Peter's Field - Sean Cooney, Rowan Rheingans & Sam Carter

A new Rochdale made musical marking one of the most momentous days in working class history enjoyed a remarkable debut at FolkEast on the 205th anniversary of Peterloo.

Written by award-winning songwriter and member of The Young’uns, Sean Cooney, it tells a story of struggle, tyranny, liberty and hope against the backdrop of the Peterloo Massacre in 1819.

Cooney is again joined by critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Sam Carter, with Rowan Rheingans replacing twice Mercury-nominated artist Eliza Carthy MBE. 

Consisting of 15 original songs and a spoken narrative, this story of struggle, tyranny, liberty and hope, tells how, on 16th August 1819, 60,000 working people gathered peacefully in Manchester to advocate parliamentary reform at a time when most people did not have the right to vote.

Their violent dispersion, in which 18 people were killed and hundreds injured, became known as the Peterloo Massacre.