The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1909-12-31
FAMOUS FISK oUARTETTE AT
HoME-TRlP THROUGH THE
EAST A SIGNAL SUCCESS.

EHOi - SOCCESS.
The Fisk Q~uartette, consisting OF
Messrs. j. w. Work, J. "A. Myers, A.
G. King and N. w. Ryder. is spend
ing the Christmas vacation at home.
This organization has been represent
ing Fisk University in the East, prin-
cipally in New York and New Eng
land, since last September. In some
ways they have gained recognition
enjoyed by no other band of Negro
singers, and were given testimonials
such as any artists would envy. Mrs.
Clinton B. Fisk gave an evening to
them in her drawing room, where
they sang to a very select audi
dience, among whom was the daugh-
ter of Jno. d. Rockefeller. At the
meeting of the Armstrong Association
they were upon the program with
Andrew Carnegie, at a banquet in
Hotel st. Denis, they furnished the
music, where the speakers were DIR.
w. H. Ward, of the independent
and DR.. Charles Jefferson, of Broad
way Tabernacle. Ten days were spent
in Boston and vicinity and at the
meeting of the American Missionary
Association in Burlington, VT. they
furnished music for the whole ses-
sion. The demand for this quar-
tet has come from church, Y. M. c..
A. chamber, hospital, insane asylums
and settlements, giving a varied eX-
perience. At Martha . Washington
Hotel in New York they sang where
DR.. Booker T. Washington was to
speak. DR.. Henry E. Krebbiel, the
Dean of American Critics." heard
them sing and among other things
stated that "a concert-goer might live
a lifetime and never hear such beau
tiful homogeneity Of tone as that
which they produce, nor such euphony,
perfection of unance and precision.
Save for its vital human quality,
which lifts it above all musical prod
ucts, this harmony sounds like that
OF a Well-tuned organ. A quartet of
instinctively excellent artists are
these Fisk Singers" DR.. Krebbiel is
an expert in Negro folk SONG and
writes for the New York Tribune, in
which paper the foregoing statement
appeared. The quartet had the inter-
esting experience of singing before
the "Friars,' an exclusive social club
of New York, before whom no Ne
groes have ever appeared. Mr.. Nor
ris Rumsey, leader of Lyceum Or
chestra and choirmaster of a large
Episcopal church, had this to say aft
Ell the entertainment was owe "You
could not produce better results from
any four voices picked from all the
professionals in New York. This work
was the best | ever heard of the
sort. This is a great deal to say
when at the very time he was speak
ing there were in New York at the
Manhattan and Metropolitan Opera
Houses the very best singers in the
world. At that same entertainment
it was announced that at the next
meeting the guest would be Bonci.
the great French Tenor, second only
to Caruso.
One more distinction which came
to the quartet was that they were EN-
ployed by contract to make records
for the Victor Talking Machine Com
pany for the next year. Ten records
have already been made, among
which are two readings, when Me
Indy Sings and "The Banjo Song
poems by Dunbar, by Mr.. Myers, who,
in addition to singing in the quartet,
reads the works of Dunbar, as prob.
ably no other person can. Taking ii
all in all the quartet has won a tri.
| IITnnh HNhA.r 1AAr-. .-sAIs
for Boston to take up their work
again, which will continue until May
LIST, 1910, when they return home.
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