New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-02-12
From the Liverpool Daily Albion, Jan. 1911
Tisc Jubilee sinscrs in a.,ycrpoo,.

appearance in Liverpool has been for some
time looked forward to with interest by those
acquainted with the object of their visit Ia
! England, gave their first concert in the
philharmonic Hall last night, before n M
merous and appreciative audience. These
singers have now been for some time in fine
country, and have excited considerable enthu-
siasm in every town they have visited This
success has doubtless been mainly owing
to the unique cha acter ef their entertain
mcnt-if such it can be called-but some
share of it is doubtless due to the interest
which attaches to the circumstances con-
| nccted with their musical campaign. Early
last year we noticed in our reviewing col
uinns, work written by Mr.. G.. ID. Pike, aud
| published by McsSrs. Holder and StourhtO
III which these circumstances were detailed
in very full and interesting manner; and
to those who desire more information con.
| corning these sable minstres than our space
will allow us to give, we heartily recommend
this record of their vocal labors in cause
which must command universal sympathy
and support.
1t is well known that ut the conclusion of
the late civil war the condition of the eman-
clpated slaves at the South was of a most
melancholy and deplorablc character. In
addition to their physical deprivations. they
were found to be, in many instances, in a
state OF mental degradation almost rs great
as that OF the savage and it was strongly
felt by clear-sightcd philanthropists that
little permanent Improvement in their condi-
ton could be expected unless some means
were at once taken to ensure their intcllec-
tual and more elevation. Little time was
lost, and in 1866, at Na1hville, Tennessee.
school was opened which was named the
Fisk School, after General Clinton Il. Fisk,
who was Tor time in charge of the Nash
vile freedmen's Bureau. The attendance
at this school averaged over | 900 pupils until
1867 when the city made some provision for
public schools where colored children might
be educated. After this change, which re-
lievcd the Fisk school of its Youngest
students, portion of its buildings was trans
formed into dOrnitOries, and the place began
to assume the appearance of college. Stu
dents eager Ter higher education BEGAN to
gather from all quarters; and the annual
attendance since that time has been more
than four hundred, about one hundred of
whom have come from distance and boarded
at the institution. The numbers soon he
came greater than could be accommodated:
and it was clearly seen by all who were in
tcrcstcd in the movement that n new site
appropriate and ample, must be secured and
permanent university buildings erected in
place of those fast falling into decay. Before
the first step could be taken large sum OF
money must be secured, and in order to OBJ
tain it Professor G. J. White and number
of students volunteered to 90 out for n season
and do what they could by giving concerts in
the principal cities of the North. This band
commenced its tour On the 9th of October.
1871, and remained in the field until the Nav
following, wlssi t!ey returned with twenty
thousand dollars o. the result of ,ieir ven
tlttn To fhn T.; 4,
tended to be done, a further sum of twonty-
| five thousand dollars wss required; and.
encouraged by their success i'll the North,
the singers boldly resolved to cndeavor to
make up the needed amount by Il more ad-
| vcnturous journey through England and
| Scotland. SO far their tour has been a pros
porous one, and we do not think they will DC
disappointed with their reception in Liver
pool. Two or three days ago tickets for The
great majority of the places were not to be
obtained, and when the hour of the concert
arrived, the Philharmonic Hall was crowded
| by an audience us large us any which has
| ever assembled in the same place to the SUI
| prcme artistic efforts Of Matlllc. Tiiien5 or
| Mr.. Sims Reeves.
| The chair was taken by the Rev. II. Stovcll
Brown, who briefly alluded to the facts we
have given, and bespoke a hearty welcome
| to the Jubilee Singers, not oaly as musical
artists, but as noble laborcrs in the cause of
education. In the midst of the applause the
singers, eleven in number, rose from their
seats and commenced the concert by lnginc
q singularly soft and rlaintivc melody, the
recurring refrain of which consisted of the
words
"Sieal away, steal away, steal away 20 Jesus :;
| Steal away, steal away, Lord
| haint got long to stay here
They had not sung a dozen notes when the
disappointed or to be merely amused by an
exhibition of negro cccentrcities. The mar
vellOus Equality of the voices-that strange
sympathetic power which is not the posses
sion of an individual, but the dover of a race,
which has often been described, but can only
be known by hearing it-at once arrested
attention and secured success. The next
F selection. "Gwinc to ride up in the Chariot
was very different in character, and forcibly
suggested the rollicking melodies which
formed such prominent feature of planta.
ton life in the old days of slavery. Antici-
pations of Meeting massa Jesus" and
"Chattering with the angels" brought al
once into the Philharmonic Hall the spritua
, atmosphere of camp-meeting in the woods
of Kentucky. Still more characteristic, i
possible, was ''The Gospel Train" of which
some idea may be obtained from the follow
ing verse:
"She's nearing now the station.
o, sinner don't be vain,
But come and get your ticket,
And be ready for the train.
. Chorus-Get on board children,
, Get on board, children,
For there's room for many a M ore.
q We cannot stay to particuiarize all the melo
dies in long and varied programme. TIL
wild plalntiveness of some, which were al
? most unique, or which seemed so to an Eng
G lish audience, was, perhaps from its unf,
n mility, not so highly appreciated as the char
acteristic humor of the livclier songs thong
for real beauty and true pathos the forme
d could not be surpassed. Some of the hume,
i GUS touches told well, particularly the numel
q Gus hits at ''ole Pharoah," who seems t
occupy for the negro the same position tina
+ Guy FawIes does for us. The intense salts
}, faction with which the singers celebrated tn
/ drowning Of the Egyptian monarch create
n a general laugh. On the whole the frs
: concert of the Jubilee Mnstrels must be prt
% nounced great treat and n genuine success
: On next Thursday evening another will
8 held which will give those who last nigl
/. were too late to secure tickets a chance
% hearing these real negro vocalists.