Sting takes it orchestral on his latest tour

It’s tough for those who are younger than 40 to realize what a major influence Sting (born Gordon Sumner) and his band The Police were when they first came on the scene in the late 1970s.

Back in their heyday, they were something akin to U2, The Black Eyed Peas or one of the other megagroups today. When Sting went solo in the mid-1980s, he was still a compelling musical force. When the band reunited for a 2007-08 world tour, the magic was still there. Perhaps that’s why some people have met lead singer Sting’s recent concerts with philharmonics with a bit of head scratching. What could possibly be in it for him?