On Saturday, 25 March 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York's Greenwich Village caught fire. One hundred and forty-six workers—mostly young Jewish and Italian immigrant women—lost their lives. Many were unable to escape because the factory’s stairwells and exits were locked by management. This tragic event became a turning point in labor rights and inspired many artistic and political responses over the years. In 2019, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Julia Wolfe created Fire in My Mouth, a multimedia oratorio that is part of her series exploring the history of American labor. It marked the beginning of the Southbank Centre’s autumn season in London. While Julia Wolfe’s earlier work unEarth at the Barbican in 2026 focused on the climate crisis with a more reflective tone, Fire in My Mouth takes a more dramatic and direct approach. The piece is built largely from real spoken words of survivors and people from that time, keeping the focus on the individuals involved rather than turning the tragedy into a broader symbol. The music is energetic and fast-paced, echoing the sound of sewing machines or the movement of the ocean, which the women crossed “without passports or anything.” The text is fragmented and layered, creating a rhythmic, almost mechanical feel, as if the words themselves are parts of a machine. The performance includes a large orchestra, here played by the Philharmonia under the direction of Marin Alsop, which creates deep, atmospheric soundscapes. These sounds range from the eerie, pitchless scraping of bow against string—reminiscent of a Geiger counter—to the sharp, synchronized snapping of scissors above the chorus. The production also features an all-female professional chamber choir and youth chorus, alongside a slideshow of black and white photographs and film footage by Jeff Sugg, and choreographed movements by director Anne Kauffman. Despite the complexity of these elements, the music remains focused and clear, thanks in part to the precise and restrained performances by London Voices, the RSNO Youth Chorus, and the Farnham Youth Choir, all conducted by Alsop. The piece concludes with a solemn recitation of the names of those who died, echoing John Adams’ 9/11 memorial On the Transmigration of Souls. This ending was only possible after 2011, when the final victims of the Triangle fire were officially identified—just a year before another deadly factory fire in Bangladesh claimed 124 lives. Fire in My Mouth serves as both a tribute to the past and a reminder of the ongoing struggles for workers’ rights around the world.