ESSEX women who endured the terri-fying and tragic experience of being trialled for witchcraft, often resulting in their deaths, will be the subject of a night of music and storytelling this week.

A collaboration between arts group Sundown Arts and the Leigh Folk Festival, the night will feature music as well as stories from Leigh writer Syd Moore, whose two novels, the Drowning Pool and Witch Hunt, both focus on tales of alleged witchcraft in Essex.

But it’s the unfortunate women who faced trial in Essex, as well as others around the world at more well-known trials like Salem and Pendle, who will be marked at the event – which will raise funds for the Leigh Folk Festival, which takes place in June.

“I became interested in an electronic collective called Eccentronic Research Council,” explains organiser Jo Overfield.

“They put together a concept album around the Pendle Witch Trials. It sounded like a really interesting project and I thought about booking them originally to put on this night.”

But after the electronic duo invited actor Maxine Peake to sing as a guest vocalist on the album, their coverage soared and they were too busy to take too many extra bookings.

The seed was sown for Jo and she set about how to translate the idea of fusing the women’s stories with music.

After meeting with Syd and getting her onboard, she also invited Brentwood musician Darren Hayman, whose album the Violence also takes inspiration from the Essex witch trials of 1645 during the English Civil War.

They will be joined by musicians Jason Steele and folk-electro duo Greanvine for the special evening.

Syd will be talking about her latest novel Witch Hunt, which saw her research the accused women who lost their lives in often tragic, pathetic and somewhat degraded circumstances in the bloody path of righteous persecution by Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins.

“I’m going to be talking about my inspiration for Witch Hunt and how I researched it in terms of the history of the Essex witches,” explains the author.

“I was surprised to discover Essex lost so many people to the witch hunts.

“As an Essex girl born and bred and as a feminist with an interest in the subject, I really didn’t know the extent to which Essex contributed to the witch hunt.”

Syd adds: “Conservative estimates put it at about 350-450 people who died between 1645 and 1647.

“I’ll be talking about Rebecca West – the person who became the ghost in my book Witch Hunt – and her very tragic story.

“She was only 15 and she was encouraged to turn King’s Counsel and her testimony sealed the fate of her mother and her friends. That was the first of Matthew Hopkins' witch hunts. He then went on for two years.”

Witches Prayer takes place at Clifftown Theatre, Nelson Street, Southend on Friday April 19 at 7pm. Tickets are £8/10 on the door. Call 01702 71511.