New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-17
MUSIC.
TuE MrRILEE SINGERS.

The continued popularity of the Jubilee Singers
was attested by the gathering o. numerous audi
cnce in CnicAerng Hall last night. and by the de-
lighted manner in which the applause was gwen
after nearly every piece in the programme. This,
after the organization and dozens of its mitatOrs
have been giving public entertainments for ten
wears. is strong evidence of the fascination
which the matter and the manner of
their singing exert. Some change has come over the
unique music of this concert company since it began
its career. The element of newness has been worn
off. and there has, consequently, been
slight loss of interest. to replace which
a finished and artistic style Of singing
and more art fetal kind of music have been IN
trcduced. Both find favor with the public, but it
is plain that the process has not added to the value
which the concerts have always had for students OF
music
It was the deep pathos the in
tense dramatic feeling which came
n a natural expression of hereditary relic Of
save-lfe which originally composed the chief char
acterstie of their singing This still find, but
not in the same degree before; re-
fning process has been at work and
some of the primitive wildness has
been CLOSED over, just as in the
music itself the singular effect Of the quaint csdenc-
es has been sacrificed by the desire TO use instru-
mental accomplishments and hamOnies. The eyo-
lution going on is one that is perfectly
natural, but but for many reasons 1t is
to be regretted The attention which the
singing of the first band of Jubilee Singers attracted
ia England and Germany was least of all due to
that which was artistic in their performance; 1t
was the interesting phenomenon of a primitive art,
still rooted in the strong emo ions of
people with history of wrongs aud
oppression only, that appeaIed TO the cultured
4. ,frag t.-ll ha itx 1ff loGp
vestges of the slaves national character shall dis
appear before they have been made the subject of
investigation by some musical thinker. They are
full of matter for curious study.
Their melodIc construction. for instance, calls for
i1ouiry OF course the revival songs, which
have been made most familiar are only portion OF
the peculiar music of the American slaves, and, per-
haps, not the most characteristic portion. but liz
vestigatien shows that nearly if not quite
one-half Of all these songs in the sO-caed PEN
tatonic scale, that is the Occidental major scale,
emitting the fourth aud seventh. The scale
is that of all old Chinese music aud of
most of the old Scottish and Irish airs.
What is the reason of this singular relationship :
1t has certainly not come from imitation alone, for
the scale is the natural OF several of the musical
instruments of Nuba, Abyssinia and other African
countries and these were surely not tuned III har-
mony with any of the ballads Of Britain.
But there is another peculiarly of this music,
which is even more singular. 1t is the incessant
use of the rhythmcal effect which used to be called
the Scotch snap" or catch" 1t consists in Civ
ing the first and accented note of figure OF two
only a fraction of the duration of the second.
This is so prevalent in Scottish that it is sup
posed to have originated in the strathspey, but 1t
gives such incisiveness 10 the rhythm and such
swing and motion to the melody that 1t at one time
81 Of
opera writer's rs DR.. Burney points out How TO
account for il in this slave music is an interesting
question II is almost unknown OUTSIDE of the
Scottish, Irlsh and Welsh ballads and the music of
the Magyars Singuarly enough, an examination
of the music printed in number of books OF travel
in Africa discovers a great many examples OF tie
snap" or something very like it. An Ashantee
dirge noted by Bowdtch, an air OF the kalirs OF
| Natal quoted by Enge in his book on national
music. the song of a negro IN Upper Guinea, and
numerous pther songs the music Of which has been
taken down by travellers all show this rhythmlcal
peculiarty 1t would not be violent to see in this
| feature of the music Of the slaves an undoubted
relic of primitive African art. In all probability 1t
| grew out Of some popularity of the languages OF
| the Slave Coast. Dr. Aurel Watched. who is the
leading authority in Europe all that pertains to
the music of the Hungarians, said. in an article
pu blished in the Muskalisches WocheablaH in 1875
that the rhythmcal construction Of their ballads Is
most closely Oiled to the popularity of the Magyar
| language, which distinguishes the short aud long
| syllabes much more sharply than any other Edro-
| pean language The Magyar melodies are full OF
| this same rhythmical effect, and II 1t was condi-
toned in this case by the spirit of the language it
may have been IN another. Certain 1t Is that I'M
proyisation which is the Legitimate and universal
| expression of uncivized music. would be ciogged
npless the RHYTHM of both words and music could
flow together We know that this was the case
| with Greek music.
But we only suggest these things here in order TO
show how inviting and promising the field Is 10 one
| who wishes to search Even the poetcai construc-
ton of the songs unique here for their reirains,
| might be- found 10 have an Africsn origin. The
music of the slaves is our only distinctively Ameri
| can musio that OF the Indians amounts to next to
nothing. Why would 1t not repay analysis and
| groundingi
MUSICAL NOTES.
The Euterpe Society will give series of three
concerts at Chckering Hall on February 10, March
| 10 and April 10. At the first concert the pro