Scions are a new innovative experimental ensemble. The group features members from the award-winning minimalist chamber-jazz quartet New Hermitage, the Polaris-nominated drone-hymn duo Joyful Joyful, and the acclaimed producer and composer Michael Cloud Duguay. Their collaboration began at the Sappyfest music festival in Sackville, New Brunswick, in August 2022. During this event, New Hermitage and Joyful Joyful connected for the first time and teamed up with Duguay for a spontaneous improvisational performance based on his song writing. The enthusiastic response, capped by a standing ovation, solidified the ensemble's decision to pursue the project further, with Duguay deftly shifting from front-person to producer and musical director.
After being awarded a Canada Council project grant in early 2023 the group took residence in Hotel Wolfe Island on Wolfe Island. Over a week the seven core members lived and worked together, culling material from sunrise improv sessions and collaboratively shaping it into a unique body of work that would later become To Cry Out In The Wilderness.
In June 2023, the ensemble, now joined by double bassist Gabriella Ciurcovich, recorded their debut album in Halifax’s north end. Led by Duguay’s distinctive approach to site-specific production, the recording took place in the sanctuary of St. George’s Round Church, with engineering by Jake Nicoll, known for his sustainable recording methods using a solar-powered, mobile control room. The resulting album, To Cry Out In The Wilderness, finds the ensemble expertly exploring and powerfully combining their skills in jazz, devotional, classical, drone, folk, ambient, metal, improvisational, minimalist and avant-garde music.
The project culminated in a week of production, with contributions from numerous artists from Halifax’s creative music community. Scions then presented their work live, performing on the opening night of Halifax’s Everyseeker festival of experimental music, where they shared the spotlight with the renowned Sun Ra Arkestra.
Speaking on the narrative of To Cry Out In The Wilderness vocalist and lyricist Cormac Culkeen said: "When we came together to make this body of work, we started from a narrative seed; a post-apocalyptic humanity relearning and recreating itself, after a total ecological collapse." Speaking on "Fight Song" they add, "“Fight Song” became the song we thought the last of us might need. It is sung for an imagined last stand. It is a rallying cry to wholeheartedly fight a losing battle. So it is for us now, in this time of great dismay and unease. The axe must be disobeyed."
credits
released November 8, 2024
Produced by Michael Cloud Duguay
Recorded at St. George’s Round Church in Halifax Nova Scotia in June, 2023
Recorded by Jake Nicoll + his solar-powered Scamper RV
Engineered by Jake Nicoll + Dave Grenon
Production Management by Rebecca Fairless
Mixed by Steve Chahley
Mastered by East End Mastering
All songs composed by Scions while in residence at Hotel Wolfe Island in March, 2023
Andrew MacKelvie - saxophones, bass clarinet, voice
Cormac Culkeen - voice
Dave Grenon - live processing & effects
Ellen Gibling - harp
Gabriella Ciurcovich - double bass
India Gailey - cello
Michael Cloud Duguay - accordion, guitar, voice
Ross Burns - guitar, voice
Featuring:
Al Melnyk - modular synthesizers
Arden Rogalsky - voice
Cameron Evans - electric bass
Donlad MacLennan - violin
Janet Ross - voice
Jay Perry - voice
Jenny Lapp - voice
Lance Sampson - voice
Lucas Goudie - drums
NAT chantel - voice
Rebecca Fairless - pipe organ, voice
Sophie Noel - voice
Stephen Burns - voice
Tamsin Robson - voice
Valmy Assam - voice
Cover image used courtesy of HRM Municipal Archives + Halifax Fire Department
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts
