Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-05-29
NEGRO LOVE OF MUSIC.
The Natural Taste and How 1t Has
Been Used fn the South.

Correspondence of Philadelphia Times.l
"Jerusurlum Jis lissen how de boss
KIN knock de music outen dat fiddle
Dress de goodness! if | could sling de
bow in dat ar stile dis here yearth
couldn't in no wise hold dis nigger-it
pears like as how my berry heart is a
lissening"
This remark, made by young freed
man, suggested the thought that in dis
cusslng the negro character | had failed
to dwell upon their great love of music,
which is quite an important element in
their makeup, and plantation melo-
dies" Is an expression which is very IA
miliar even in Northern climes.
The negroes, as a general thing, pos
sess very strong and often melodious
voices, and under cultivation many voices
might be developed which would excel
those of the whites To me it is amatter
of surprise that some such incident has
not startled the world into an open ac-
acknowledgements OF the great musical
powers lying dormant in the brain re-
cesses 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 surprised into
the exclamation: GLOW well they
sing" This is especially noticeable in
their religious meetings, when they, with
one accord, join their voices in praise to
their Divine Master, that is, to His gloli-
ication according to their rights
Almost every large plantation furnishes
good banjo and violin players, who exc
cute well on both instruments without
any advantages 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 performers, who are constantly
engaged by the whites on all public and
festive occasions 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 a church ever touches q
musical instrument OF any kind, and to
sing aught but "hymn' is indeed a
crime of matchless magnitude.
Where a banjo or fiddle player is 'foun'
out by de grace oh de Lord" the first act
is to burn their instruments amid wild
denunciations, he positively refusing to
give away or sell banjo or fiddle, "kase
that would be a-finging oh temptation in
de way OBJ yudders, and likewise be aid
ing OBJ the debbil in his work" Often
they have warned me in the most solemn
manner that could Gin no wise expec to
enter in de glorious kingdom on high if l
played on dem instruments of destruc-
tion;" 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 those
pleasures he most enjoys, we can but
wish that his zeal could be turned into
more enlightened channels.
l have ever before me, in my help
"Dora," a striking evidence of the
darkey's love of music. Three times she
has repented of her sins and been bap-
tized, and each time she has been turned
out of the church for dancing and singing
ode song OBJ ole Satin"
Often when | 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
perfect time in spite of any quick and
frequent changes. A few mornings since,
while playing a galop she terms "Dem
jolly Breddren," | saw through the win
dow nv worthy domestic dancing furl-
ousIv across the yard, brandishing in one
hand gridiron and in the other an
enormous dish-rag, presenting in her i'm
mensity a most grotesque appearance.
As the "dusky wards of our nation"
aspire now to many exalted positions,
we may yet expect to see some sable
damsei holding spellbound a refined and
cultured audience by the melody OF her
divinely enhancing voice, for it cannot be
denied that ordinarily the negro possesses
a stronger and more flexible voice than
the white, and with cultivation it is
natural to suppose that wonderful results
may be attained.