Bohemian Flute-Sody! Regina’s Marie-Véronique Bourque Reimagines Queen’s Classic With a Jazzy Twist
Just picture it: Wayne and Garth pile into their trusty AMC Pacer, headed for points unknown to get into some of their trademark hesher mischief. Wayne flicks on the radio, cranks up the volume, and out come the familiar strains of … a flute?
It’s an entirely likely scenario, now that Regina jazz flutist and singer-songwriter Marie-Véronique Bourque has recorded her own version of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Just like the original, her rendition has the power to get any weekend warrior’s head banging—as long as there’s an open mind in there beneath all the hair.
Bourque’s “Fantasy for Solo Flute on Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody” is exactly what the title promises: a one-woman tour de force in which this accomplished instrumentalist performs every element of the rock radio classic, from Freddie Mercury’s operatic vocal lines to Brian May’s iconic guitar solo. All six minutes of it, in one take.
“As someone raised in a francophone family, I wasn’t allowed to listen to Anglophone music during my childhood,” says Bourque, who was born in Québec and earned First Prizes in flute and chamber music at the Conservatoire de musique de Québec. “My first encounter with ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ was through my daughter, who sang it with her school choir. I was deeply moved by its emotional depth, its stunning melodies, and its blend of theatricality and sadness.”
So when she was accepted into Pro7ect, a retreat for songwriters and producers held at the legendary Rockfield Studios in Wales, she knew a 50th-anniversary tribute to Queen’s finest moment was what she wanted to lay down. After all, Rockfield is the same studio where Mercury composed and recorded the song back in 1975. She was even booked into his old room, purely by coincidence. Walking in his shoes, however, proved a bit more challenging.
“I had to master incredibly crazy technical passages, fast intervals, dramatic dynamics, and unique techniques like singing into the flute to mimic the electric guitar,” she explains. “The hardest part was delivering the soft, emotional final melody while utterly out of breath and exhausted from the intensity of the preceding passages.”
But she did it, two times straight through, without a single snafu. The second take is the one you hear on the record, with the added enhancement of overdubbed bass flute lines and harmonies, recorded with producer Mario Lepage back home in Saskatchewan.
Rising to a challenge is nothing new for this boundary-breaking artist, nor is reaching across genre lines to enrich the listening experience. Her classical training stands her in good stead as a member of the Regina Symphony Orchestra and the Quarter Tones Flute Ensemble, but it’s her parallel passion for jazz that has enabled her to really make her name. She’s honed her skills at the Carleton University Jazz Camp, Dordogne International Jazz Summer School (France), Ambrose University Jazz Camp, and the Ali Ryerson Jazz Flute Seminars in California; the result is a rich repertoire of original songs and uniquely reinterpreted jazz standards that make up a musical genre she describes as “Metis Jazz.” Both of her albums, Entre Québec & Saskatchewan (2021) and her debut Une porte s’ouvre (2018), were ranked among the top five Best Albums of the Year in Saskatchewan, and her 2021 single, “The Shovel Shuffle,” garnered 13,000 views on her YouTube channel.
A 2023 Trille Or nominee and winner of the National Flute Association (NFA) Jazz Flute Big Band Competition, Bourque was also nominated in the Saskatchewan Music Awards in 2018 and 2021. In addition to her own recordings, she contributed to Will Cox’s A Darkling Shore album (2019) alongside renowned artists like Orlando Harrison (Alabama 3) and Lily Dior. On the live front, she’s opened for jazz legends such as Carol Welsman (2018) and Derrick Gardner (2022), as part of a touring regimen that’s taken her across Switzerland, France, Québec and Western Canada. She’s even done a stint in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police band (she was a police officer for over 25 years).
On May 9 of this year, Bourque will release a full jazz album, in collaboration with JUNO-nominated, Montreal-based guitarist Christine Tassan. But for right now, it’s all about “Bohemian Rhapsody”—and tipping her hat to a certain pop trailblazer who didn’t let categories define him either.
“I sincerely hope that Freddie Mercury is smiling from above at what I’ve done with his iconic song,” she says. “Happy 50th anniversary, Queen!”
Hi Marie-Véronique! Good to see you again! Care to re-introduce yourselves to the readers?
