Album by Sting
If on a Winter's Night... is the ninth studio album from British musician Sting .[10] The album is a collection of Christmas and winter-themed songs mostly written by others, including folk songs , madrigals and religious hymns from past centuries. Dozens of musicians appear on the album in various configurations, including jazz, folk and classical players.
It was released in most countries on 26 October 2009,[11] [12] on 27 October 2009 in the United States[13] and 2 November 2009 in the United Kingdom.[citation needed ] The album was released in several formats: vinyl LP, a single-disc CD, a limited edition CD and making-of DVD entitled The Genesis of 'If on a Winter's Night...' in Six Chapters in hardback book packaging, an Amazon.com exclusive version, as well as various import editions (of note is the Japanese edition). The limited edition and Amazon exclusive both include bonus songs; the Japanese edition include them as well but adds "The Coventry Carol." The album includes a reworking of "The Hounds of Winter" from his album Mercury Falling .
The title of the album is based on the novel If on a winter's night a traveler by Italo Calvino .[14]
Track listing
If on a Winter's Night... track listingTitle Writer(s) 1. "Gabriel's Message " Traditional 2:32 2. "Soul Cake " Paul Stookey , Tracey Batteast, Elena Mezetti3:26 3. "There Is No Rose of Such Virtue " Anonymous 4:01 4. "The Snow It Melts the Soonest " Traditional 3:42 5. "Christmas at Sea" Poem by Robert Louis Stevenson , music by Sting, Mary Macmaster 4:34 6. "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming " Music by Michael Praetorius , English translation by Theodore Baker 2:40 7. "Cold Song " Music by Henry Purcell , lyrics by John Dryden 3:14 8. "The Burning Babe" Music by Chris Wood , lyrics by Robert Southwell 2:46 9. "Now Winter Comes Slowly " Music by Henry Purcell, lyrics by Thomas Betterton 3:04 10. "The Hounds of Winter" Sting 5:45 11. "Balulalow " Music by Peter Warlock , lyrics traditional 3:08 12. "The Cherry-Tree Carol " Traditional 3:10 13. "Lullaby for an Anxious Child" Music and lyrics by Sting and Dominic Miller 2:52 14. "The Hurdy-Gurdy Man" Music by Franz Schubert , poem by Wilhelm Müller , adapted by Sting 2:48 15. "You Only Cross My Mind in Winter" Music by J. S. Bach , lyrics by Sting 2:36
Personnel
Musicians
Sting – vocals, arrangements, lute (3), guitars (5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14), snare drum (5), percussion (2, 8, 10, 17)
David Hartley – harmonium (3)
Julian Sutton – melodeon (6, 8, 10, 13, 14)
David Sancious – organ (10)
Dominic Miller – guitars (1, 4, 5, 7, 10, 13, 17)
Dean Parks – guitars (2), mandolin (2)
David Mansfield – mandolin (2, 8), 12-string guitar (5), lap dulcimer (5, 8), mandocello (8)
Edin Karamazov – lute (15)
Ira Coleman – bass (1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 13, 15)
Kenny Garrett – soprano saxophone (8)
Chris Dudley – trombone (2)
Ibrahim Maalouf – trumpet (1)
Chris Gekker – trumpet (2)
Brent Madsen – trumpet (2)
Chris Botti – trumpet (11, 17)
Leslie Neish – tuba (2)
Marcus Rojas – tuba (2)
John Clark – French horn (2)
Bassam Saba – ney (3), oud (3)
John Ellis – bass clarinet (7, 10)
Daphna Mor – recorder (7)
Mary Macmaster – harp (5, 8, 13, 17), vocals (5)
Dov Scheindlin – viola (9)
Kathryn Tickell – violin (2, 5, 6, 8, 10, 13), Northumbrian smallpipes (6)
Peter Tickell – violin (2)
Svetlana Tsovena – violin (7)
Daniel Hope – violin (9, 14, 17)
