As the UK marks 800 years since the sealing of Magna Carta and 750 years since the De Montfort Parliament, four folk artists will take a musical journey exploring the pursuit of democracy, and the laws and events that have made and continue to make a difference to our liberties.

Welsh folk legend Martyn Joseph joins one of British Folk’s rising stars, Maz O’Connor on the project, alongside BBC2 Radio 2 Folk Award winner Sam Carter and the multi-award winning fiddle player, singer, and songwriter Nancy Kerr.

The four artists bring a wealth of talent and experience to the project and will have access to material from Parliamentary archives and historians, together with folk material from the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library. They will compose new songs from their research inspired by 18 significant moments in the evolution of democracy, ranging from the Magna Carta to the Tolpuddle Martyrs, and women’s suffrage to the continued fight for equality. The songs will be performed on a six-date tour featuring the most in-demand traditional fiddle player in the UK, Patsy Reid, and serial collaborator Nick Cooke.

The project has been commissioned by the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) and Folk by the Oak in conjunction with the year-long 2015 Anniversaries: Parliament in the Making programme of activities and celebrations.