American composer Julia Wolfe chose to commemorate those who died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in central New York in 1911 when composing a new work almost a hundred years later. For years she walked past the building on the way to work. One of those involved in the fire and its aftermath, when asked about her activism many years later, declared 'Ah, then I had fire in my mouth'. The multimedia elegy for the victims of the fire, Fire in my mouth, was given its first performance in 2019. In the first concert of its residency at this year's International Festival, the Philharmonia Orchestra gave the elegy its first UK performance under the baton of its Principal Guest Conductor, Marin Alsop.
The work begins with Immigration, telling us of the young women, some Southern Italian and some Eastern European Russian immigrants, who arrived in New York, many with sewing skills. Before long the music turned to the sound of hundreds of sewing machines working away in the Factory. In addition to the Orchestra, and under the direction of Christopher Bell, were 146 girls from the National Youth Choir of Scotland and the National Girls Choir, the same number who would perish when fire broke out in the tall building in Greenwich Village where the fire escapes were locked. Beautifully choreographed, many were stationed at the back of the Orchestra and some were to move to either side. Others arrived down the aisles of the stalls. We watched them putting on their work aprons and holding up and clicking their held-high large scissors open and closed.
And further behind on a very large screen we were shown pictures to help enhance our understanding - to include pictures of people and places back in 1911. High above, just in case we didn't hear the clear diction, were the words. This was sophisticated multimedia of the highest order.
When we might have expected the elegy to move to focus on the disasterous end of the shirtwaist factory, it first moved to Protest. This was protest at the appaling working conditions. When fire did break out, the factory's owners escaped to the roof and the final of the four passages, Fire, told us how it engulphed and sent to their death the 146 workers.
Fire in my mouth was a very moving and emotional reminder of the awful event of 1911 that might well have been far more dramatic but Julia Wolfe resisted. The Orchestra, Choirs and multimedia gave a spectacular performance which, at the end, brought the entire audience to its feet.
Event: Wednesday 21st August 2024 at 8pm