Magna Carta

Magna Carta was a British progressive folk-rock group originally formed in London in April 1969 by Chris Simpson (guitar, vocals), Lyell Tranter (guitar, vocals) and Glen Stuart (vocals). Their first concert was on 10 May 1969. They played their final farewell concert on 25 January 2020.

The band were renowned for their gentle ballad style and mythical subject matter. Although never purely a folk band, they managed to successfully bridge the gap between folk and folk rock.

Magna Carta played their first gig at a Cambridge folk club. The group proved such a success they would record 30 albums including six gold and three silver over the coming decades. Their second album ‘Seasons’ yielded hit song ‘Airport Song’. Lyell Tranter returned to Australia in 1970 and was replaced by Davey Johnstone who played on ‘Seasons’ and ‘Songs From Wasties Orchard’.

Find out more about Magna Carta in their website