If on a Winter's Night...
If on a Winter's Night... is the ninth studio album by English musician Sting. It was released on 27 October 2009 by Deutsche Grammophon.[1] The album features a collection of Christmas and winter-themed songs, primarily traditional folk songs, madrigals, and religious hymns from past centuries, with some original material. Sting described it as a "concept album on the darkly magical, contemplative aspects of winter," with folk-tinged acoustic arrangements.[1] Inspired by the title of Italo Calvino's 1979 novel If on a Winter's Night a Traveler, the album explores seasonal spirits, solitude, and the eerie beauty of snow through 15 tracks, including "The Snow It Melts the Soonest" and "Now Winter Comes Slowly."[2] Produced by Sting and Bob Clearmountain, it marks a departure from his rock-oriented work toward classical and folk influences.[3] The album received positive reviews for its atmospheric production and Sting's interpretive vocals, peaking at number 24 on the US Billboard 200 and achieving platinum certification in the UK.[4]Background and recording
Concept and development
If on a Winter's Night... is Sting's ninth studio album, released in 2009, and represents his first full-length project dedicated to Christmas and winter-themed music.[5] The album's title draws direct inspiration from Italo Calvino's 1979 novel If on a Winter's Night a Traveler, which influenced its thematic framing around introspection and narrative during the cold season.[6] Sting conceived the project as a way to explore the darker, more ambiguous aspects of winter, moving beyond conventional holiday cheer to evoke a sense of melancholy and wonder.[7] Sting's personal motivation stemmed from a desire to reinterpret historical folk songs, madrigals, and hymns from previous centuries in a modern context, drawing on his Northern English roots and childhood memories of harsh winters.[8] He aimed to create seasonal music that appealed to listeners averse to typical festive fare, blending reverence for ancient traditions with contemporary arrangements to highlight themes of longing, spirituality, and imagination.[9] Conceptualization began in the late 2000s, shortly after the 2007 Police reunion tour, with Sting curating a selection of public domain works such as 14th-century carols and traditional lullabies, while composing originals including "Christmas at Sea," which sets Robert Louis Stevenson's 1888 poem to music.[8][1] To realize this vision, Sting decided to collaborate with producer and arranger Robert Sadin, renowned for his ability to blend classical, jazz, and folkloric elements in innovative ways, as demonstrated in projects like Herbie Hancock's Gershwin's World.[1][10] Sadin's expertise helped shape the album's orchestral and choral textures, ensuring a seamless fusion of historical authenticity and modern sensibility during the two-year development period leading to recording.[8]Recording sessions
The recording sessions for If on a Winter's Night... spanned 2008–2009, with principal work occurring under the co-production of Sting and Robert Sadin.[11] Sessions began in early 2009 at Sting's Villa Il Palagio estate in Tuscany, Italy, emphasizing an intimate, exploratory approach inspired by the album's conceptual roots in Italo Calvino's novel. Primary recording took place at Steerpike Studio in Wiltshire, England, and Villa Il Palagio in Figline Valdarno, Italy, with additional sessions at U.S. facilities including Clinton Recording Studio (now Avatar Studios) in New York and The Source in Malibu, California.[3] Production choices prioritized acoustic instrumentation to achieve historical authenticity and emotional depth, incorporating elements like harp, hurdy-gurdy, theorbo, lute, fiddle, Northumbrian pipes, and choral arrangements, alongside live takes to capture a sense of immediacy and warmth.[1] The sessions featured collaborations with over 20 musicians drawn from jazz, folk, and classical traditions, including guitarist Dominic Miller, fiddler Kathryn Tickell, harpist Mary MacMaster, violinist Daniel Hope, cellist Vincent Ségal, trumpeters Chris Botti and Ibrahim Maalouf, percussionists Cyro Baptista and Bijan Chemirani, as well as vocalists from The Webb Sisters and the ensemble Stile Antico; Sting's wife, Trudie Styler, contributed background vocals on select tracks.[1][3] A key challenge involved adapting ancient texts and melodies to contemporary contexts while preserving their evocative spirit, exemplified by Sting's original English lyrics for "You Only Cross My Mind in Winter," set to the sarabande from J.S. Bach's Cello Suite No. 6, which transformed the instrumental piece into a poignant reflection on loss and memory.[1][3]Musical style and themes
Genre and arrangements