Hello to all of you, readers of Canadian Beat Magazine. It’s a pleasure to connect with you here again. I’m Marie-Véronique Bourque, a jazz flutist originally from Quebec and now living in Saskatchewan.
My journey has taken me from the Conservatoire de musique de Québec, where I graduated with a First Prize, to a career as a police officer with the RCMP, and later as a utility player with the Regina Symphony Orchestra. About twelve years ago, I discovered jazz and haven’t looked back since. I’ve already released two jazz albums, and I’m currently working on a third, Bruissement boréal, which will be released on May 9th, in collaboration with guitarist Christine Tassan.
What was going through your mind when you first walked into Freddie Mercury’s old room at Rockfield Studios? Did you feel a sense of creative responsibility?
Upon my arrival at Rockfield Studios in July 2023, I was handed the keys with the words: “By the way, you’re in Freddie’s room.” Needless to say, I had a grin from ear to ear. I walked into the room, closed the door, and took a moment to pay my respects to the musical giant who had been there 48 years before. Staying in Freddie Mercury’s room meant far more to me than winning the lottery. I had won the privilege of being inspired by this place, these walls, and the extraordinary music created by Queen.
I lay down on the bed, closed my eyes, and imagined Freddie creating Bohemian Rhapsody. I thought to myself that I had a duty: to make the most of the privilege I had been given and to fully embrace every moment of my time there. I must admit, I slept like a Queen! I recorded my Fantasy for Solo Flute on Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody in the Quadrangle Studio, where Queen recorded their masterpiece. Freddie’s piano is still there, and I couldn’t help but play a few notes. I truly believe Freddie was right there with me when I recorded my piece.
Bohemian Rhapsody is a vocal and instrumental powerhouse—what inspired you to tackle it alone, on flute, and in one take?
When I learned of my acceptance to Pro7ect at Rockfield Studios, I decided to pay tribute to Queen. The idea of composing a fantasy for solo flute came to me without truly thinking or realizing the colossal scope of the challenge. For over a month, I listened to Bohemian Rhapsody on repeat, dissected the different vocal and instrumental parts, and then incorporated them into my composition, ensuring that the main voice remained recognizable. I must admit that the operatic section was the one that gave me the most trouble.
Once the composition was finished, I had only a few weeks to make it my own. The flute resembles the voice, while the electric guitar, less so. I had to sing into my flute to replicate the necessary distortion for Brian May’s guitar solo.
Given that my days were already packed with Pro7ect, it wasn’t until around 11 p.m. that Joe Jones and Jack Boston, the two engineers at Rockfield Studios, were able to begin setting up the microphones in the Quadrangle Studio. The first take served as a test. By the second, the magic was there. I knew it was the right one. I recorded my tribute to Queen in one go (6 minutes and 22 seconds) without touching the take afterward.
Back home in Regina, I added a few bass flute lines to provide the necessary depth. I also added some harmonies on the C flute, as well as a few effects with the help of sound engineer Mario Lepage.
As someone who wasn’t allowed to listen to Anglophone music growing up, what does this tribute to Queen mean to the younger version of yourself?
It’s funny. They say that the most beautiful gems are found on forbidden paths. I believe that my younger self would have been very proud, in two ways:
First, for daring to open an unknown door leading to unexplored musical paths, for expanding my horizons far beyond classical music. And second, for having drawn from my life experiences—both the good and the difficult—the essence and mastery of my instrument, allowing me to pay tribute to Queen to the best of my ability.
What do you hope Queen fans—and perhaps Freddie himself—take away from this reimagining of such a beloved song?
I secretly admit… really secretly… that my Fantasy finds its way to the ears of Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon. After all, I’m allowing myself the right to be a groupie!
I hope that if they listen to my piece, they will be able to rediscover this song they have played and heard millions of times from a new perspective, with fresh eyes, and that they will love it. More than anything, I hope they won’t be offended by this girl from Saskatchewan who dared to believe it was possible to interpret their masterpiece using only a flute.
I also hope that all Queen fans will discover my Fantasy and share it with their friends, so we can all celebrate together the 50th anniversary of Bohemian Rhapsody.
And finally, I sincerely hope that Freddie Mercury is smiling from above at what I’ve done with his iconic song.
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