The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-02-06
BIG AUDIENCE HEARS CONTEST.
ANTS.
Master j.. H. Steele Of Geo. r.. Smith
College Lands "cup" for his School.
NO DECISION FOR MUSICAL
HoNoRS.

IhSiNNNSs
1t was altogether a big hearted anc
generous audience that actually filled
Historic Aliens Auditorium on Fri
day evening on January 20. The oc
casion was the Oratorical contest
given under auspices of the local
branch of the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored PEG
pie. There we're several important
colleges heralded as participants but
only the following materialized: Yves
tern University, Quindaro Kansas;
Bartlett High school, st. Joseph, Mo.
Geo. r. Smith College, Sedalia, Mo.
and our own Lincoln High" The
contest discovered many fine points
in oratory and not a few pleasing
phases of the Negroes musical genius,
gifts which God has poured upon his
soul as If divinely understood that he
needs song to inspire and cheer as
well as oratory to, incite and in.
struct. Here was a feast of both, and
this broadguaged audience partook
and drank in the sweet delights which
served as good food for the mind and
as wine Of inspiration for the soul. 1t
was the Western University chorus
directed by Prof. Jackson that rend-
cred the first musical number on pro.
gram. This selection put the audi.
ence in a fine humor to hear the first
contestants sing for the cup" 1t
was the boys Glee club Lincoln High
who sang two fairly pleasing num-
bers.
Meredith Lee of Bartlett High
school, st. Joseph, Mo-, followed with
an grafton, Against the Domination
of the Labor Union in Politics" The
merit of this effort consiste dchiefy
in a fine enunciation. His broad
sides" lacked unity with his vocal ex-
preston for instance the young or
ator would hold out his deft arm ex-
tremely long after he had already en-
phasized a particular thought. The
point is this: If gesture is an allow
able feature in oratory then it must
be in perfect harmony with the vo-
considered an asset. However with
more coaching and a studious care in
making a more brilliant climax this
young man will win a place in the
future. J. H. Steele of Geo. r. Smith
college was next for an Grafton on,
Vision of Higher Things" He start
ed his preoration in what everyone
discovered was too high a pitch. The
thought was extremely elevated and
the ~praseology quite difficult although
the speaker seemed equal to the &C.
casion in spite of an apparent un.
easiness which the audience noticed
but was surprised to see the lad leave
the rostrum quite suddenly after hav-
ing an explosion of rich verbiage.
Whatwas the matter? People asked.
Someone said he tainted, but the very
thoughtful will exclude the idea al
together as being impossible. (They
say Negroes cannot fair let us as
sign some simple reason for instance:
A too sudden ascension t. a high al
titude of an extremely high pitched
tone or as the doctors would simply
say, "A case of hydrolyficated compli-
cation" But fainting? Never!!!
Give me another chance the boy
said as he was led to one of the
church's offices. We shall see him
later on.
This time Western University was
to sing in the contest for the Cup"
Let us state right here that under the
divine influence of a perfect rendition
Of song, as this chorus gave, it would
have been disastrous to the aspira-
were seeking musical honors to have
a decision rendered on pure merit, for
the selection that was sung by the
Westernites produced more than ordi-
nary music. The song starts with
fine effect, the Magnetic director the
incompatible Jackson motioning his
wand, forty or more voices burst forth
in musical acclaim and as suddenly
melt in a soft and dying dream,
whilst the leading soprano reaches
out with this wonderful association:
He shall feed his flock like a shep-
herd
And carry the young lambs in his
BOSOM"
The chorus answering tunefully:
Listen to the Lamb A-Crying, Listen
to the Lamb, A-A-A-A- Listen Re-
member this is taken up as with one
voice by the chorus lik ethe solemn
tone organ. Now a tremendous gath
ering of voices, fairly shaking the
roof, then a waving sound now SOFT,
now sharp, now weird and happy as
they sing v again: Listen to the
Lamb" with the most thrilling musi-
cal rumbling imaginable until with a
few operate fiourishes they chop off
the effective say it was good that
there was decision.
The Nations Legacy called forth
up to the time, the best there was in
oratory--Miss Marion Brown, Lincoln
High school u local representative
took up the Evolutionary art and so
satisfied the audience to the extent
that most of the auditors dissented
from the decision rendered later by
the judges against her in favor of
Miss Eva Jessie of Western Univer-
sity who really delivered a fine ora
tion on, Swinging She showed a
splendid voice with natural ease and
flow, making clear the subject mat
ter giving nice pointed Illustrations
such as on, Failure" and other we'll
turned expressions which the audi
ence understood and annraciated Put