© by Marlene Nourbese Philip (b. 1947)
this is but an oration of loss
Language: English
Zong!
. . . . . . . . . .
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Tthe piece reimagines the songs, cries, lamentations, incantations, and sighs of M. NourbeSe Philip’s book-length poem Zong!, which is itself a reworking of the 1783 legal transcript of the Gregson vs. Gilbert case that details the drowning of 130 enslaved Africans, having been thrown overboard the British slave ship, Zong, en route to Jamaica.
Tthe piece reimagines the songs, cries, lamentations, incantations, and sighs of M. NourbeSe Philip’s book-length poem Zong!, which is itself a reworking of the 1783 legal transcript of the Gregson vs. Gilbert case that details the drowning of 130 enslaved Africans, having been thrown overboard the British slave ship, Zong, en route to Jamaica.
Text Authorship:
- by Marlene Nourbese Philip (b. 1947), first published 2006, copyright ©
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Hannah Kendall (b. 1984), "this is but an oration of loss", first performed 2022 [ chorus and harmonicas ]
This page was added to the website: 2026-01-26