Searching for Sancho: Celebrate the life, work and music of Ignatius Sancho

Join The London Archives and Northeastern University London in this special evening event to celebrate the life of Ignatius Sancho.

Ignatius Sancho was one of the 18th century’s most important and influential Black historical figures. This event brings together writers who have been making exciting discoveries about Sancho’s life and work, and musicians Reginald Mobley and Brandon Acker to perform Sancho’s songs.

Roundtable: The evening begins with a round table exploring exciting new research that has been published about Sancho’s life and times. Authors Nicole N. Aljoe, Olly Ayers, Libby Collard and Markman Ellis will discuss the work behind three new publications; an Oxford World’s Classics edition of The Letters of Ignatius Sancho, a new Cambridge Companion exploring Sancho’s life and its wider context and the first biography of Ignatius’s son William and his own fascinating life story. This discussion will shed light on the research behind these works and invite the audience to consider what the Sancho story means to us in 2026.

Performance: After the roundtable, join internationally renowned countertenor Reginald Mobley and instrumentalist Brandon Acker for a performance of Sancho’s songs. Sancho was the first known Black composer to publish his own musical compositions in Britain and this concert will celebrate that legacy. Mobley, the research-lead for The Sancho Project, is a grammy-nominated singer known for his interpretation of baroque and classical repertoire. Acker is a Chicago-based classical guitarist and specialist in early plucked instruments include the lute and baroque guitar.

Document Display: A selection of original archive material relating to the life of the Sancho family from the collections at The London Archives will be on display during the evening.

What to expect:

• This event will be taking place in-person only at The London Archives on a Monday evening.
• The London Archives will close at 4.30pm, and will reopen for ticket holders at 6pm.
• Before the roundtable/performance you can see a one-off display of related original materials.
• Tickets are available for the whole evening (£20), or for the performance only (£15).

Provisional Schedule:

• 6pm - Doors open for Roundtable, and Document Display
• 6.30pm - Roundtable Discussion
• 7.30pm - Break / Doors open for performance-only ticketholders
• 7.45pm - Performance (standing)
• 8.30pm – Performance ends
• 9pm – Building closes