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Rhuaridh McHardy Confirmed as Second Featured Vocalist on AON: THE GATHERING
Netherley singer-songwriter joins Aberchirder’s Adele Henderson as the Finn Moray mission gathers pace across Scotland
Rhuaridh McHardy, singer-songwriter from Netherley
Finn Moray has confirmed Rhuaridh McHardy as the second 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.
McHardy, a 19-year-old singer-songwriter from Netherley near Stonehaven, has been awarded the vocal role on I’m The Bridge (And You Are All Just Passing Through), one of two songs rooted in Aberdeen within the fifteen-track album. The track is set in Bridge of Don, and McHardy’s deep connection to the area made him a natural fit to carry the song.
He follows Aberchirder’s Adele Henderson, who was announced in January as the first live voice for the project and will perform Foggie, the song dedicated to her home village in Aberdeenshire. Together, the two singers represent the opening chapter of a nationwide search for authentic community voices.
Currently studying Business at Edinburgh Napier University, McHardy remains closely connected to the north-east and was selected following a competitive review process focused on vocal quality, authenticity and connection to place.
"To be chosen to sing I’m The Bridge is a real honour. I come from a small place just outside Stonehaven, and this feels like a chance to represent the north-east properly. The project is about more than music. It is about identity, pride and giving something back."
Building Momentum
McHardy’s confirmation marks the second step in what is becoming a genuine national endeavour. When Adele Henderson was announced in January, the project proved its model could work — finding talent not through industry networks but through local recommendation and community connection. A second voice, from a different part of the north-east, reinforces that the approach is repeatable and that the gathering is gaining momentum.
David Sheret, the founder and songwriter behind Finn Moray, said: "AON: THE GATHERING is built on a simple idea. If a place inspires a song, that place should share in its success. We are discovering outstanding Scottish talent and pairing it with a model that is transparent, fair and rooted in community. Rhuaridh represents exactly the type of grounded, ambitious voice this project exists to platform."
The Social Compact
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.
The Interview
Strengthening the project’s national profile, the singer interviews are being led by BBC radio and television presenter Richard Gordon. McHardy’s full interview gives audiences a closer look at both the young singer and the wider cultural ambition behind AON: THE GATHERING.
Adele Henderson’s interview with Gordon is already available on the Finn Moray TV channel.
What Comes Next
The project has confirmed that the Shetland singer for Muddy Bay (Blood & Bone) has been formally awarded, with further details to be announced in the coming weeks.
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 Scottish Football Supporters Association is currently running a competition to identify a singer for Finn Moray’s supporters track The Bard #2, further linking the project to Scotland’s national sporting identity. Two Stars On Our Chest, another song from the album, has been taken on as the theme music for Ally Begg’s Aberdeen FC podcast.
"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]
