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Glasgow-based singer and instrumentalist Megan Henderson has released her debut solo album ‘Pilgrim Souls’.
The album is a musical response to the work of Edinburgh artist Christine Clark, known for her impressionistic paintings which capture the beauty of the human spirit and its deep connection to nature.
‘Pilgrim Souls’ came out on Friday. It was originally commissioned in 2019 as part of Celtic Connections’ New Voices – a prestigious award enabling recipients to compose and perform a significant body of traditional music.
Speaking to The Clyde Insider, Megan said:
“I’m happy to be able to share this project and I just hope people get as much enjoyment out of it as I did putting it together.”
Henderson will be familiar to Celtic music fans as a member of award-winning band Breabach.
While she enjoyed the experience of creating a solo album, Henderson said she “definitely felt more responsibility” having full creative control over the album’s seven tracks.
Each song is inspired by and named after various Clark paintings.
Henderson explained: “I have always had a strong connection to art, and was straight away drawn to Christine’s style.
“Pilgrim Souls was one of the first pieces of hers I came across and it evoked such strong emotions in me I wanted to explore more.”
Clark was really touched that her artwork inspired the album. She said:
“Megan has such a unique sound and gift, it was very exciting to hear my paintings translated in such a personal and moving way; bringing them to life in a whole new context.”
Henderson enlisted the help of other artists from across the scene to accompany her singing, piano and fiddle playing. Those involved include Mairi Campbell (viola), Anna Massie (mandolin) and Su-a-Lee (cello and saw).
The album was recorded by Euan Burton over three days at Glasgow’s GloWorm Recording Studio in June 2021.
It is available to buy on CD and listen to on all major streaming platforms.
