On International Women’s Day 2023, emerging Midlands musician, Elizabeth J Birch pays a powerful and heartfelt tribute to trade unionist and suffragist Mary MacArthur by singing Rouse Ye Women in a new video release.
The song was penned by Dan Whitehouse, taken from his Voices From The Cones album about the history and community of glassmaking in the Black Country – it was originally inspired by the famous glass vase Strongest Links made by Vic Bamforth and housed in the Ruskin Glass Centre in Stourbridge.
Full of raw feminist energy, Rouse Ye Women is a powerful anthem for women’s rights. It harnesses the strength, dignity and doggedness of Mary and the female chainmakers who downed tools “to fight the struggle, to right the wrong” in Cradley Heath during the Autumn of 1910.
The dark electronic musical backing and pounding percussion reflect the drive it took both to work in those conditions and to stand up to the injustice. Mary’s mission was to raise awareness of brutal working conditions and to encourage women workers to speak out against inequality. Nicknamed ‘the white slaves of England’ the women would often work 13-hour days, and yet were paid so little that they still lived below the poverty line. Meanwhile, the industry itself was very prosperous – each week 1000 tonnes of chains were sold for use in mines, shipping and even handcuffs.
The women might hammer up to 5000 chain links a week under horrendous conditions – receiving a pittance in the ‘piece work’ system that operated at that time. Many women had to work throughout their pregnancies in order not to lose vital pennies to feed their families.
The 10-week fight for equal pay led to a landmark victory, changing the lives of thousands of female workers. Elizabeth explains the relevance of the strike today:
“Without that protest I wouldn’t have equal rights right now! I’m passionate about encouraging women to find their voice in the world today. The battle is not over yet, including within the music industry.”
Penni Blythe, passionate women’s rights activist and leader of the Centre For Creative Change added:
“On occasions a song – the singer and the writer meld together – entwine in a way that shakes us to the core. One such is this new release from the pen of Dan Whitehouse and voice of Elizabeth J Birch. The evocative song brings the suffragist/suffragette times of Mary McArthur to life with immediacy and power and puts us face to face with the stark reality – women are still fighting for equality.. A superb track that bears repeated listening.”
The track forms part of acclaimed Black Country singer-songwriter Dan Whitehouse’s album Voices From The Cones, which hit the folk charts in October 2022. Released as a mix of stories written by poet/storyteller John Edgar and songs written by Dan, it was inspired by an archive of over 100 recordings of glass workers in the Stourbridge factory which closed in the 1990s. The female glassworkers working there in 1910 joined the Chainmakers in their strike – helping them change the world.
Elizabeth and Dan will be performing this song live together at the Royal Symphony Hall in Birmingham on May 26th 2023.
Voices from the Cones is available on Bandcamp now.