The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-12-04
Music of the Port Royal Ne sroes.

The editor of Daoight's Jwrna2 Of
Music publishes a letter from Miss
Lucy McKim, of Philadelphia, accom>
panying a specimen of the songs in
vogue among the negroes about Port
Royal Miss MCKim accompanied
her father thither on recent visit
and writes as follows:
at is difficult to express the entire
character OF these negro ballads by
mere musical notes and signs. The
odd turns made in the throat, and the
rythmic effect produced by single
voices Ginning in at different irregu
lar intervals, seem almost as imp s,ible
to place on score as the singing of
birds or the notes Of Hollan harp
The airs, however can be reached.
They are too decided not to be under
stood, and their striking originality
would catch the ear of any musician.
Besids they are valuable as an express
ion Of the character ana life of the race
which is playing such conspicuous
part IN our history. The wild sad
strains tell, as the sufferers themselves
never could, OF crushed hopes, keen
sorrow, and dull daily misery which
covered them as hopelessly as the fog
from the rice swamps. On the other
hand, the words breathe a trusting
faith i'll rest in the future-in Cam
ans fair and happy land to which
their eyes are constantly turned.
"a complaint might be made against
these songs on the score Of monotony.
1t is true there is grear deal of ropes
tition Of the music, but that is to ac
commodate the leader, who, if be be
good one, is always an improvisation.
For instance, on the occasion, the
name of each of our party who was
present was dextrously introduced.
''As the same songs are sung at
every sort of work, ofcourse the tena23o
is not always alike On the water the
oars dip poor rosy to an andante: a
stout boy and gilI at the hominy mill
will make the same poor rosy fiv, to
keep up with the whirIing tone; and in
the evening, after the work is done.
'Heab'n shall be my home peals MP
slowly and mournfully from the dis
tant quarters. One woman-a respec>
table house servant who had lost oil
but one of her twenty-five children
said to me:
@sFshaWt don't see to desc yer chill
en- misse. Dey just rattles it off-dey
don't know how for sing it. likes
Poor Rosy better dan all de songs bur
it can't be sung witnouta full heart and
a troubled sperrit!'
All the songs make good baresrofes.
Whittier builded better shan he
knew when he wrote his. >song Of the
Negro Boatman.' 1t seemed wonders
fully applicable. as we were being
rowed across Hilton Head harbrr
among United States gunhoa1c the
Wabash and the Vermont lowering nm
either side. | thought the crew n5sst
strike mp
ana n,,assa tnk it day ob doom,
''Pe:haps the graniest singing we
heard was at the Baptist church on
St Helena Island when a congregation
ofthree hundred men aud women Joins
y
ed in a hymn.
Roll, Jordan, roll Jordan!
Roll Jordan. rolf
"It swelled forth like a triumphal
anthem. That same hymn was sang
by thousands of negroes on the Fourth
OF July last, when they marched il
procession under tho stars ana stripes,
cheering them for the first time
as the flag of or country A friend
writing from there, says that the cho-
rus was indesoribabIy grand-'that
the whole woods and world seemed
joining in that rolling sound.
"Fhere is much more in this new
and curious music Of which it is a |
temptation to write, but | must re~
member that it can speak for itself
better than any one tor it.
every respectfully,