Vincent Ségal – cello (6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 17)
Melissa Meell – cello (9)
Charles Curtis – cello (11)
Robert Sadin – arrangements, string conductor (6, 11, 15, 16), percussion (7), soundscape (9)
Allen Bluestein – string contractor (6, 11, 15, 16)
Strings of the Musica Aeterna Orchestra – strings (6, 11, 15, 16)
Joe Sumner – backing vocals (2, 3)
The Webb Sisters – backing vocals (2, 3)
Stile Antico – vocal ensemble (6)
Lisa Fischer – backing vocals (8, 11), vocals (10)
Jasmine Thomas – backing vocals (11)
Jack DeJohnette – drums (8)
Daniel Druckman – snare drum (8, 11)
Cyro Baptista – percussion (1, 8, 10, 13, 17)
Bijan Chemirani – percussion (3, 10)
Daniel Freedman – percussion (3)
Rhani Krija – percussion (3)
Donald Hay – percussion (5)
Bashiri Johnson – percussion (5, 10), frame drum (11)
Production
Sting – producer, mixing
Robert Sadin – producer, mixing (1, 3-17)
David Darlington – engineer, mixing (1, 3-17)
Clark Germain – engineer
Donal Hodgson – engineer, mixing (2)
Tim Mitchell – additional engineer, assistant engineer
Todd Whitelock – additional engineer
Mark Crowley – assistant engineer
Joshua Cutsinger – assistant engineer
Martin Hollis – assistant engineer
Royce Jeffres – assistant engineer
Adam Miller – assistant engineer
Mark Wilder – mastering (1, 3-15)
Maria Triana – mastering assistant (1, 3-15)
Bob Ludwig – mastering (2)
Dave Sandford – production coordinator
Dana Wise – production coordinator
Joseph Hutchinson – package design, artwork
Tony Molina – cover photography
Studios
Recorded at Steerpike Studio (Wiltshire, England); Villa Il Palagio (Florence, Italy); The Source (Malibu, Florida); Clinton Recording Studio, Manhattan Center Studios and Seven Seas Studio (New York City, New York).
Mixed at Steerpike Studio; Villa Il Palagio; Clinton Recording Studio, Burning Kite Digital and Bass Hit Studios (New York City, New York).
Tracks 1 and 3–17 mastered at Battery Studios (New York City, New York); Track 2 mastered at Gateway Mastering (Portland, Maine).
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
See also
References
^ a b c "Critic Reviews for If on a Winter's Night... " . Metacritic . Retrieved 29 May 2012 .
^ Erlewine, Stephen. "If on a Winter's Night..." Allmusic . Retrieved 3 December 2009 .
^ Wood, Mikael (13 November 2009). "Sting, "If on a Winter's Night..." " . Billboard . Retrieved 11 September 2012 .
^ Rodman, Sarah (26 October 2009). "Sting relishes a bleak and beautiful season" . The Boston Globe . Retrieved 11 September 2012 .
^ Oitmann, Pierre. "Review: If on a Winter's Night... " . NU.nl . Retrieved 30 October 2009 .
^ Simpson, Dave (11 December 2009). "Sting: If on a Winters Night " . The Guardian . London. Retrieved 11 December 2009 .
^ Gill, Andy (30 October 2009). "If on a Winter's Night..." The Independent . London. Retrieved 30 October 2009 .
^ Paphides, Pete. "If on a Winter's Night..." The Times . London. Retrieved 30 October 2009 . [dead link ]
^ "Jingle sells: A-list Christmas albums" .
^ Daniel Kreps (18 June 2009). "Sting to Return This Fall With If on a Winter's Night... | Music News" . Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 19 June 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2011 .
^ "STING If On A Winter's Night... - 1 CD" . Deutsche Grammophon . Retrieved 1 August 2016 .
^ "If On A Winter's Night..." Discography . Sting.com. Retrieved 1 August 2016 .
^ "Sting announces winter album for fall" . Billboard . Retrieved 19 July 2009 .
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