Christine Duncan began learning her craft in church. A minister's daughter, she performed with her musical family "The Duncans" in gospel shows on stages across North America from the age of five. When she was 15 she recorded her first album of her own original gospel tunes in Nashville.
Inevitably her roots led her from gospel and inspirational music to soul, singer songwriter folk music, R&B/blues, jazz and more recently, new music and improvised music. Since 1994, she has released 5 albums under her own name, and has been involved in many other recording projects, including 2 albums with the Hugh Fraser VEJI big band.
A musical chameleon with a near five octave range, Duncan uses her voice as an instrument, exploring its full tonal, timbral and textural range. She has recorded and/or collaborated with Bob Murphy, Hugh Fraser, Miles Black, Veda Hille, Paul Plimley, Danielle Palardy Roger, Jean Martin and performed with such names as Kenny Wheeler, Rufus Reid, Dave Young, P.J. Perry, Ray Charles, Linton Garner, Paul Horn, Jeff Healey, Andre Crouch, Sabeer Mateen, John Oswald, Paul Dutton, Nobuo Kabota and many others.
Recently she performed in 120 Songs for the Marquis de Sade, winner of the Alcan Performing Arts Award: Music/Opera 2002; a new opera premiere, written by Peter Hannan and Peter Hinton, which was presented in Vancouver BC, by Modern Baroque Opera and Vancouver New Music, in March, 2002.
Along with Christine's rapidly growing audience has come recognition in the form of a nomination for the Alcan and Pacific Music Industry Assn. 1997 West Coast Female Vocalist of the Year. She was also the subject of a CTV/BC Film funded documentary-portrait entitled Coming Home: Christine Duncan at Christ Church Cathedral, currently showing on BRAVO.
Quotes...
"...her voice was a revelation. Duncan has a charged, emotional quality in the upper range that packs a wallop even when she’s singing wordless parts...Duncan also has an earthy blues voice..."
James Hale, The Ottawa Citizen
"...one of the most elastic and versatile vocal instruments in Canada. Her voice is smooth as honey throughout its five-octave range, and nimble enough to go from an elaborate scat-singing improvisation to a virgin-pure medieval song within a single program."
Robert Everett-Green, The Globe and Mail
"It was Duncan, however, who really commanded centre stage by lending her astonishingly flexible voice to a variety of languages and a vast spectrum of changes in rhythm, melody and mood. In more than one instance, she reminded me of Cathy Berberian"
Douglas Huenes, The Georgia Strait
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