Composer Lucy Pankhurst has played a musical part in the recognition of the 100th anniversary of one of the most important acts of democracy in British history.

Her choral work 'The Pankhurst Anthem' celebrates the passing of the 1918 Representation of the People Act, which allowed women over the age of 30, and who owned property or married to occupiers, to vote.

Momentous step

Although it would be another ten years before all UK women could vote on the same universal suffrage terms as men, it was a momentous step on the road to voting equality.

Lucy is a distant relative of the leading suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, and has written a beautiful choral setting for a text by the activist, writer and Emmeline's great grand-daiughter, Helen Pankhurst, based on a powerful address given in the USA in 1913 by Emmeline during the momentous struggle.

Anthem

The work comprises two sections: The first, 'Echoes of Emmeline', reflects on the suffragettes' struggle to be enfranchised, whilst the second, 'Anthem', explores the modern repercussions of the suffrage movement.

The work was featured on the BBC Radio 3 website on the 100th anniversary (6th February), with Lucy stating: "Working with Helen has been such a wonderful experience…The stirring words, derived from those of Emmeline, are so powerfully emotive — setting them to music was a very humbling experience."

Although it would be another ten years before all UK women could vote on the same universal suffrage terms as men, it was a momentous step on the road to voting equality4BR

Musical democracy

In an act of musical democracy the work can now be downloaded for free to be performed by amateur choirs

Audiences will also be invited to join the amateur choir 'Voices of Hope' to perform the complete work on the opening day of the station's Free Thinking Festival at Sage Gateshead on Friday 9th March.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/fwN7fPqlWSrzVbhQSYyvWz/get-singing-the-pankhurst-anthem