Fire in my mouth, Philharmonia, NYCOS, Alsop, Edinburgh International Festival 2024 review - total work of art for our times

Commissioned by the New York Philharmonic and premiered in 2018, Julia Wolfe’s Fire in my mouth is a multi-sensory oratorio written to commemorate the 146 workers who perished in a factory fire in what was the deadliest industrial disaster in New York’s history. Scored for orchestra and female chorus, each voice part represents an individual worker who died, most of them Jewish or Italian immigrants.

The piece begins with a depiction of passengers on a board a ship, and in this performance the female voices of the National Youth Choir of Scotland were on their standard excellent form, swaying with perfectly imperfect synchronicity as on a boat in choppy waters, and singing with a bright, sparkling sound, symbolising the eager excitement of these young women who set sail to begin a new life in America. The accompanying projections, designed by Jeff Sugg, form part of the audience’s journey, and though I could often hear the whirr of the projector behind me during instances of silence, the drama unfolded with enough conviction to stop it from being too off-putting. Márion Talán’s costume design was simple yet clever. The girls wore crisp white shirts and carried oversized scissors which were held high and snipped in unison, giving a powerful aural and visual effect. Extended instrumental techniques were used in the orchestra too, with hitting of bows adding to the overall percussive effects emulating the clack and whirr of the sewing machines. 

Alsop was in full command throughout, leading both choir and orchestra with absolute cohesion. The Philharmonia played with an angry passion, with punchy sforzandos from the full orchestra. At one point the choir stood in a circle right around the orchestra, which not only gave the impression of the factory being engulfed by flames, but enhanced the sound texture as they wailed in canon, sounding like sirens. At just under an hour long, the piece is short but impactful. And what about its lasting impact? This was a profound artistic moment for me as an audience member, so how must it feel for the young women of the choir who’ve learned and rehearsed this music? Some will be starting university next month, possibly abroad or in an unfamiliar city. Some will be on the cusp of entering the workplace, or in the early stages of their career. Some probably work in clothes shops. Perhaps a few of them will forget all about it and move on with their lives, only occasionally calling to mind the time they used to sing in a choir. Many will go on to have successful singing careers. But I hope that a large number of them will go on to remember being a part of this incredible performance and be mindful of these young women, who could have been just like them, but instead didn’t get to have a future.

• Edinburgh International Festival runs to 25 August
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