Emma Pilgaard: ‘A Woman’s Voice’

Composer and vocalist Emma Pilgaard has used her own voice in jazz to capture the essence of eight women from Danish history on ‘A Woman’s Voice’.

This gorgeous music reflects on the creativity and influence of painter Anna Ancher, electronic music pioneer Else Marie Pade, geophysicist Inge Lehmann, women's rights campaigner Thit Jensen, silent film stunt performer Emilie Sannom and sculptor Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen, while also giving voice to the lesser-known story of Carla Hansine Petersen, whose life reflects the women subjected to Denmark's twentieth-century eugenics policies.

The opening track is Glowing in the Light of a Sunbeam, and it sets the tone for an album of beautiful music and expressive lyrics. Solos like the trumpet on Hidden Melodies and bass then piano on My Mother have a particularly extraordinary feel and intensity.

Throughout this album, the musicians are all brilliant: alongside Emma Pilgaard’s vocals are Rahel Talts (piano), Hilda Nordkvist (bass), Patrycja Wybrańczyk (drums), Viktoria Søndergaard (vibraphone) and Ida Brinch (trumpet).

The tracks are each as individual as the women inspiring the creation of them: Pilgaard’s voice on the title track brings the lyrics to life - “When nobody knew/A girl could discover something too.” The combination of music, lyrics and performance makes this a particularly special delivery of an important message.

My favourite track - starting with a delicious bass line - has to be Above Expectations: it seems to encapsulate both Pilgaard’s musical style and her intention. This is one of those albums that demands active listening, and repays that effort.

‘A Woman’s Voice’ is available on April Records