The first time Sting and the lutanist Edin Karamazov met, years ago, Mr. Karamazov's group was performing the music of Mozart, Vivaldi and Khatchaturian between acts at the Circus Roncalli in Hamburg, Germany, and Sting was in the audience. Afterward, the British pop star invited the group to come to his estate in England to play at a birthday party. As Sting tells it, the answer was a curt no, with Mr. Karamazov informing him they were serious musicians and not "performing monkeys" at his beck and call...

The British rock star talks about his fascination with the music of the great Elizabethan lutenist. "The song is so magical that it blew me away when I first heard it. There is simply no precedent for this song. It exists completely alone, and I love singing it." The song is John Dowland's 'In Darkness Let Me Dwell', and the singer is Sting. That's right, Sting, who as a member of The Police and as a successful solo artist, has made dozens of pop and rock CDs. And now for something completely different: Sting and lutenist Edin Karamazov have just released 'Song From The Labyrinth', a recording of Dowland songs, on the Deutsche Grammophon record label...

La nouvelle s'est ébruitée il y a quelques mois : Sting, le chanteur du groupe britannique The Police et star du rock qui poursuit depuis 1985 une carrière planétaire en solo, allait faire paraître un disque consacré à la musique de John Dowland (1563-1626), le plus connu des compositeurs de l'époque élisabéthaine. Qui plus est, l'enregistrement devait être édité sous le fameux cartouche jaune de l'éditeur Deutsche Grammophon, la plus prestigieuse étiquette de musique classique, propriété d'Universal...

Sting's Journey Through History - The Former Police Frontman Is Taking A Musical Journey Back In Time With His New Album. John Dowland was born in 1563. He was known to be England's finest lutenist, which was the instrument of the time. He wrote beautiful, timeless, melancholy songs that touched rock-star Sting. His new album, 'Songs From The Labyrinth', is a collection of those incredible songs written by John Dowland more than 500 years ago. The album is a musical journey back in time and a loving tribute from one rock star to another...

Some of you may have heard that Ronnie Pearson, drummer with Last Exit, sadly passed away a few weeks ago. John Hedley and Dave Wood have been in touch to say that Andy Hudson is organising a 'Celebration' of Ronnie's life in Newcastle on the evening of October 3...