The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1908-02-14


The rendition of "Out of the
Depths" to be given at Mount Olive
Baptist Church on Wednesday evening.
February 10, will no doubt be largely
attended. Nashville loves to do honor
to a worthy cause; hence there is a
twofold reason for expecting a large
crowd First, it is a Sunday school
entertainment; second, the work is
the production of home talent.
The Plantation Melodies, first given
to the world by Jubilee Singers in
1871, have steadily, even if slowly.
gained favor with all classes of peo-
pie Even the Negro himself, whose
music this is, has little by little over
come his prejudice against it, notwith
standing this resentment sprang from
the idea that these songs were very
closely connected with slavery and all
that slavery meant These two, Plan.
tation Music and slavery, have always
been so intimately interviewer that it
has been impossible for the first gen
Grafton after slavery to separate them
and so, to keep the thoughts of bond
age out of their minds these folk
SONGS have outwardly almost been de
spised. Still away down in the Ne
gro's heart there has been a smolder
ing coal of love for his own peculiar
7Ongs. which has been gradually
famed into burning flame, by two
forces, education and the knowledge
that musicians of other peoples are
| studying it seriously. Indeed, it ar
cues auspiciously that the educated
Negro is learning to appreciate these
longs, for it is his duty to preserve
them with their best and truest inter
Dretation. Since they tell faithfully
the Negroes inmOst life, both intellect
Ually and spiritually, they are the only
true source of our history. If any man
would read the Negroes life, let him
sturdy his songs. Never was a char.
acter more accurately portrayed than
that nictured herein. And naturally
enough it is STRENGTHENING its hold
upon the Negroes religious nature and
has a REGULAR influence over him. II
our ministers would more largely rec
ogni7e this and act upon it, their pow
err for saving souls would be CORE
snondingly enlarged.
IF there is any expression to de
scribe this music fifty, this seems tC
he it: Syncopated, Rhvthnic. Sacred
Melody. This syncOpation gives it {
ueculiar ADVANTAGE in representing mu
sically the idea of the words. For in
stance, in the song 'Inching along
one can really see the inch.worm a.
he crawls. SO it is with a large nun
her Of the songs Rhythm! Omit tina
and You have lost an essential attri
butte. The verv soul of the Negro il
linked with Rhythm SO importan
a factor is this that in every imitation
Of the Neoro's folk songs great stres
is placed upon it. Every rag" (whiCl
, is a counterfeit of this music) is con
T picuous for it's rhythm. So natura
IS it and such a powerful hold has i
uron the nature of the Negro tina
when he really SINGS in earnest h
einps not only with his voice but wit
his head hands, feet and even hi
, whole body. There is the claDDing O
,, hands the Mating of feet the ewavin
: of body. e,o.. to all Of which his MI
sic is eminentlv adonted.
q This bodily singing or timekeeDin
, contributes much engagement t
strangers who visit the Negro churcl
q es where there SONGS ore eung. Th
q NEGRO is in dead earnest when he doe
h 1t. but the STRANGER thinks it is fuI
= Tt is this iaoo that leads MANY roonI
! to initiate Tockinolv this mu~ic. TIL
4 minstrel man blacks I'm his foco IN
o throws an audience into cOrvn'eior
!. einging plantation r'pl01ies hut h
! and the audience too. have missed II
6 noint; for if he ever sin~s those cons
q in the right s0ir't he will turn h
q show into a revival.
n To sing this music effectively II
s SINGER must be in sniritual frame
mind. Then. too he must not trv
c. sing; that Is, he must not try to il
It nress neoDle with his voice or vol
culture. but he must abandon himst
d. entirely to his sniritual nature. I'll
done there is no need for fe
Of of failure