The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-03-18
MRS. TUCKER TALKS
| On DARkEY SONGS
IP. E. o. Chapter Entertained by Mrs.
James Young, Delighted With
Program by This Gifted
Artist.
SINGS SEVERAL CHANTS
Chapter Members Enjoy st. Patrick's
Day Meeting to the Fullest
Extent Last
Evening.

The members OF the P. E.O. chapter
were entertained last night at the
home OF Mrs. James Young on Grand
avenue. Mrs. H. NJ Lourie of Spring
field, Ill.,, was an out of town guest
Mrs. Collingwood Tucker gave
charming program of negro folk
songs. AT the close OF the program
refreshments ware served, the color
scheme of which was in accord with
St Patrick's day green grape Ice
little cake patties with green icing.
wintsrgreen patties and candy pota
toes were some of the features.
Mrs. Tucker gave a talk in the
general characteristics which belong
to all felix songs and then spoke par
ticularly Of the negro folk songs and
their peculiarities She said in part:
The composers of folk songs become
lost; they sing the song and it lives
but they sink into oblivion and for
this reason the folk songs are imp T-
sonal as compared with the art songs.
Some one in defining them says, A
true folk song grows UP spontaneous
utterance without the influence OF
art The negroes had comparatively
| few working songs, theirs are largely
religious and they sang these as they
worked. This is probably due to the
| fact that the negro is by nature re-
| 1igious; he gets 'ligion' early in life
I and these spirituals are the earliest
| songs he learns. Very few of these
| tell a story, they are disjointedl and
| erratic and to make them understood
iby those who have not lived among
! the negroes of the south they need
good deal of explanation so you car
get the local color.
Are Not Preserved.
Mons of these songs have beef
4 written, the negTo's lack of education
preventing that A student of theS
songs going south today would flint
the greatest difficulty in getting evel
i hint of them. The negro is by ma
4 ture an initiative person and those
this generation much prefer Mood.
& Sanky to the songs of the oil
days. Even when | was a child !
| was difficult to get them. One hat
to go among the negroes when the.
were alone In their camp meetings
Many of these that have were got
ten by hiding among the trees an
listening while camp mseting wit
all its excitement and religious fel
vor was in progress. Some OF thes
+ / got in the best way OF all, from m
own black nanny who rocked an
sang, and rocked and sang again unit
the tired littls head fell over asleep.
: Mrs. fuckers Program.
Mrs. Tucker gave line of argumer
to prove that these negro songs ar
real American folk songs, not Africa
! folk songs. The Indians are morbit
! ly unmusical and they havs produce
! no songs and to the negro belong
the credit for having produced tn
! first American folk songs The pr
!, gram given last night included:
2 Keimo Kinio.
!. No More Auction Block for Me.
: Roll Out, Heave dat Cotton.
). | Wants to be Ready.
Oh Walk Togedder, Chillen.
v Weepin' Mary.
/ Crucifxus.
!, Mrs. Tucker has never been know
to be allowed to close progra
i without singing Happy Little Sa
! and so she sang that and ''Po LIT
Lamb" to the delight OF all who We
present