Edward Carpenter was a true Sheffield pioneer. He was a socialist, vegetarian and activist who campaigned for women’s rights, animal rights and environmental causes. He lived openly as a gay man with his partner, George Merrill, on the outskirts of Sheffield, and his activism and influential writings laid the foundation for the gay liberation movement of the 20th century. To celebrate Edward Carpenter’s 175th birthday in 2019, the Friends of Edward Carpenter and Museums Sheffield worked together on a series of new displays and events paying tribute to his achievements – including this performance below at Millennium Gallery by the Woodhouse Prize Brass Band of Carpenter's socialist hymn ‘England, Arise!’ The Woodhouse Prize Band, based in Sheffield, was founded in 1853, and is one of the oldest surviving brass bands in the country in continuous existence.