Meet 'symphony' Sting at the Mission Concert

There is a lot of work to be done at Mission Estate in the final days before one of the biggest events on the Hawke's Bay calender - the Mission Concert.
This year's headline act is ex-Police frontman Sting (aka Gordon Sumner) and he's bringing a lot more than just a back-up band.
In a dare-to-be-different experiment, Sting has reworked some of his biggest hits to include a 50-piece symphony orchestra and his own four-piece band.
"I'm trying to create something new in this interface between pop and symphonic music," the British singer told a newspaper.
Sting's Symphonicity tour will be stopping in for their only New Zealand performance at the Mission in Taradale this Saturday.
While bringing an entire orchestra might sound romantic, it does have challenges for Mission Concert organisers.
"The infrastructure of catering for an orchestra is more complicated - it's slightly more complex in terms of setting up the stage," event director Gary Kraft said.
"You have got to make sure the sun sets in the right place so it doesn't get to the instruments. The orchestra also needs to clearly make eye contact with the conductor, so that's a consideration.
"From an audio perspective it requires additional stage equipment to compensate for the large number of microphones on stage and the potentially low output of sound from the instruments."
Despite some challenges the stage, sound and lighting are now set for a fantastic show and, if reviews are anything to go by, Sting will not disappoint.
He will perform all the classics with a twist, including those from his days with the band Police, such as Roxanne and Every Breath You Take.
He will also perform his solo career hits Russians, Fields Of Gold and If I Ever Lose My Faith In You.
However, the adaptations to some of his songs, including violins in place of electric guitars and a cello solo in the normally upbeat song Roxanne, may take some getting used to.
"[People] can be a bit wary: They are not sure if they should stand up or sit down, be rowdy or attentive. But by the end they figure it out," Sting said.
Even he took a while to work out how react with the audience when singing in such a different genre.
"It's easy with a rock band - the audience are bombarded into submission.
"They can't hear themselves talk, so they don't talk. With this you have to engage with them on a different sonic level."
Mr Craft said Sting had not made any requests for outrageous items to be placed in his dressing room and understood him to be a nice, down-to-earth guy.
"The feedback I have had from people who have worked with him is that he's very relaxed," Mr Craft said.
"Apparently Sting is quite into his yoga: My friend runs a studio in Perth and when he [Sting] was over there on tour he just walked in and joined a public class."