The album If on a Winter's Night... primarily draws from folk traditions of the British Isles, incorporating classical madrigals, hymns, and seasonal ballads, while integrating subtle jazz and ambient influences to evoke a contemplative winter atmosphere.[1] These genres are blended through reinterpretations of medieval carols and 19th-century lieder, creating a sound that bridges historical authenticity with modern introspection.[1] The arrangements emphasize an orchestral and acoustic focus, utilizing harp, strings, percussion, and minimal electronics to maintain a delicate, intimate texture. For instance, choral layering enhances the ethereal quality in "There Is No Rose of Such Virtue," a 15th-century carol arranged with vocal harmonies from the Webb Sisters and additional singers.[3] In contrast, "The Hounds of Winter" features sparse piano accompaniment, highlighting Sting's reworking of his earlier composition into a minimalist ballad.[1] Instruments such as Northumbrian pipes, Celtic harp, violin, cello, and ney contribute to the acoustic depth, with bowed strings and hunting horns adding a rustic, folk-tinged resonance.[1] Sting's vocal approach shifts to an intimate, narrative delivery that suits the storytelling inherent in the material, diverging from his typical rock-inflected style toward a more solemn and reflective tone.[1] This includes occasional use of his Geordie accent and spoken-word elements, fostering a personal connection to the winter themes.[1] Producer Robert Sadin crafts a style that fuses historical authenticity—drawing from period-inspired performances—with contemporary polish, eschewing over-orchestration to preserve a "wintery" intimacy throughout the recordings.[1] Unique elements include the incorporation of period-like instruments, such as the melodeon simulating a hurdy-gurdy effect in "The Hurdy-Gurdy Man" (an adaptation of Franz Schubert's lied), and arrangements of 17th-century works by Henry Purcell, like "Cold Song," which features countertenor vocals and baroque-inspired scoring.[3][1]Lyrical content
The lyrical content of If on a Winter's Night... draws from a rich tapestry of historical sources spanning the medieval period to the 19th century, weaving overarching themes of winter solitude, Christian nativity, mortality, and seasonal reflection. These elements evoke the stark beauty of the season, portraying it as a time of introspection amid isolation and the promise of renewal, as Sting notes in the album's liner notes that winter serves as a "rich source of inspiration and material" celebrating the "light at the heart of darkness."[12] Traditional carols and poems underscore solitude through imagery of frozen landscapes and quiet endurance, while nativity themes highlight divine humility and wonder in pieces like the 14th-century Basque carol "Gabriel's Message," which anticipates the Incarnation with angelic proclamation.[1] Mortality emerges in reflections on loss and transience, often tied to the cycle of seasons, as seen in adaptations that confront human fragility against nature's harshness.[12] Sting contributes original lyrics that personalize these themes, blending them with the album's folk and classical foundations. In "Christmas at Sea," he adapts select verses from Robert Louis Stevenson's 19th-century poem, depicting nautical winter peril as sailors battle gales on Christmas Eve, yearning for hearth and home amid life-threatening storms, symbolizing isolation and the pull of familial bonds.[13] "Lullaby for an Anxious Child," co-written with Dominic Miller, offers parental comfort through soothing reassurances to a fearful child, contrasting the "dark world beyond the window" with tender protection and hopes for peaceful slumber.[14] "The Hounds of Winter," originally from Sting's 1996 album Mercury Falling and reimagined here, explores personal loss and renewal, using winter's chill as a metaphor for grief over a departed loved one—"It seems that she's gone / And somehow I must accept the fact"—while hinting at emotional rebirth through the turning seasons.[15] Adaptations further enrich the lyrical depth by overlaying modern words on classical melodies, evoking fleeting memories and spectral presences. In "You Only Cross My Mind in Winter," Sting crafts lyrics for the sarabande from J.S. Bach's Cello Suite No. 6 (BWV 1012), portraying a ghostly visitation in the cold: "Always this winter child / December's sun sits low against the sky," where the beloved appears only in wintry solitude, underscoring themes of impermanence and nostalgic longing.[16] These additions transform instrumental works into poignant narratives of remembrance, aligning with the album's emphasis on winter's haunting introspection.[12] Poetic influences from earlier eras ground the album in timeless religious and folk traditions, emphasizing humility and wonder. Robert Southwell's 16th-century poem "The Burning Babe," a Jesuit meditation on the nativity, provides vivid religious imagery of the infant Christ as a "burning babe" aflame with divine love, symbolizing sacrificial redemption amid winter's night: "As I in hoary winter's night stood shivering in the snow, / Surpris'd I was with sudden heat which made my heart to glow."