Lush, epic and surrounded by mystic beauty, Bouquet of Might and Fury, the third album by Courtney Wing, reveals a strong sensitivity towards the human condition and an extraordinary portrayal of the musician and his devotion to his art. Available now on Proxenett Records, Bouquet of Might and Fury unleashes a musical universe of communion in which many of the artist's opposing sides emerge in tender force.
After the release of two albums, (For The Good Times, 2001 & Starlight Shuffle, 2005) Courtney Wing found himself discouraged by the music industry and the deep roots it had in his surrounding. In the midst of his low, the CBC contacted Wing and invited him to perform for the program Canada Live during the summer of 2008. Thrilled by the offer, Courtney dedicated himself to the project, recruiting a new cast of musicians, including Sage Reynolds on double bass (Amon Tobin), Bruce Cawdron on percussion (Godspeed! You Black Emperor), Stef Schneider on drums (Bell Orchestre), and a 15-piece opera collective called Liederwolfe. Amazed by the recorded result of Wing's performance, the producers of Canada Live chose to feature his performance on CBC's homepage and broadcast the entire recording across the country on numerous occasions. High appraise and national buzz followed immediately. In response, Wing decided to compromise his initial plan to record a solo record and instead embraced his newly acquired team and tackled a much larger production. The end result is a ?symphonic folk' masterpiece that embodies the creative forces of over 30 musicians.
Courtney Wing doesn't read music, he never studied it, the man belongs in the other category, the one where people eat, drink and sleep music 24/7. Being an ?unprofessional? musician never stopped Courtney from composing, performing, and recording many of the instruments on the album.
Bouquet of Might and Fury invites the listener into an extraordinary indie-folk universe where a mighty barrage of choral Opera singers lilt amidst a larger-than-life, yet perfectly sculpted, orchestral background that is at times gentle, and other times fierce and grand. The title of the album and most of the lyrics refer to the concept of contrast. It visits the notions of social disillusionment, the perils of insincere kindness, calm over devastation, and most true to the album's premise is the notion of love, and the rise and fall of it - a theme that played itself out during Wing's song crafting process. Courtney tells us: When something negative happens, inevitably something positive emerges. We are not always aware of it, but balance tends to plays itself out.
Crew
Stef Scheinder : Drums
Josh Zubot : Violin
Bruce Cawdron : Percussion
Sage Reynolds : Double bass
Jeff Louch : Keys, synths
Liderwolfe : 10 Pretty Voices
CW : Guits, uke, c-harp