Sunday morning music

 

I realize Christmas was only a few weeks ago, but I recently came across a mid-winter/Christmas concert given by Gordon Sumner, better known as Sting, at Durham Cathedral in 2009.  It's basically a live performance of his album If On A Winter's Night, released earlier that year.  He's accompanied by many musicians, making this effectively an orchestral recording.

I tried for a long time to think of the best tracks to play from this recording, but eventually decided I couldn't.  They all blend together to make a melodious whole.  Therefore, courtesy of YouTube, here's the entire concert.  The track listing is:

1.  The Snow It Melts The Soonest (Traditional / Gordon Sumner) - 00:00 
2.  Gabriel's Message (Edgar Pettman / Sabine Baring-Gould) - 03:50 
3.  Soul Cake (English County Song) - 07:27 
4.  There Is No Rose Of Such Virtue (Traditional / Gordon Sumner) - 13:25 
5.   Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming (Don Ross / Michael Praetorius) - 18:15 
6.   Christmas At Sea (Traditional / Gordon Sumner / Mary Macmaster) - 22:47 
7.   Now Winter Comes Slowly (Traditional / Gordon Sumner) - 28:36 
8.   Cold Song (Henry Purcell / John Dryden) - 31:48 
9.   The Burning Babe (Rick Kemp / Robert Southwell) - 36:18 
10. Ghost Story (Gordon Sumner) - 40:28 
11. Team Spirit (Kathryn and Peter Tickell) - 45:32 
12. The Hounds Of Winter (Sting) - 49:33 
13.  Cherry Tree Carol (Traditional / Ritchie Jean) - 56:32 
14.  Balulalow (Traditional / Gordon Sumner) - 1:00:51 
15.  Bethlehem Down (Peter Warlock / Bruce Blunt) - 1:05:01 
16.  Coventry Carol - 1:08:35 
17.  Lullaby for an anxious child (Dominic Miller / Gordon Sumner) - 1:12:05
18.  Christmas day - 1:18:41

Lovely music, and rather unlike much of the rest of Sting's prodigious output.

Peter