Ballads and songs of Peterloo, with Dr Alison Morgan

Wed 19 Jun, 2pm

Free, booking required via Eventbrite or  in person from Middleton, Alkrington, Castleton, Langley and Junction Libraries.

Ballads and Songs of Peterloo by Dr Alison Morgan is based on her unique collection of more than seventy poems and ballads which highlight the outrage, grief, defiance and resolution felt by labouring-class people in the immediate aftermath of the Peterloo Massacre in which eighteen people were killed and more than 600 injured as they listened to the radical Henry Hunt speak on the need for electoral reform. Alison’s talk focuses on a selection of these poems and songs which were circulated in radical journals and performed at markets and in taverns, highlighting how they aimed to keep a true record of the day in the public consciousness and counter the official government narrative. The talk will be illustrated by audio recordings from musicians who have worked with Alison to bring these important and entertaining songs to life once more.