Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1880-12-29
..No place for Them, i'm the 1nn.,

little company of emancipated slaves set
out to secure the sum of $4,000 for the
known and impoverished school in which
| they were students. They commenced their
concerts when greatly in want of money and
clothing for their personal needs. Yet in
Jess than three years they raised nearly one
hundred thousand dollars. At this arrange
ments were made for these singers, then
known as the Fisk choir to sing at the
| National Teachers association in Nashville.
This caused great disgust, and some profane-
| ly said it was pity that ''the - niggers
could not be kept in their places" but these
'tniggers'' sang so sweetly that they became
popular and were in demand everywhere.
They sang in two leading churches next, in
Cincinnati, the second audience very large.
| but contributions small. It was on the very
Sunday and Monday SO well remembered all
| over the world that the great Chicago fire
swept away the houses of one hundred
thousand people and property to the value
of $500, 900, 600 These singers out of
money and in debt, donated the proceeds of
| their first paid concert to the sufferers of
| that fire. The papers at Cincinnati named
| them "a band of negro MINISTRIES who call
| themselves colored Christian singers" Mr.
White at their next concert gave them their
now noted name, ''The Jubilee Singers of
Fisk University They sang at Elmira in
| the First Presbyterian church greatly to the
delight of those who heard them, and their
fame reached Brooklyn, where Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher introduced them at the close of
Friday evening meeting to sing few of
their slave songs. The New York press the
next morning headed column with Beech
er's negro minstrels'' Their remarka-
BILE singing created a demand. Rev. Drs
Talmage, Cuyler, Storrs, Scudder, Burchard
and Buddington invited them to their
churches, and people of the highest cul-
&11ro o11d no HooE fn hair
certs. Rev. DR.. Cuyler wrote an article to
the New York Tribune saying: 81 never
saw a cultivated Brooklyn assemblage SO
moved and melted under the magnetism of
music before" Next they appeared in Con
necticut, at New Haven, where there was mo
place for them in the inn" the principal no.
tells refusing to receive them (as~ other
guests) on account of their color This
troupe and their manager, George L. White,
were, however, entertained by Rev. E.
L. Clark, pastor of the North church,
Deacon Atwater Treat, DIR. Charles
L. Ives and John q. North, Esq.
During Sunday several Sunday schools were
visited, and at the North church the after
noon praise service was conducted by these
singers, SO that at the evening service the
church was far too small to contain the audi
ence gathered, and thus the enthusiasm grew
to high water mark, and at their concert dur
ing the week over 81, 200 was raised. The
next Sunday evening they sang in Norwich,
where they were guests of the late distin-
guished war Governor and Senator, William
A. Buckingham. They sang in Bristol
Bridgeport. Winsted, Meriden and Middle
town, where the Douglass Manufacturing
company asked the party to take from its cat
alogue any goods the University might need. |
Meriden gave outfits of silyerware |
for the dining hall, gas fixtures, |
and other articles made in that town, SO that |
the gross income for seven days campaign in |
Connecticut exceeded $3, 900. When the |
proprietor of the Sterling House in Bridge |
port was criticised concerning the enter |
tainment of these colored people, by his |
boarders he replied, 81 keep this hotel. u
Success attended these singers, SO that
at a visit to Washington, D. c., the
President, Vice President and many members
of Congress came to theifeoncerts with their
families. They were invited to Philadelphia |
by letter signed Geo. H. Stuart Jay Cooke,
Rev Dr. Halves, (now of this city, Bishop |
Simpson, Rev. DR.. Newman, John Wanna
maker and others, and they occupied one of
the finest halls in the U. s.. the Academy of
Music, which building was thronged night
after night.
Their first visit to London was marked
with success. Rev. Newman Hall, Mr.. and
Mrs Gladstone, Lord Shaftesbury, Rev H.
T. Robiohns did much to introduce them, SO
hat they received great honers from the
presence and manifestations of delight of
Queen Victoria and the Emperor and Ena-
press of Germany, the King and Queen of
he Netherlands and many others. They gave
yreat concerts in the tabernacle of Rev. G.
4. Spurgeon, who said he never so enjoyed
music in his life. ~ The singers give mat
nee this afternoon at o'clock, concerts to-
light and tomorrow night, at Pecks Grand
opera House, at O'Clock. Tickets at
Ioomis' music store.