New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-13
Are the Songs Original?
ADJ. allaschek
and His Conten-
tion-How the
Songs Were
Made.
CHAPTER H.

II would never have occurred TO me TO
undertake TO prove the existence Of genu-
inc folksongs in America. and those the
songs which were created by the biacK
slaves of the Southern States. II the fact
OF such existence had not been denied
bv az least one writer who has affected
The scientific manner. and II had not be-
come the habit Of certain class OF
writer's I'm this country, while conceding
the interesting character Of the songs to
refuse them the right 20 be called Ameri-
can. 4 foolish pride on the part of one
class Of Americans Of more or less remote
English ancestry. and more easily I'M
dcgstood and more pardonable prejudice
on the part Of former Shareholders and
their descendants might explain this at
tItude In New England and the South, but
why a foreign writer. with whom a per-
sonal cQua Non should not have been In
any degree operative. should have gone
out Of his way 20 pronounce against the
originality Of the songs Of the American
negroes cannot be so readily understood.
Yet. In his book, Primitive Music. An
Inquiry Into the origin and Development
Of Music. Songs, Instruments, Dances and
Pantomimes OF Savage Races" G,ondon,
1850. DR. Richard Wallaschek says:
There still remains to be mentioned one
race which is spread all over America
and whose musical powers have attracted
the attention Of many EurOpeans-tho
negro race 10 may seem Inappropriate 20
treat of the negroes I'm this place, but u Is
OF their capabilities under the influence OF
culture that ] wish % make few re-
marks / think ! may say that, generally
speaking. these negro songs are very
much Overrated, and that as a rule, they
are mere limitations Of European cOmpO-
sitions which the negroes have picked up
and served up again with slight varia-
tons. Moreover. IL is a remarkable fact
that one author has frequently copied his
praise of negro songs from another and
determined from II the great capabilities
of the blacks. when a closer examination
would have revealed the fact that they
were not musical songs al all. but merely
simple poems. This is undoubtedly the
case with the oft quoted negro songs of
Day and Busch. The latter declares that
the lucrative business which negroes
made by singing their songs in the streets
Of American towns determined the whites
10 initiate them, and with blaCkened faces
10 perform their own compositions as
negro songs We must be on our guard
against the selections Of sO-called negro
songs which are often offered TO us as
negro compositions.
Miss McKim and Mr. Spaulding were
the first 10 try 20 make negro songs
known, the former Of whom. I'm COnnec-
ton with Allen and Ware, published a
large collection which for the most part
had been got together by the negroes Of
Collins Point and in the neighbOring
plantations al St Helena. / cannot think
that these and the rest Of the songs de-
serve the praise given by the editors, for
they are Enthusiastically "arranEed"-not 10
say icuorautly borrowed-from the. ma
ti0nal songs Of all nations, from military
signals. well known marches, German
student songs, etc, unless II Is pure ac-
C.dcut which has caused me 10 light upon
traces or so many Of them. Miss Mckim
herself SAYS 10 Is difficult 10 reproduce In
notes their peculiar cultural sounds and
InNthmiCal enectS-almOSt as difficult. I'm
fact. as with the songs of birds or the
tones of an aeOlian harp. Still, the
greater part Of negro music is civilized I'm
its character sometimes Influenced by
the whites, sometimes directly initiated
After this we may fOregO the necessity
for q thorough examination, although II
must be mentioned here, because the
songs are so often given without more
ado rs examples Of primitive music. II
IS. as matter Of fact no longer print
tive even in its wealth Of borrowed mel
ody. Feeling for harmony seems fairly
developed.
II was not Miss McKim. but Mr.. Allen
who called attention TO the civilized
character of tho music Of the slaves In
what Miss McKim said about difficulty
OF reproducing the entire character Of
the music, as she expresses Il, nv the
conventional symbols Of the art she ad-
duces a proof Of the primitive nature Of
some Of its elements. The study of these