Courtney Wing

Music

Courtney Wing is a perfect example of what happens when a rich mixture of musical heritages all live and perform within a few square kilometers of each other. An orchestral folk-pop bandleader who fronts a 15-piece orchestra replete with two violins, double bass, drum kit, synthesizer, and a 10-member opera choir, his songsmanship can deftly blend any number of musical instruments into one song. Given the ingredients, it’s no surprise that a Wing song can go from homely to heavenly at the stop of a dime. Wing hasn’t always performed with such lush Montrealais accompaniment. He recorded his first album, For the Good Times (2001), in Vancouver and Victoria, and it wasn’t until the creation of Starlight Shuffle (2005) that he joined the Canadian musical emigration to Montreal and added his voice to the city’s rock renaissance. In 2008, Wing formed his orchestra, and his third album, Bouquet of Might and Fury, has just been released. (DN)

Photo Credit: Will Lew