Next month, Liverpool Philharmonic’s Music Room welcomes Peter’s Field: A Folk Chronicle of Peterloo — a powerful new musical work that brings one of the most significant moments in working?class history to life through song, story, and eyewitness testimony.
On the afternoon of Sunday 15 March, audiences will have the chance to experience this remarkable production, performed by Sean Cooney, Rowan Rheingans, and Sam Carter. Together, they deliver an unforgettable retelling of the 1819 Peterloo Massacre, an event that shaped the long struggle for democratic rights in Britain.
A Story That Still Resonates
On 16 August 1819, around 60,000 people gathered peacefully in Manchester to demand the vote. Many had walked miles from across Lancashire to hear radical speaker Henry “Orator” Hunt. They carried no weapons — only banners calling for reform.
What followed became one of the darkest days in British civic life. Local magistrates ordered the yeomanry cavalry and the 15th Hussars to charge the crowd. At least 18 people were killed and hundreds injured. Women were deliberately targeted. No one was held accountable.
It would take a century before working people finally won the vote.
Peter’s Field honours those voices with a work rooted in years of research. Its 19 original songs, written by Sean Cooney, are woven together with a spoken narrative drawn from hundreds of eyewitness accounts. The result is a deeply human, emotionally charged chronicle that restores the dignity and courage of the people who stood on St Peter’s Field.
Critically Acclaimed and Deeply Moving
Early responses to Peter’s Field have been extraordinary:
“An astonishing work… a compelling, passionate performance, radio?ballad?like, evocative and haunting.” — Songlines
“The most powerful evocation yet of Peterloo.” — Professor Robert Poole, author of Peterloo: The English Uprising
Audience reactions from the premiere at FolkEast echo the same sentiment — describing the show as “magnificent,” “exceptional,” and “a moment in folk history.”
Event Details: Peter’s Field – A Folk Chronicle of Peterloo
- Sunday 15th March 2026
- Music Room, Sugnall Street
- Matinee: 3:00pm
- Tickets: £23 / £20 via liverpoolphil.com
NOTE – Due to unforseen circumstances the 8pm show has been cancelled. Ticket holders can transfer to the 3pm matinee or claim a full refund. We are sorry for any inconvenience.