Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-02-22
NEGRO LOVE OF MUSIC.
OF MUSICAL. POWER
WHlCH MAY STARTLE The WORLD.
Invention of Plantation Songs aud M-Io-
dies-How CoIored Converts Regard
secular Music-Strsnge ZsaI-Pos-
sibIlitIes Of the Future.


| ".leruSurlum .li- liSSrn how de boss
| kin knock tie music uulen dat fiddle
ircss de goodness if | could sling de
Ow IN dat ar Stile dis here yearth COUldn [
| in no wise hole dis niggur-it pears like
as how nv berry heart is alissen!ng.
This remark. made by youn freed
| man. suggested the thought that in dis
| cuSsing the negro character had failed
| 10 dwell upon their great love Of music.
which is quite an important element i'll
their make up. and Plantation melodies ="
is an expression which Is very familiar
even in northern ClimcS.
The negr, eS aS general thing. possess
strong and often melodious voices aud.
under cultivation. many vol rs might be
developed which would excel those of the
whites To me il is Il matter Of surprise
that some such incident has not startled
the world into an oi en- aCknowledg gment
of the great musical powers lying dor
manI in the brain reCcsscs of our dusky
trends
They invent one might say their own
music, and manufacture songs which are
devoid of all sense. aId yet when heard
al a distance one is often suSprised into
the exclamation. How well they sing"
This is especially in their religious meet
ing>. when they. with one accord DIN
their voices in praise TO their Divine
Maker. that is 10 His glorirCaiion ~ac
Cordng 10 their liLhtS.
Almost every plantation furnishes good
banjo and VIC i'll PLAYERS. who execute
well on both instruments. without any ad
vantagcs Of instruction or any knowledge
of music. One can find. also in nearly
all southern cities. large brass and string
bands. conducted entirely by Colorcd per
formers. who are constantly engaged by
the whites on all public and festive OC-
CaSiOns requiring music
! ven a simple harmoniCOn under their
manipulation, becomes little instrument
# rare melody and Sweetness and ct
this very music which delights their very
souls, or rather hearts. is accounted hv
Them q far greater sin than the wilIful
breaking Of the ten commandments No
member of any church ever touches a
musi, al instrument of anv kind aud TO
sing aughI but HYMN is, indeed, a
crime of matChlcsS magnitude
When banjo CT middle PLAYER is fOun
out by de grace oh de ord the first act
is 10 burn their instruments amid wild
dcnunCiatiurS he positively refusing to
give WAY or sell banjo or fiddle. "kasc
dat would he a finging ob temptation in
ing oh de dcbbil in his work often
they have warned me in the most solemn
manner that | could in no wise spec TO
enter in de glorious kingdom on high, if
| played on dem instruments oh destruC-
tion and 50 warped are their moral
views that swearing and speaking falsely
sre 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 en- oys We can
but wish that his zeal could he turned into
more enlightened channels
have ever before me- in my help,
Dora striking evidence of the
uaTnie>' 10 for music Three times has
she repented of her sins and been bap.
tiZcd, and each time She has been turned
out of the church for dancing and singing
de songs Oh old Satan
Often when ! have been PLAYING a
spirited racquet OF 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 fre.
guent changes \ few mornings since
while playing a galop she terms Dem
Jolly Breddreu, | saw through the wiz
dow my worthy domestic dancing furi
ously across the yard. braudishing in one
hand q grIdiron and in the other an
enormous dish rag, presenting in her in
tenslty a most Crutes lue appearance
As the "duskv wards of our nation aspire
now to many exalted positions, We may
yet expect to see some sable damsel ho d
ing spellbound "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
stronger and more flexible voice than the
white and with cultivation il is natural
10 suppose that wonderful results may be
obtained