[17] Traditional carols like "Balulalow" and "Cherry Tree Carol" reinforce these motifs, drawing from medieval and Renaissance sources to celebrate the humble birth of Jesus with simple, awe-filled verses that highlight innocence and miraculous humility.[1] The album's lyrics form a cohesive narrative arc, progressing from anticipation and spiritual awakening to deep introspection, creating a journey through winter's emotional landscape. It opens with the hopeful annunciation in "Gabriel's Message," building through nativity hymns and tales of peril to culminate in the gentle closure of "Now Winter Comes Slowly," a Purcell lullaby adaptation that invites serene acceptance of the season's quiet descent: "Now winter comes slowly / And draws round the house."[18] This structure, as described in the official release notes, conjures a "haunting, spiritual and reflective musical journey" that mirrors the solstice's shift from darkness to light.[12] The orchestral and folk arrangements subtly support this lyrical mood, enhancing the themes of solitude and renewal without overshadowing the words.[12]Release and promotion
Commercial release
The album If on a Winter's Night... was released on October 26, 2009, in most countries including parts of Europe, with an initial U.S. release following on October 27, 2009, and the UK edition on November 2, 2009.[19][20] It was issued by Deutsche Grammophon, the classical division of Universal Music Group, in collaboration with Cherrytree Records, Sting's imprint under Interscope Records.[21][22] Initial formats included a standard single-disc CD, digital download, and 180-gram vinyl LP, alongside a limited-edition CD bundled with a DVD featuring behind-the-scenes footage titled The Genesis of "If on a Winter's Night..." in Six Chapters, which included interviews and production insights.[19][23] Regional variations encompassed a Japanese edition on SHM-CD with three bonus tracks, including "The Coventry Carol," and an Amazon exclusive version that added bonus tracks such as "You Only Cross My Mind in Winter" and "Blake's Cradle Song" to the deluxe CD/DVD package.[24][25] The packaging featured artwork depicting stark winter landscapes to evoke the album's seasonal theme, presented in a digibook format with extensive liner notes providing historical context for each song and personal annotations from Sting.[26][25]Marketing efforts
The album's lead-up promotion began in summer 2009, with Sting announcing the project on June 17 via a press statement highlighting its inspiration from winter themes and inclusion of both traditional and original songs.[27] In subsequent interviews, Sting stressed the album's non-commercial Christmas intent, describing it as an exploration of the winter solstice's duality of darkness and light rather than festive pop traditions.[7] Marketing efforts extended to media appearances, including U.S. television performances such as Sting's rendition of tracks on The View in October 2009 and "Soul Cake" on Late Show with David Letterman later that year.[28][29] In the UK, promotion featured a holiday special filmed at Durham Cathedral in September 2009, where Sting performed the full album in an acoustic setting with orchestral accompaniment, later broadcast on television and released as a DVD.[30] Tour integration formed a key part of the rollout, with songs from the album incorporated into Sting's live shows starting in late 2009, including acoustic renditions during select dates tied to the release. This continued into 2010–2011, as holiday-themed performances drew on the material during broader touring commitments, enhancing seasonal engagement.[31] Digital and merchandise strategies included iTunes exclusives, such as a bonus track version of the album available only through the platform, alongside holiday bundles like the Starbucks edition CD bundled with a free iTunes download code.[32][33] Partnerships with radio outlets, including a Sirius XM special in November 2009 featuring live performances, supported airplay on adult contemporary and classical stations to reach targeted audiences.[34] To build public reception, Sting framed If on a Winter's Night... as a "serious" holiday album in promotional materials and interviews, differentiating it from mainstream pop Christmas releases by appealing to adult contemporary and classical music listeners through its folk and orchestral elements.[35][36]Track listing and formats
Standard edition tracks
The standard edition of If on a Winter's Night... features 15 tracks, blending traditional carols, folk songs, and original compositions to create an album centered on winter and holiday themes. Released on CD and digital formats by Deutsche Grammophon, this core lineup emphasizes acoustic arrangements and historical influences, drawing from medieval, Renaissance, and 19th-century sources.[24] The tracks are as follows:| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Duration | Origin Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gabriel's Message | Traditional | 2:32 | Medieval Basque carol, adapted as an opener evoking the Annunciation.[24] |
