From the Fire

I can't resist sharing some more of the creative commemorations of Triangle Shirtwaist Fire centennial.  A choral piece called "From the Fire" has been commissioned and is premiering in New York this weekend. The New Yorker has the details and a little insight from the creators,

“In writing the music, I was thinking of crowd noises, the noise of family, the tenements, and the noise of the factory itself—everyone was packed so closely together—and then the sounds of the fire and the panic it caused.” [composter Elizabeth] Swados, who had worn a somewhat spacey expression while listening to her collaborators’ dialogue, became focused now that it was her turn to talk. “The pushing, crushing, and then the fire,” she went on. “How to do that, to convey that terrifying moment when the fire breaks out, vocally. There aren’t English words for it.

Promo video below. More music and photos at this tumblr: From the Fire
 

FROM THE FIRE - Promo from Jaime Lebrija on Vimeo.