Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-03-03

TIE THEkTER.=Mrs. and Mr.. Band
mann were the attraction at the New
Memphis during the week. That success
which the great merits of Mr.. Bandmann
/ deserved did not attend che several rep
reservations that were given at the thea
ter during the week. Several circum-
stances conspired to produce this. The
| Thomas orchestra divided the public at
tention during three nights with Mr.
Bsndmaun. The weather YVES u1fsvora-
bic most of the time, and the lenten sea
son contributed not q little to produce
that lack Of interest in thestricsls which
was painfully evident on every night in
the rows of empty benches that were to
be sesn in the New Memphis. Against
all these u~nfavorable conditions the gent
us of Mr.. Bsndmsnn struggled in vain
The selection of the Merchant OF Ven
ice" for the first representation was an
fortunate. A plsy that requires so much
histrionie ability and careful study
in many of its characters as well
as in ShylOek, could hardly be
expected - he q success after the
disturbing influences Of travel, and
with q company whose training and hsb-
its were evidently not in a Shskspsrian
school. dead or Alive" on Tuesday
night, was more satisfactorily performed,
but TO q poor house. '"Nsrcisse," on
Wednesday and Thursday nights, failed
TO draw large houses, because the wealth
er was bad and ThOmss's orchestra, st the
GreenlsW 0~pers-hOuss, attracted all those
who were seeking amusement outdoors.
The bill for Friday night-Mr. Band
mann's beneht-Was made up OF comedy
and tsrce-"Garrick, F." "Happy PAIR and
Rough Diamond" These were not cal
culsted 10 draw the best features of Mr.
BandmGnn's acting. dead or Aliye'
and "The Robbers" made up the sttrso-
tiOns st the matinee and last night.
Taken all in all the " ek's amusement
was not a pecunisry success, though in
triinsicslly meritoriuus.
This week Johnny Allen and his COM
psny will take possession of the boards
in the comic style. He has q regular
troupe of singists and terpsichoresn art
lists that will attract large HOUSES during
the Resk.
TIE SONGS OF THE SoUTH.-Uuder this
hesdIDg the New York Evening Post dis
cussss the merits Of 8 band of cIlorsd
singers hailing from Tennessee, who have
undertaken to give concerts until they
have made $40 900, which IL to be applied
to the endowment OF the Fisk (freedmen's)
University in East Tennessee. This
group of cOlOred vocalists, who are all OF
Ehs unmistsksbls negro type, call them
selves b Jubilee Singers, snd are com-
posed Of five women ana four men. They
have gwen one concert In Now York at
SbsinWsy hall, and the Post ssysI Their
singing was really admirable, and with
the exception of the Dolby troupe, we
hsve had no cOncsrt singers whOse en-
SsmbEe is more perfect than theirs. The
women singers are better than the men,
Out they all Sing together in perfect time
and tune, while their pronunciation is
utterly tree from the conventional negro
dialect. The leading feature of these CON
certs, however, is in the strange and weird
negro melodies Of q religious order which
are sung by the freedmen of the South.
Like the Folk songs OF northern Europe,
they are often in the minor key, and they
contain progressions and phrases scarcely
allowable by the rules OF musical gram
mar; but they touch the heart with thsir
tenderness, while ct the same time they
smuse by their grotesqueness. Several of
them are a cToes bstWeen the negro min
strel "Wslk-sround" and 1.-THE camp meet
ing hymn; yet interpreted by THIS really
accomplished band Of singers they never
approach the ridiculous. The words pos
sess that wild, fervid, crude imager-
which Is so Irresistible to people OF limit
sd culture and excitsble temperament
Education and refinement added to this
excitability producs the hymns of q Yves |
ley or q Watts. These negro verifers
sometimes strike q real poetic chord
among much hat is semi. bar bsric. The
delights of a future state delight
them beyond measure. The harps, b
crowns, the trumpet calls, the classy sea
and b crystsl gates all sppesl ct ono to
their rather sensuous sense of the bsauti |
full. This poetry delights them, and 1t
is only an imperfect form of that descrip |
tive h~ymn-writing which has resulted in, |
for instance, the gorgeous Trinity Hymn
(by Wesley, We belleveh which contains
the lines
holy Holy Holy all the saint adore Thee;
Casting Gown their golden crowns upon the
CLASSY sea-"
As an example OF the pious rhspsodies
sung by these Jubilee Singers, we quote q
verse from q hymn called Steal away, |
steal away 70 jesus"
Lord calls me- be calls nls by the thun-
der; |
The trumpet sounds It in my soul,
Ihain't got long to stay here.
Green trees are bending-poor SINNERS stand
The trumpet sounds It, ! hear 1t in my soul,
1 hain't got long to stay here.
Steal away, steal away my LORD,
Ihain't got long 70 stay here"
The next stag is the same, save that
The word lightning" takes the place Of
thunder" and by such occasional modi-
the hymn can be continued al
most indefinitely. Very beautiful is the
entitled ''SWtng low, sweet char
lot, . in which thOBe words form q weird
"Ilooked over yonder, and what did I see,
Coming for TO carry me hOnaef
A band OF angels coming after me,
Coming Tor 70 carry me home
"Rou, Jordan, roll" Is one Of the
Itrangest pieces on the programme. In
he succeeding verses, the word sinners"
q replaced by christians" '~brothers,"
o sinners, you ought 20 have been there;
Yes, my Lord
A-sitting In the kingdom 70 hear Jordan !.
Very curious, too, is q solo well sung by
Jackson, the leading soprano Of
he troupe:
You NAV bury me IN the Hast you may bury
me In the West,
But I'LL hear the trumpet sound In that
morning.
Father Gabriel, In that day, hen take wings
and ny away
Ter 10 hear the trumpet sound In thai
morning.
In the morning, my 1 Ions 20 go
TO hear thou unpstsoundtn that morning.
n