winter’ which originally appeared on his previous release Mercury Falling, alongside ‘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 teamed with friend and long time colleague, guitarist Dominic Miller. Additional guests include an ensemble of three remarkable musicians from Northern England and Scotland: Kathryn Tickell (fiddle and Northumbrian pipes), Julian Sutton (melodeon) and Mary MacMaster (metal string Scottish harp), along with Daniel Hope (violin), Vincent Segal (cello), Chris Botti and Ibrahim Maalouf, (trumpet), Cyro Baptista and Bijan Chemirani (percussion), the Webb Sisters (vocals) and Stile Antico (vocal ensemble).