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Shetland — 4 March 2026 · News & Updates
Lisa Manson Confirmed as Third Featured Vocalist on AON: THE GATHERING
Shetland singer completes the opening trio as the album enters its gathering moment
Photograph of Lisa Manson by Rory Raitt
Finn Moray has confirmed Lisa Manson as the third singer awarded a featured vocalist role on AON: THE GATHERING, the Scotland-wide album that is building a living musical map of the country, town by town and village by village.
Lisa, from Shetland, will perform Muddy Bay (Blood & Bone), the track rooted in Lerwick and the islands. The song’s title draws on the Old Norse origin of the name Lerwick — ‘Muddy Bay’ — and the lyric reaches deeper still, into the salt, stone and stubborn pride of a community shaped by centuries of North Sea weather and Scandinavian heritage. It is a song about what happens when a place truly belongs to the people who live there.
Her selection completes the opening trio of live voices alongside Aberchirder’s Adele Henderson, who will carry Foggie, and Netherley’s Rhuaridh McHardy, who will sing I’m The Bridge (And You Are All Just Passing Through). With all three singers now confirmed, the project enters what the team describe as a true gathering moment — the point at which the album stops being an idea and starts becoming a record.
Adele and Rhuaridh are in the studio next week to record their vocals, and the Finn Moray team travels to Shetland to film Lisa’s interview during Up Helly Aa season, with interviews led by BBC radio and television presenter Richard Gordon and direction by Calum Youngson, former Bloomberg producer and director.
"I’m proud to be part of Finn Moray and honoured to be one of the voices on AON: THE GATHERING. The Social Compact is the kind of idea you want to stand behind. When I heard Muddy Bay for the first time, I felt it. The islands are in that song. The strength, the history, the pride. I want to do it justice."
Three Voices, One Vision
Lisa’s confirmation marks a milestone for the project. What began with a single announcement in January — Adele Henderson stepping forward as the pioneer voice from Aberchirder — has grown steadily into a genuine national endeavour. Each singer was selected not through industry networks but through local recommendation, community connection and a competitive review process focused on vocal quality, authenticity and connection to place.
The three voices now represent distinct corners of Scotland’s north and islands: a Banffshire village, a farming community south of Stonehaven, and the Shetland archipelago. Together they form the opening chapter of an album designed to carry the sound of every area it touches.
David Sheret, the founder and songwriter behind Finn Moray, said: "Three voices confirmed, three communities represented, and a studio date in the diary. This is the moment the gathering stops being an idea and starts becoming a record. Lisa brings Shetland into the heart of the album, and her voice carries the islands in it. You can hear the weather, the history, the strength. That is what this project exists to capture."
The Song and the Place
Muddy Bay (Blood & Bone) is one of the most distinctive tracks on AON: THE CALL. Its lyric draws on the Norse roots of Lerwick, the crofting heritage of the islands, and the quiet, unshakeable resilience that defines Shetland’s character. Lines such as ‘We are not just flesh, but salt and clay / We are blood and bone of Muddy Bay’ speak to a community whose identity runs deeper than geography.
The song references Up Helly Aa, the fire festival that has become one of Scotland’s most iconic cultural events, and the harbour life, drystone walls and fiddle traditions that give Shetland its singular voice. For Lisa, the connection is immediate and personal — the song describes the place she knows, the people she grew up alongside, and the pride she carries in being an islander.
The Social Compact in Action
The initiative operates under a published Social Compact which commits fifty per cent of all net profits to Scottish community, cultural and charitable causes, with the remaining fifty per cent reinvested into sustaining and growing the project. An additional twenty-five per cent of artist revenue is assigned to the singers who perform on AON: THE GATHERING, shared equally among all participants.
Finn Moray has already begun early giving under the Social Compact since January 2026. Donations have been made to the MUGA Project in Aberchirder, Beatson Cancer Charity, Reverse Rett, Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre, Cornerstone, and Friends of ANCHOR, with thanks to those who raised awareness and guided the team.
What Comes Next
The Caithness singer for the Dunbeath track, The Silver Darlings, has also been agreed, with further details to be announced within the next two weeks. A competition with the Scottish Football Supporters Association is under way to find the singer for The Bard #2, the SFSA’s official World Cup song.
Opportunities remain open for singers connected to Dunbeath, Inverness, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Darvel, Yetholm, Cumbernauld, Dunfermline, St Andrews and Ayr. Vocalists with a strong connection to place, a distinctive voice and the appetite to represent their community through a national project rooted in local giving are invited to get in touch at [email protected].
The Finn Awards, Scotland 2026
Finn Moray also confirmed it is in the process of establishing The Finn Awards, Scotland 2026, planned for Q3 2026. The awards will recognise Scotland’s leading social media influencers and digital creators across 15 categories, with each prize split 50/50 between the winning creator and their chosen Scottish charity. The overall Scottish winner receives £5,000, split equally between creator and charity.
"Scotland has a creator class that deserves to be taken seriously. People who build audiences through craft, consistency, and character, and who often carry community on their shoulders without ever calling it that. The Finn Awards is our way of recognising that work properly, with heart, and with a structure that ensures the value flows back into Scotland through each winner's chosen charity whilst also supporting and recognising them."
To find out more about how to enter the awards or audition for AON: THE GATHERING, email: [email protected]
