New-York tribune., 1909-09-12

asnriet original edition 10y LhSil'.S ,' rs.l-
IN SLe ssS pp NJ, is. iID''S'''0 - '''
3 IHsii'a's'
,sf,ions of this collection Of
~ the negro slaves Of the Southern
riuss -.o;r religious hymns, bore the title
e csl''o plantation Songs Sung by the
% Anso,,s- AM The old designation was
.fton -, - she new. for il raised no Ques-
+ "a, '..rning the meaning Of its terms and
''D0...'f - their employment. Very slowly
'S'i"' .,lrsong in its musical and literary
ssay % .,i-ire- scientific vaIue as a subdi-
sis - which. in turn. is branch
o. - - n ethnology. To this study
f So interesting contribution has been
% = she black people who titled the
20 and of rice in the days OF slavery.
o. -. interest comes from two sources;
Te''i'1 ~ slaves are practically the only
slss -.snc,s of their kind which meet
'o~A -. sefnition of folksongs-that is to
siei'l she only songs Of which we possess
u ,,,r,b.r which were created by an
'l'-'. -,rla 70 b. an expression Of their
'l'D' ,ho,c With them musical artists
-. 70 do: they gust grew like Topsy'
% = she usyoholeEy Of music VIII ind no
'lS ..,o,l7rine far that fact. Nowhere
H :. -,sr-atjons could the emotional life
y ...rtisI 10 N, creation Of true folk
,-,..lo,.ss. nowhere else was there the
.a.irr If the spiritual cause and the
S@' .r5 vehicle The white inhabitants
80, have never been in the state of
1 +--srpousness which prompts sponta-
.5.rs1 ,rtsrance. and folksOng must be
.rs and emotional i il is 10 have value
civilization has atrophied the
tsh creates n, phenomenon Some
,..r,r,- Is galvanized into life by vast
- ,,o-rsuts which shake all the fibres
s,risl and national existence; and
f,s fruits ID tae compositions Of the
/ ,nsicfans. Thus the War of the seces-
4 .srce6 songs psr-epthly imbued with
Il n folksong. Eut il is a singular fact
III ,s,riotie sorgs ~ The American people
II -, War II The Revolution and the War
rers literary and musical parodies Of
sorrS We took me music Of Yankee
end The Sta- Spar=led Banner from
/ RI. q the enemy
.-s cause If The interest which has long
-. .r -he slave songs Of the South j.
ss The Other cause lies in the songs
,-ss Many Of them have q charm 10
II on music lovers arc susceptible: the
i ..tsr are fuIl ~ moving beauty. IN the
/ category are tae songs which publish
-str Z The sentiments q their words
den ra-ho~ ~ tls.r melodies. They are
sufsriue undergone in slavery and
~ that d,llytrarle which should come
-rdatlon t. heaven after death. Long
s..f-s n. statement that the older
and tha more obscure its origin she
.,-5sul II u.s. Many or the songs which
~ added T. ths Hampton collection
-s 4 sopt.s,l.atl0r. They are easily
rgte tecaue- .t tEr-. use II poetical and
lhrases which lue.r easily and natu-
-He popular ear. conc of the most popular
aues q arranged plth elementary har-
Z what may be- called lhe sunday school
; ryIe is Bright SlaIklss in the Church
lis in no wise Characteristic Of true
sug but q medley of phrases initiated
n as songs popular an over the country a
-H OF more ago There ought 10 be no
the mind ~ an Investigator that if
Rocked in tie Cradle Of the Deep"
% TI teen sung Tire men and women work
ae tobacco factories Of Danvilie, Va,
j. rTr have joinel ln Mother. Rock Me
1adle al the Day" on internal evil
The same nat-re is plain that My
'Is Something That's New" is an echo
NJ HEIsn folksorg 2 IFS music and more
- s-h0 q hymn familiar 70 most Prot
~ T-nals IN rs -ezf. Toy this reason il
re -.e 70 say that his song came into ex-
ing after such excellent examples Of
as Hard T-a'-,7 Roll, Jordan,
Rse and Shire. - Great Campmeet-
l-I Re trom S1ku' Down and dozen
7--h might b. mentioned.
- @aes u articles ar fo,ksong and na-