New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-11-06

friends. describing their visit aud reception
in this country. and relating all that ! new
and striking t. them, are quite Suf'!ccHi L.
convince any one that the writer's are not on
Is iuli Of intelligence and observation, but
are able also 10 give an aCCOuu, o. ali ;hcy
see and hear in letters, which de- credit a.lA"
10 their heads and hearts - far from bciu:
uueduclicd, question j. We were ever VIZ
tied by a company OF vocalist generally 80
well instructed and informed. one most de-
ci>lVe proof "i this appears 10 4 CIii'..' 900
one Of orr papers on saturday last, that
while SiuGin. IN the City Hall, " Zach wont
was Enumerated with ClcarnC>> and distinct
ness. which more cultivated musicians would
do well TO initiate What higher testimony
could be borne t. th.ir cultivation u than
this very statement. Nothing bot the mos
careful. training could produce th.s result, c.
especially when we remember that in speak
ing purely and correctly they have bad Pc
culiaT difficulties 10 overcome. Al our sinL-
ers- professional, public. and private w"ui
ID wei, in tbs respect, IL take lesson FROM
them. for the iul~InCt, incorrect, false. AMI
affected style Of pronunciation which our So
calistS have stumbled into. perhaps ir,m
care!eSSn5Ss, perhaps from ia>!unn, hJ- be
come an Acknowledged scaniIi. Another
assumption - that rs the Jubilee Singers
40 not come amongst A. a. !r1."r-
Nt'as.l4 ~EtlNs lltftttIt tl' 81 tllt At4tltt
unnecessary, and wol!i he unk.ud while
admitting the truth and Justice ofthi~ remark,
III - Lax aS the singers personally n" con
rrIned. are we tn understand from il that thr
range ot musical criticism docs not rNtcnl be-
NnHI mere professionalism Such uu.oTiu-
natrll. i ton often the case the composer
al the music or words : often never referred
to, but merely the voices OF the singers, and
>tNir al performances are dwclt upon. THIS
Is not ~ il oG1ht tr hr. and certainly ~
Glasgow IS not what & need nr. o.! "a "Gr
local press often alpva" tAr best mU~.,I!
crltigur> | see. Mat Is the charm wh,H
these Labilce Singers have brought with
them acroSSLhe Atlantic which acts ~ pow
rriul,y upon apon all classes e.; our people,
which draws crowds To- hear them. and lea,
ELECTED such marks %. sympathy, admiration,
and respect from the best ut orr ian! from
the Queen AMI Peers of the Realm, through
al! ranks and classes OF her Mujr~lN'> ~ui'-
leCt>. Their music j. beautifully simple. ~
also were the Swedish melodies -, Ic:H,
Lind. 80 also are the gems of national mel
odY-" Ar-hyd-N-nOs," Robin .NiurI,'
" rutli talli," katherine OI,r.' aIii
" Cranlachrer: - bat surely >uth iu.l,., :
not beyond Cra.oirm, and when Wilson ~:!ns
his Scottish songs, OF Jenny Lind her ~wrd-
Sh melodies, surely their singing was not
the less worthy OF notice because they lad
aside all professionalism, and sung with Tie
most perfect simplicity and naturalue>S Tie
songs of their homes 80 also with the JUbi-
lee Singers thelr songs are the SONGS -!
their people, for they had no homes The
melodies in al! their simplicity are touching,
effective, and Characteristic Why j. il that
at ore time they stir up their audience To- en-
thUSia>m and then melt them into tears.
Whence is the secret Of this wonderful power
"I their muSic-likc SapphoS al old -~urrl,
1t j. within the critics province to examine
auI TO tell. Al have admitted the peculiar
structure CT their music, and the CharlctcriS-
tic effects of their singing, Vet none have
fully explained these. Surely no subject
could be more worthy of attention The
words of MANY of their SOugS seem strange to
u.s. let us remember that they are the simple
but heartfelt uttcranCCs of an uncdu,atrd,
down-truddcH, and oppressed, though 4 long
enduring race. The ideas aud expressions
are very striking and peculiar, and if we only
read them in the light of the circumstances
and sutlerings which called them forth, we
shall be able 10 realize their full meaning.
They are not the words of mere Imagination.
or scntimcn;alitY but have a deep reality
drawn from the iumO>t soul. Let It's only
compare them with the silly iibald words OF
many Of our old English, Irish, scotch, and
Gaelic melodies and we shall at once see
INV ''i''iii superior lit HNlllitul tlltl
expression the SONGS of the poor Negro have
been to those of our country in days not lonY
gone by. We have been 50 long accustom-
ed to consider that which is merely artistic
and sensational music, that we have been
led too much to overlook that which is nqtu-
raj and true, and which touches our deepest
feelings. We forget that the highest triumph
Of at is to be natural. The singing Of th,,c
strangers is 50 natural that il does not nj once
1tpil I,.r.. 4, -
how careful and discriminating has been the
training bestowed upon them by their accom-
plished instructor and leader, who, though
retiring from public notice, deserves all
praise. He has shown ia how to call forth
the true Genius and power Of natural song,
and made us feel how lone touch OF nature
makes the world akin" Would that some
one would arise to do equal Justice Ia the
SonGS OF our native land
am, &c, {. L..
Andrr7OmIan tniver-.ty, glasgow, Oct