Dec 1661
| Originally Performed By | Zenzile |
| Music/Lyrics | Zenzilé Madikinea |
| Phish Debut | 1986-02-03 |
| Last Played | 1986-02-03 |
| Current Gap | 2120 |
| Historian | Ellis Godard (lemuria) |
| Last Update | 2011-09-30 |
History
Other than the title, little is known about Phish’s performance of this “song” (likely Zenzilé reciting poetry while Phish jammed, as with “The Pendulum”). The existence of this set of Zenzilé-only songs from 2/3/86 at Hunt’s was first documented in 2010 with the initial release of the Phish.com setlists. To call this set an official Phish performance may even be a stretch, as the official site notes that “Phish accompanied Zenzilé for his African rhythmic chants and rap.”
The song’s title, however, refers to a pivotal month in English history during which two enactments advanced the Church of England’s religious (and political) sovereignty vis-a-vis the Catholic Church: The 1661 Remonstrance, declaring allegiance to Charles II rather than the Pope, would become a source (and tool) of conflict in Ireland, while the Corporation Act prevented Catholics from holding public office.
Phish.net
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