Some might argue it has taken far too long, but gradually, the pioneering exploits of notable female Scots are being celebrated in popular culture.
That’s one of the pivotal messages from the debut duo album, Despite the Wind and Rain, by Gaelic singer Rachel Walker and versatile musician Aaron Jones, which pays tribute to a number of influential, but under-recognised women throughout Scottish history, whose work has made a significant impact on the lives we live today.
It’s not some romantic interlude either. On the contrary, the songs highlight scientific achievement and entrepreneurship with a series of eclectic tales spanning centuries, dedicated to a particular woman or group of women from the country’s past.
We should know their names
There’s no questioning the diversity of the females chosen for the CD. The track Sgathach was inspired by a warrior queen whose legend dates back to around 1,300AD.
But Rule of Thumb also salutes Eilidh MacDougal, who was hired to take statements in sexual abuse cases, which led her to call for the law to be changed so that abused women no longer had to sit in the same room as their attacker during court proceedings.
She later became the first police commissioner for women at the Metropolitan Police and gained an MBE for her work in the early 20th Century.
During the writing process, Rachel, who is based in Lochaber, and Aaron, who lives in Dumfries and Galloway, derived inspiration from each other’s musical style, as well as from the women they spent months researching, to produce tracks which are full of the soul and character of folk music. She also worked closely with celebrated Gaelic poet Marcas Mac an Tuairneir to write the Gaelic songs on the album.
Rachel, who has worked in the traditional music scene for many years, had become acutely aware of the lack of songs that celebrate Scottish women for their success or achievements.
She said: “There are plenty of tracks out there which detail a woman’s beauty, or her broken heart, but few which acknowledge her intelligence, sense of adventure or courage. We sought to rectify that with this album.”
Making sure their voices are heard
The pair spent myriad hours in the National Library in Edinburgh researching a long list of women, as the prelude to narrowing it down to just 10 songs.
They sent many ideas back and forth, deciding what they wanted the tone of every track to be, and firming up lyrics and melodies while joining forces with other musicians.
The end result brings forgotten and lost voices back to life.
For more information on the album, visit rachelwalkerandaaronjones.com
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