Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-02-18


nscle next "Wednesday, when English,
German, French, auJ vocallsts Of other
ns,ionalitie- will wsrble songs In their
own language. ayes" said one OF the
party, "therc will be one feature novel
to good many people. That will be q
band Of Indians singing In their
native language, and dancing In their
own peculiar fashion,"
"Do Indians really slnp?" inquired
one. 81 never heard that they knew
anything Of music"
"why,v responded another, "you've
heard Of Indian war songs, and death
songp, I am sure?"
ooh yes, many times, but have al.
ways thought of them rs sort Of
whooping or walling. But didn't
comprehend that the savages had any
idea OF time or tune"
But they uave; not much of tune, to
DO sure, from our standpoint, but Of
their precision In time there can be no
complaint. remember we'll the frat
time listened TO Indian music, In
camp OF about two hundred U,es who
had set up thor wicsiups In the Fifth
ward, west OF Fifth West street, and
Just across Mil creek, which then ran
through s 1t Lake city on Its way to
the jordan. That was more than
quarter OF q century ago. A number
OF boys from S TO II Yeas Of aye, who
found occasional employment la the
"dobie yard" wandered over TO the
Indian village ont summer afternoon.
The body OF the .ahoiigints, who had
spent tho greater portion OF the day In
begging expeditions sup town." had
returned anu partaken OF such food ~
they had gathered. We wandered
around, looking ut whatever aroused
our curiosity, and finally came up to
where forty or MY Indians were
seated In u group, listening TO n native
baud OF, vOcslists anu Instrumental.
lists, for there were both.
A large, well built aud healthy
looking young warrior sat In 'front.' OF
the entrance TO wickiup. Between
his khees was a drum, made OF
sheepskin drawn tightly over. hoop.
lie had one drum.slick, tho bulb
or head Of which was OF raw.
bide and, from the sound made
seemed 10 bs hollow and 20 con.
tain "a few pebbles 30 NJ to form SORT Of
rattle. Next 10 him sat another
"buck" with two sticks OF some hard
wood, about Is inches long and an
inch in diameter at the thick part, and
tapering to n point. Beyond this was
another young mau, and next TO him sat
still another, the latter having a kind
OF flute or whistle, witch was open at
both ends, and had three or four holes
for lingering. On the other side OF the
Indian with the drum, and who up
peared TO be the leader, were four or
i've "squsws," or women, without In
strumente.
Song after song was rendered by this
band, mostly In concert Sometimes
one OF the tquaws would sing verse |
alone, anu the rest would unite In |
the chorus, occasionally accompanied |
by some Of this spectators, but rs rule |
these RETAINED from Joining In. The
tune was on three notes, or four Mt the |
most, the variations being In the vol. |
ume OF sound rather than the tone. /
The choruses were regular, and were
nung in the highest strains OF the ,
voice.
The music was weird and strange,
sometim.a Iow a nd niaintiye and aya,n
Wild and mud The inaian Gha
man,nuIs,ed Tho whist,s moJu,"iaJ
10 s,i, m, occa.io, tha nn, nnn,ns,,ai
sound sent foyth the noi.s h.ina sharn
and shrill mr. Inv and sweet M thr
song demanded. He OF the sticks
sometimes beat them on each other,
sometimes on the ground or on his
blanket, while the leader tapped
away with ali b,s miybt ,ccara,ngIv
as III, voices wnr, snit ar loud tx.
m,n,s voIces sounded som.w mi ba,ah
as thew yrunted out their noies iut
those Of tbe woman were Tion ans
musicaI. In the chorus,. and whnn-
ever the inatr,menta wer, useJ. nil nj
The hand IoineJ in tbe song and tba
'''
ny yen, az. hs, Ia, an, All, Ia,
'"''"' Wv "' ''"' ""'
winch followed every verse OF every
song was amusing, II not nc.
cording TO the strict rules OF har-
m0ny rs we know them. The
words sung we could not under
s'anu, but some OF them seemed To be
,hpfomplu, WhiIe DINERS were famil.
iH 10 all Inc native hearers.
but new or old, there was no break
down In any vocal effort.
ms IN not, however, ell there Ia OF
lhuian music. jewish history in
lofms US that Jubal was the "iather OF
All such as handle tho harp anu
orgap," anu he was probably the first