When I hear a favorite song or one that brings back memories, I can’t help but start singing along – quietly, to myself, whether I’m in the kitchen, in the car, or at home. But sitting down to write this review, I wondered: when was the last time I sang together with other people? Not singing along to a playlist, but actually singing-shoulder to shoulder, without thinking about how I sound? A Little Wonder of a Shared Voice: Allison Lupton’s “The Wonder”new single “The Wonder” reminded me how long it’s been since that happened. It’s out now on streaming platforms, and the music video will arrive on October 9.
Photo byJen Squires
The sense of unity that comes from singing together has been familiar to Allison since childhood. She grew up on a farm in Ontario, surrounded by church hymns, Canadian folk, and Celtic melodies that filled local music sessions. Even as a young girl, she learned to hear both the melody and how one voice sounds alongside others. Later, this became an important part of her musical signature.
Over a quarter-century in music, Lupton has accomplished much: she’s released four solo albums, toured Canada, the U.S., and the U.K., and has been nominated multiple times for the Canadian Folk Music Awards as “Traditional Singer of the Year.” Her original compositions can easily be mistaken for old folk songs, but Lupton handles tradition naturally, tenderly, and with curiosity.
Photo byJen Squires
“The Wonder” best reveals this approach. Together with Craig Werth, Lupton crafts a song that gradually gathers voices and unfolds through a powerful idea: unity arises not only from shared beliefs but also from shared breath. The voices of Lupton and Werth sound free, and the choir expands the musical space. Here, every participant matters. The song breathes with natural warmth. You can hear the sensual vibration of strings, the organic interweaving of instruments, and a living performance. The arrangement unfolds gradually: first it’s an intimate duet, then a multi-voiced choir joins in-the song begins to “glow.”
Shane Cook’s fiddle adds motion to the melody, the mandolins of Andrew Collins and Werth scatter bright details through it, and Joseph Phillips’ double bass holds the sound in a warm, low register. As a result, “The Wonder” gently leads to its climax-and that’s precisely why the choral introduction sounds so expressive. Allison Lupton takes the familiar language of folk and adds a modern inflection-soft and open. In her performance, hope sounds like the possibility of briefly feeling that you’re not alone.
Cover Art by Michael Fisher
I think “The Wonder” is exactly that: a small miracle. First you listen. Then you start recognizing your own voice in the polyphony. And then you catch yourself already picking up the melody-and again you wonder: when was the last time I sang together with other people?
