Fire in my Mouth

Gemma New

On 25 March 1911, a fire broke out on the eighth floor of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York. The garment workers, mostly Jewish and Italian immigrant women and girls aged between 14 and 23, were unable to escape the fire, the doors having been bolted to prevent them taking unscheduled breaks.   

In Fire in my mouth, composer Julia Wolfe (°1958) gives a voice to each of the146 victims of this tragedy. The oratorio incorporates testimonies from survivors, court records, protest songs and traditional Yiddish and Italian melodies to create a poignant oratorio about the women at the forefront of the struggle for better working conditions. Led by conductor Gemma New, the Belgian National Orchestra, the Flemish Radio Choir and the La Monnaie Youth Choir perform the Belgian première of this powerful work in a staged synergy concert at the Centre for Fine Arts.