| 2 | Soul Cake | Elena Mezzetti, Paul Stookey, Tracey Batteast | 3:26 | 1960s folk song popularized by Simon & Garfunkel, reinterpreted here.[24] |
| 3 | There Is No Rose of Such Virtue | Anonymous | 4:01 | 15th-century English macaronic carol from public domain.[24] |
| 4 | The Snow It Melts the Soonest | Traditional | 3:42 | 19th-century English folk ballad.[24] |
| 5 | Christmas at Sea | Robert Louis Stevenson, Mary Macmaster, Sting | 4:34 | Original composition incorporating Stevenson's 1890 poem.[24] |
| 6 | Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming | Michael Praetorius | 2:40 | 16th-century German Lutheran hymn.[24] |
| 7 | Cold Song | Henry Purcell, John Dryden | 3:14 | 17th-century Baroque aria from Purcell's King Arthur.[24] |
| 8 | The Burning Babe | Robert Southwell, Chris Wood | 2:46 | 16th-century poem by Southwell set to music.[24] |
| 9 | Now Winter Comes Slowly | Henry Purcell, Thomas Betterton | 3:04 | 17th-century song from Purcell's The Fairy Queen.[24] |
| 10 | The Hounds of Winter | Sting | 5:45 | Original song from Sting's 1996 album Mercury Falling.[24] |
| 11 | Balulalow | Traditional, Peter Warlock | 3:08 | 15th-century Scottish lullaby.[24] |
| 12 | Cherry Tree Carol | Traditional | 3:10 | Medieval English carol from public domain.[24] |
| 13 | Lullaby for an Anxious Child | Dominic Miller, Sting | 2:52 | Original co-composition for the album.[24] |
| 14 | The Hurdy-Gurdy Man | Franz Schubert, Wilhelm Müller, Sting | 2:48 | Adaptation of Schubert's Der Leiermann from Winterreise.[24] |
| 15 | You Only Cross My Mind in Winter | J.S. Bach, Sting | 2:36 | Adaptation based on Bach's chorale from Christmas Oratorio.[24] |
Special editions
A limited edition CD+DVD set was released in October 2009, featuring the standard album tracks alongside a bonus DVD titled The Genesis of "If On A Winter's Night..." in Six Chapters. This DVD includes video segments on the album's creation, such as discussions of mystery and storytelling (0:57), primal memories (1:52), shaping the repertoire (1:07), inviting chaos in arrangements (2:08), musicians stepping outside their comfort zones (7:54), and the gradual coalescence of the project (7:48), providing behind-the-scenes footage of recording sessions and interviews with Sting.[25] The Amazon.com exclusive version of the CD+DVD deluxe edition added bonus tracks to the standard lineup, including "Bethlehem Down" by Peter Warlock and Bruce Blunt (2:56) and "Blake's Cradle Song" arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams (3:29), along with the aforementioned DVD content and an exclusive video for "Cold Song."[23][25] The Japanese edition, released as an SHM-CD+DVD on October 21, 2009, incorporated all bonus tracks from the Amazon exclusive—"Bethlehem Down" (2:56) and "Blake's Cradle Song" (3:33)—plus an additional track, the traditional "Coventry Carol" (2:34), while retaining the full DVD.[24] A vinyl format appeared in 2009 as a double LP pressed on 180-gram audiophile vinyl, mirroring the standard CD tracklist across four sides in a gatefold sleeve with lyrics and liner notes.[37][38] Other variants included a digital deluxe edition available through platforms like iTunes and Apple Music, which appended at least one bonus track such as "Blake's Cradle Song" to the core album; no major reissues have occurred since 2009, though the album became widely available on streaming services by the 2010s.[32][1]Personnel
Musicians
Sting provides lead vocals throughout the album, delivering interpretations that blend his signature baritone with the folk and classical arrangements.[19] Dominic Miller, Sting's longtime collaborator, contributes acoustic and electric guitar on multiple tracks, including "The Snow It Melts the Soonest," "Christmas at Sea," and "Cold Song," adding subtle jazz-inflected textures to the sound.[3] Harpist Mary Macmaster performs on tracks like "Christmas at Sea," bringing a delicate Celtic harp element that enhances the album's wintry, traditional feel.[3] String sections feature prominent contributions from cellist Vincent Ségal, who appears on several pieces such as "The Burning Babe" and "Cold Song," and violinist Daniel Hope, whose playing is heard on "The Coventry Carol" and "The Hurdy-Gurdy Man."[3] Additional backing vocals are supplied by artists including Lisa Fischer on tracks like "Cold Song" and "The Hounds of Winter" and The Webb Sisters on "Soul Cake," providing layered harmonies that evoke choral depth.[3] The vocal ensemble Stile Antico delivers choral performances on hymns such as "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming," functioning as an anonymous choir-like presence in the recordings.[3] Folk influences are highlighted by Kathryn Tickell's Northumbrian pipes and fiddle on "Soul Cake" and other selections, infusing Northumbrian traditional sounds into the mix.[3] Notable guest appearances include jazz drummer Jack DeJohnette on "Cold Song" and soprano saxophonist Kenny Garrett on the same track, alongside trumpeters Chris Botti and Ibrahim Maalouf on pieces like "The Hounds of Winter" and the title-inspired opener.