Sting with the Royal Philharmonic

Wednesday, 14 July 2010 | by Pat's Picks

Sting said it’s the “biggest band I’ve ever played with.” I thouroughly enjoyed his 3 hour show at Lincoln Center last night, as he teamed up with the Royal Philharmonic to perform symphonic arrangements from his repertoire.

Sting’s on a national tour with this music, but he seemed to appreciate the significance of playing just blocks away from his home in New York. He’s a showman who knows how to engage his audience. Sting’s vocals were as strong at age 58 as they were when he recorded classics like “Roxanne,” “King of Pain” and “Englishman in New York.”

He told the audience someone that had asked him before the show if he was nervous about his two-day engagement at the Metropolitan Opera House. He replied, “I’d be nervous if it was Tosca, but these are my songs.” Technically, that was true. But with a 45-member orchestra behind him his songs got a lot bigger.

It was a thrill to watch conductor Steven Mercurio bring his musicians through the program. Mercurio helped to rework Sting’s music for the orchestra and it was a task he obviously enjoyed.

New York Post music writer Dan Aquilante called the show “one of the must-see concerts of the year.”