New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-14
MUSIC NOTES.
Songs of american Negroes Ne1O
officers for Guild of OrganiSt8.

Mrs Jeanette Robinson Murphy will lecture
the Primitive Songs and Folklore of the
Southern Negroes at the Waldorf-Astoria to-
morrow evening singing the songs herself and
having Miss Mathilde DressIer fill couple of
rests with music from the violonceLo. Follow
ing is the programme of the entertainment:
Typical African hymns:
Af Fn f iqms Pray Fray Tell Me "n@F ter Go an
FaF25o aTs IS %ss AMY 61 ETns ter
Backslding song. Sinner. Yer Walkln' Slender
Farewell song to the dying "see Ma Mudder. Tell Her
Song sung by the dying. 'Eberybody Lib but Ne"
Washing window song. y Don't Want to be Buried
Shouting songs, Sisters Come On. Let's Go ROM
'Jim5s Present to judy. a bit of wifely devotion)
Andante .Goermann
Miss Dressier oO''''
youdooism-Anoient and modern.
HANDS f5o% BE Became new White f inc -'9Sf0S'
IaFa'ee Miss nressier "copper"
The following numbers are given in The re2I h2espun
Lullabies-'anLel obeyed His Fadder's Call-Dont You
De Old Ark = Movern'"
For wo Ss and music By Mrs Murphy
Miss Mary Tyler at the piano.
Mrs. Murphy asserts many things in her Iect-
ure about the songs of the Southern negroes
which sound strange to other workers in the
field OF musical FOLKLORE. She would have the
people believe that even the "spirituals" are
Ethiopian, IAN absolute Importation" and there
fore in no sense the folk-songs OF America"
We do not know that anybody has ever called
the slave songs the folk-songs of America"
Mr.. Krehbiel, who led in the study for the pres
ent generation, has contended only that they
were american folk-songs." AS a matter of
fact. their relationship with African music is
49,
songs they We're developed here, and show an
amagamation of primitive and modern ele-
ments. To uphold her position Mrs Murphy be-
lieves that the primitive negroes brought here
as slaves knew, as part of their religion, many
interesting variants Of our own Bible stories.
even the Ten Commandments having been
taught them for centuries by certain leaders Of
their tribe. The negroes themselves maintain
that these Bible tales We're introduced into
Africa through the great Queen of Sheba."
Africa was more or less in touch with the
Oldest civilization" she adds. This is true; but
the African is not necessarily negro; in fact,
the negro occupies but a small part of Africa,
and it Is yet TO be discovered that the Slave
Coast was in touch with ancient civilizations.
Mrs. Murphy prints list of patrons on which
appears the name of Mrs. jefferson Davis. She
also gives the little song printed herewith as a
lullaby which used to be sung by the black
nanny who nursed Mrs. Davis. This nanny,
or at least her song, we should say came from
the West Indies. With a fading" or with
fadding," as a refrain is at least as old
Shakespeare. In "A Winters Tale" the servant
says of Autoycus: He hath songs for man or
woman, of all sizes; no milliner fit his
customers with gloves; he has the prettiest love
songs for maids; with such delicate
burdens of dildos and fadings" One of the ball
lads in the Pepys collection entitled THE
Merry Forester" preserves the fact that there
was popular tune called with a fading"
1.-The Fading" says ChappelI, as the name of
an Irish dance, but With a Fading Cor fad
dingD seems to be used as a nonsense burden.
like Derry down. Hey nonny. nonny no. etc"