[3] Overall, the album involves more than 20 musicians, drawing from folk traditions (e.g., Julian Sutton on melodeon), jazz improvisation, and classical precision to create its eclectic winter palette.[3] Sting also performs multi-instrumentally, handling guitar and percussion on originals like "The Hounds of Winter," as well as lute on "There Is No Rose of Such Virtue."[3] Ira Coleman plays double bass on most tracks, while percussionists Cyro Baptista and Rhani Krija contribute to several arrangements, and David Hartley provides organ and piano throughout. Robert Sadin serves as conductor on select tracks including "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming."[3]Production staff
The primary producers for If on a Winter's Night... were Sting and Robert Sadin, with Sadin overseeing the integration of classical arrangements into the album's folk and holiday-themed tracks.[12][19] Mixing was led by David Darlington at Avatar Studios in New York, supported by additional engineering from Clark Germain and assistant engineering by Donal Hodgson.[3][39] Mastering was handled by Mark Wilder at Battery Studios for most tracks and Bob Ludwig for tracks 2 and 16. Art direction and cover design were managed by Joseph Hutchinson, featuring photography by Tony Molina Jr. Executive production was managed by Martin Kierszenbaum through his Cherrytree Records imprint, with additional legal and A&R oversight provided by the Universal Music Group team.[40]Reception
Critical reviews
Upon its release, If on a Winter's Night... received mixed reviews from critics, with an aggregate Metacritic score of 43 out of 100 based on six reviews, indicating generally unfavorable reception overall but with divided opinions.[41] Several reviewers praised the album's authenticity and intimate atmosphere, noting its evocative wintery mood through elegant reinterpretations of traditional songs. The Boston Globe highlighted its "wintry hush and flurries of harmonies," describing it as a "not unpleasant vision" that captures the season's reflective essence.[42] Similarly, Billboard awarded it 4.5 out of 5 stars, commending Sting's vocal warmth and the album's appeal to those seeking a thoughtful holiday collection beyond typical pop fare.[8] Critics also leveled accusations of pretension and a lack of festivity, pointing to its somber tone and overly serious arrangements as detracting from holiday spirit. Q magazine gave it 2 out of 5 stars, calling it somber and suggesting it needed "a little more warmth and a little less ego."[43] Uncut echoed this with a 2-out-of-5 rating, labeling it "overly serious" and likely to "baffle all but the hardiest Police fan."[44] AllMusic rated it 2.5 out of 5 stars, critiquing the uneven adaptations that sometimes felt forced in blending folk traditions with Sting's style.[5] Notable quotes further illustrate the polarized response: NU.nl scored it 7 out of 10, viewing it as "a thoughtful holiday gift" despite some predictability.[45] The Independent awarded 3 out of 5 stars for its "charming restraint" in folk settings, though it faulted Sting's ponderous baritone for blurring some tracks.[46] The overall consensus positioned the album as an artistic detour for Sting, appealing to niche listeners interested in classical and folk infusions but alienating mainstream fans with its introspective, non-celebratory vibe; it garnered no major awards.[41]Commercial performance
The album debuted at number 6 on the US Billboard 200 chart in December 2009, with first-week sales of 109,000 copies, and peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Top Classical Albums chart.[47] In the United Kingdom, it reached number 15 on the Official Albums Chart.[48] Internationally, the album peaked at number 4 on Italy's FIMI Albums Chart and number 1 on Poland's OLiS chart.[49][50] On year-end charts, it ranked number 171 on the US Billboard 200 for 2009 and number 59 on Nielsen SoundScan's year-end albums list, reflecting strong holiday season performance.[51] In Europe, the album topped several holiday-themed compilations and secured the number 1 position on Poland's 2009 classical albums year-end chart.[50] By early 2010, If on a Winter's Night... had sold over 521,000 copies in the United States according to SoundScan data.[51] Global sales reached an estimated 1.5 million units by 2012, driven primarily by strong performance in Europe and North America.[52] The album received numerous certifications worldwide, underscoring its commercial viability as a seasonal release:| Country | Certification | Units Sold |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | Gold | 15,000 |
| Canada | Gold | 40,000 |
| France | Platinum | 100,000 |
| Germany | Gold | 100,000 |
| Hungary | Platinum | 6,000 |
| Italy | 2× Platinum | 120,000 |
| Poland | 4× Platinum | 80,000 |
| Switzerland | Gold | 15,000 |
| United Kingdom | Silver | 60,000 |
| United States | Gold | 500,000 |