Hauntingly stark, evocative, and chillingly beautiful folk as harpist Rachel Newton and violinist Lauren MacColl, with added spoken word commentaries in English and Gaelic, release an album of songs telling the tale of women wrongfully persecuted during Scottish witch trials in the 16th-18th centuries. The Scottish parliament has also recently issued timely pardons to those many oppressed people wrongfully put to death, many of whom were midwives, healers or herbalists before they faced the horror of being burned alive. Much of the album was inspired by stories told by author Màiri Kidd and most of the words were written by Heal and Harrow aside from Cutty Sark, using an extract from Tam o’ Shanter by Robert Burns, while Mairi and Eachlair were sourced from 17th and late 19th century materials. Standouts also include the songs Lilias, Isobel and Behind the Eyes. Spookily transportive. The interview video from 2021’s WayWORD Festival Aberdeen also includes excerpts, stories and examinations about the witch trials. Out on Shadowside Records.
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