Measure of Light – A New Album by Maureen Hunter

Scottish singer-songwriter Maureen Hunter has released a lovely devotional album called Measure of Light. We’ve previously featured Maureen’s musicality on Baha’i Blog. For example, she appears in three different Edinburgh Studio Sessions: “Waves”, “So Powerful”, and “Sweet Melodies”.

I was delighted when Maureen shared with us how Measure of Light came to be. I hope you enjoy our conversation!

Can you please tell us a little bit about yourself?

I grew up in rural Scotland, quite happy in nature, and there was always music around our family. Later we knew Baha’is, and there was always singing. My background is in art, though music would come in and out of my life alongside that—sometimes one took precedence, sometimes the other. I now live in Edinburgh with my family. I went through a difficult few years with family mental health challenges, which left me with a new appreciation for life, wellness, and a clearer sense of what really matters.

Can you please tell us a little bit about Measure of Light and what inspired you to create this album?

I was involved in a music project which became an album, Waves, made with Payam Beint and others in 2023. It was a huge outlet for healing and creativity. After that, I set myself a self-imposed project: to make music every week and share it, regardless of how finished it was. It felt like there was a backlog of creative expression that wanted to be released but kept getting de-prioritised by the necessities of daily life. I had encouragement from people who were always happy to hear the ideas.

So for around 19 consecutive weeks in 2024, I made something from the Baha’i Writings giving myself one day, then did the edits and video the following day. I found a sense of not being overly precious about the finished piece. In editing, I was listening to the Writings over and over again, and it does something I can’t quite describe. By week 8—around the time I recorded From the Chalice—I was genuinely on cloud nine, and that feeling has stayed with me. It’s just there, whenever I remember it. 

What’s something you’ve learned in the process of making this album?

I found a flow state in the process, which spilled into all areas of life. The music became a way of shifting away from the mundane day-to-day and reaching back into creativity—making something and passing it on to others. I went along this wave of creating and sharing, and people responded warmly. It became easier to share, even though that doesn’t come naturally to me. I took time where I could and was lucky to have a family where that was possible.

I put everything on a YouTube channel called Baha’i Glow, and when a friend asked if I could put the music on other platforms, I did. And that’s how the album came about. The title Measure of Light seemed apt. I felt that there was a need for making these pieces. Sharing a gift, taking our place by creating—it feels like a need of my soul.

What do you hope listeners will take away with them?

I hope listeners get a sense of a small journey into the mystical through the words of the Writings and the soundscapes. If they can be of use in devotionals, that would be wonderful. There are also some lovely unplanned moments—our cat was trying to get my attention while hungry and put her paw in the harp strings and played a note, which I kept in. There’s also a moment where my seven-year-old came in singing along, followed by a bit of laughter, which stayed in the final edit. It’s all recorded at home—a no-frills studio in the corner of the living room.

I’m so grateful to Pat Morrissey and Payam Beint for their suggestions and contributions to the music. A lovely spinoff from this has been Diaglen Music, where Pat and I have been creating settings of the Writings or songs together. I’m just so happy if any of it makes someone feel something, or moves them in some way.

What is some advice you’d give to anyone pursuing Baha’i-inspired creative work?

I would say: just create regularly, in a spirit of play and exploration. At times it will be truly wonderful, and at times it simply won’t flow—and that’s okay. The way will open, and you’ll find the people who will help move things forward. It’s better to share something imperfect than not to share it at all. It’s not up to us to decide what the outcome will be. You have a voice and things to say—just put them out into the world.

Thank you so much, Maureen, for taking the time to tell us about your album!

Listen to Measure of Light on music platforms such as Bandcamp, Spotify, Amazon music, and Apple Music.

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Sonjel Vreeland

In her innermost heart, Sonjel is a stay-at-home parent and a bookworm with a maxed out library card but professionally she is a museologist with a background in English Literature. She currently lives on Prince Edward Island, an isle in the shape of a smile on the eastern Canadian coast. Sonjel is a writer who loves to listen to jazz when she's driving at night.