Stewart Copeland Revisits The Police Catalog With Detroit Symphony Orchestra
The Police drummer and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer performed his band's songs with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra on Oct. 8 as part of a tour with orchestras across the U.S.
By Ji-eun Choi ·
Stewart Copeland, the drummer, composer and arranger best known for The Police, teamed up with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra on Oct. 8 for a concert built around songs from his long career. Copeland is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The performance is part of "Stewart Copeland: Police Deranged," a tour in which he pairs with different orchestras around the country to run the band's material through what amounts to a classical filter. Copeland describes the format as unusual, and says it has given him a fresh appreciation for the old catalog.
"I have more appreciation for those songs now than I did when I was at the back of the stage," Copeland said. He explained that the orchestra's lower volume makes the music hit harder. "Because the orchestra is so much quieter, it's more powerful," he said.
Copeland also pointed to a curious acoustic effect. An orchestra, he said, feels "really huge and powerful, and deep and sonorous and rich." In reality, he added, its volume is "about a quarter of two guys with a drum set and an AC 30," a reference to a guitar amplifier.
The Police recorded five studio albums between 1978 and 1983. The band's output can feel larger than that, but those years were its concentrated period of creative work. After that, the members disbanded and went their separate ways.
Copeland's career continued well beyond the band. He went on to write scores for films including "Wall Street," "Talk Radio" and "Highlander 2: The Quickening." His television credits include The Equalizer, Dead Like Me and Star Wars: Droids, and he has also composed music for the "Spyro the Dragon" video game series.
Ann Delisi of WDET 101.9 FM interviewed Copeland ahead of the Detroit performance. She described him as possibly her favorite drummer, saying his playing struck her as melodic, powerful, intricate and interesting. She said he was gracious and animated during the conversation and asked a good deal about what is happening in Detroit.
The full interview is available through the media player on WDET's website.
Originally published by News Media House · Source: WDET 101.9 FM
