, 1885-07-09
NEGRO LOVE OF MUSIC.
POSSIBILITIES OF MUSICAL POWER
WHICH MAY sTARTLE THE WORLD.


Alabama Cor. Philadelphia Timesl
-Jerusurluml Jis lissen how de boss
kin knock the music outen dat fiddle
Bress de goodness II / could sling do
ow in dat ar stiie dis here yearth couldn !
In no wise hole dis niggur-it pears like
as how my berry heart Is a-issening
This remark. made by a young freed
man, suggested the thought that in dis,
cussing the negro character | had failed
to dwell upon their great love Of music.
which is quite an Important element In
their make up. and plantation melodies
Is an expression which Is very familiar
even in northern climes.
The negroes. as a general thing. possess
strong and often melodious voices. aud,
under cultivation. many voices might be
developed which would excel those OF the
whites To me. 1t Is a matter OF surprise
that some such incident has not startled
the world into an open acknowledgment
Of the great musical powers lying dor
mant in the brain recesses of our dusky
friends.
They invent. one might say, their own
music, and manufacture songs which are
devoid Of all sense. and yet. when heard
at a distance, one Is often susprised into
the exclamation: How well they singh
This is especially in their religious meet
ings. when they, with one accord. DIN
their voices In praise to their Divine
Maker. that is TO His glorifcation -ac-
cording to their lights. "
Almost every plantation furnishes good
ban 10 and violin players, who execute
well on both instruments. without any adj
vantages Of instruction or any knowledge
Of music One can find. also. in nearly
all southern cities. large brass and string
bands, conducted entirely by colored per
formers. who are constantly engaged by
the whites on all public and festive oc-
casions requiring music.
Even a simple harmonicon. under their
manipulation. becomes a little instrument
Of rare melody and sweetness. and yet
this very music which delights their very
souls, or rather hearts. Is accounted by
them a far greater sin than the willful
breaking of the ten commandments No
member of any church ever touches a
musical instrument of any kind. and to
sing aught but a hymn" Is, indeed, a
crime OF matches magnitude.
When a banjo or fiddle player lis foun'
out by de grace OBJ de 1 ord. ~ the first act
Is TO burn their instruments amid wild
denunciations, he positively refusing 10
give way or sell a banjo or fiddle. ~kase
dat would be a.finging OBJ temptation in
de way OBJ yudders. and likewise be aid
Ing OBJ de debbil in his work. Often
hhII law WI ~ a. ALC
manner that | could ~in no wise spec TO
enter in de glorious kingdom on high. II
| played on dem instruments oh dcstruc-
tion:r and so warped are their moral
views that swearing and speaking falsely
are small vices compared TO music and
dancing.
When we consider that for the sake of
his religion the negro gives up willingly
those pleasures he most enjoys. we can
but wish that his zeal could be turned into
more enlightened channels.
l nave ever before me, In my help.
Dora a striking evidence Of the
darkies' 10 e for music. Three times has
she repented Of her sins and been bap-
tized. and each time she has been turned
out of the church for dancing and singing
de songs OBJ old Satan. "
Often when I have been playing =
spirited racquet or galop | have seen
Dora throw aside any work she might be
engaged in and rapidly dance from one
side Of the yard to the other. keeping per.
feet time in spite OF my quick and fire.
quent changes A few mornings since.
while playing a galop she terms Dem
dow my worthy domestic dancing furi-
ously across the yard. brandishing In one
hand a gridiron and In the other an
enormous dish rag, presenting in her in
tensity a most grotesque appearance.
As h "dusky wards of our nation " aspire
now to many exalted positions. we may
yet expect 10 see some sable damsel hold
Ing s%pellbound a refined and critical audi
ence by the melody OF her divinely en-
trancing voice. for it can not be denied
that ordinarily the negro possesses a
stronger and more flexible voice thar the
white, and with cultivation 1t Is natural
to suppose that wonderful results may be
obtained.