Ignatius Sancho (c. 1729–1780) was a Black writer, musician, composer, butler, and shopkeeper whose writings and public presence helped ignite the British abolitionist movement. Reportedly born into slavery and orphaned as a toddler, Sancho was denied access to a formal education until he entered the household of the Duke of Montagu, where he gained an education in European literature, music, and other arts. Sancho’s correspondence, published posthumously as Letters of the Late Ignatius Sancho, an African (1782), reflects his engagement with the sentimental literary style and covers topics from his everyday experiences and relationships to his fierce opposition to the international slave trade. 

Although Sancho’s letters are known in some circles today, his musical compositions have largely evaded serious attention. The Raritan Players offer a new account of Sancho’s songs and instrumental music.

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Read new work on Sancho’s music by Rebecca Cypess.

Read about new research on Sancho's life and world at the website of the research group Ignatius Sancho's London.

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