Sean Cooney, Eliza Carthy, Sam Carter
& Jenn Reid
Peter's Field
Released 23 Mar 2026
Sean Cooney
The Book includes a CD and download of the whole Peter's Field piece as well as the whole story of Peterloo as told by Sean.
Peter’s Field, the new record from Sean Cooney, commemorates one of the most defining moments in British working class history, the Peterloo Massacre. Peter’s Field is a powerful creative evocation, Sean Cooney is one of the most respected musicians on the English folk scene. Known for being one third of The Young’uns, Sean delivers a compelling narrative of untold working-class stories with emotional depth, musical richness and contemporary relevance.
On Monday 16th August 1819 an estimated 60,000 people gathered at St Peter’s Field, Manchester to demand the reform of parliamentary representation and to hear the famous radical speaker Henry ‘Orator’ Hunt. It was a bright hot day and many of them had walked many miles from all across Lancashire. They were unarmed, wore their best clothes, brought their children with them and sang patriotic songs. On the orders of local magistrates, the Manchester and Salford Yeomanry Cavalry were sent into the crowd to arrest Hunt and other speakers. They were followed by the 15th Hussars, who were ordered to clear the field. Eighteen people died as a result and as many as 700 were injured. The event was first labelled ‘the Peterloo massacre’ by the Manchester Observer newspaper in a bitterly ironic reference to the bloody Battle of Waterloo, which had taken place four years earlier.
Peter’s Field was premiered at FolkEast Festival in Suffolk on the 205th anniversary of Peterloo, on 16th August 2024 and will tour March 2026.
Sean is joined on this record by Eliza Carthy, Sam Carter and Jennifer Reid as narrator with additional instrumentation by Ben Nicholls. The piece was produced and recorded by Andy Bell with sound design recorded around Rochdale, Middleton and Manchester, including trams recorded late at night by the Peterloo memorial on the site of the massacre.
Peter’s Field is a joint release by Alimentation and Hudson Records and was supported by Sound Roots and Arts Council England and The Rochdale development fund. The book is the script and narrative of the entire Peterloo massacre, designed and put together by Cally Callomon of Alimentation and comes with CD and full download.
Tracklist
- Chalice•
- The Road to Peter's Field•
- M.P.•
- Prinny•
- Magistrates•
- Nadin•
- Radical Rags•
- Henry Hunt•
- Sam Bamford•
- Mrs Reform•
- Mary Fildes•
- Henry Hunt II•
- Fox Robin•
- The Monkey Rides the Mare•
- Hulton's Opera Glasses•
- Sam Bamford II•
- The Monkey Rides the Mare II•
- Mary Fildes II•
- Thomas Shelmerdine•
- The Monkey Rides the Mare III•
- John Brierley's Cheese•
- Names•
- John Lees•
- Chalice II•
- Sam Bamford III•
- Dream of Peterloo
Credits
- Sean Cooney Voice, Writer & Composer
- Eliza Carthy Voice, Fiddle, Percussion
- Sam Carter Voice, Guitar & Arranger
- Jenn Reid Narration
- Ben Nicholls Bass, Banjo, Percussion, Harmonium
- Andy Bell Procucer, Mix, Engineer & Sound recordings of Rochdale, Middleton & Manchester
- Sam Proctor Mastering
- Cally Calamon Book Design & Artwork
