Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-02-22
PERSONAL AND SOCIAL NEWS
NEGRO FOLKSONGS
ON THE PROGRAM
Unusual Group of Songs and
Piano Numbers al Wednes-
day Club Musicale

A most interesting and out-of-the-
ordinary program will be heard at
the seventh working musicale of the
Wednesday Club tomorrow morning.
The emotional content OF the music of
the Negro will be illustrated in song
and piano compositions.
Never has the folk-song of the
Negro race been so seriously consid-
cred as at the present time. In the
music of this people have been found
melodies of deep pathoS and OF great
joy which compare favorably with
and ofttimes surpass the folk-song
of those nations which stand for the
best in the realm of music.
Led by Louis Moreau Gottschalk.
and the Bohemian composer. Antonin
Dvorak, who embodied in his New
World Symphony" several of the
Southern plantation tunes. some of
our best-known musicians, MacDowell,
Chadwick. Kroeger. sydney Homer
and even the English modernist, Cyril
Scott, have discovered in these mel
odies an ineXhaustible mine OF musi-
cal ideas in this long neglected field.
AS Llszt used the folk-songs and
dances of the Hungarian peasant in
his immortal rhapsodies, so Coleridge-
Taylor, the most representative musi-
clan of his race. has used the quaint
and the barbaric melodies of the
South, East and West African, of the
Negro of the West Indies, of the North
American Negro, whose songs were
conceived in slavery, and therefore
nearly all of them show that undying
hope OF freedom. If not obtained in
this world, then surely over Jordan"
This longing produced the exquisite
'Spirituals' which are not found in
the music of anV other race
The lighter side of the Negro ma
ture is ably expressed in the BAN
boula," an African dance, indigenous
to the West Indies. This is danced to
melody of syncopated rhythm which
puts to shame the rag-time effusions
to which society lends willing ears
and obedient feet.
The program, arranged by Edwin
j. Decevee OF the Harrisburg Con-
servatory of Music, is here given as
it will be presented tomorrow morn
ing at Fahnestock Hall:
South Africa, Warriors Song, S
Coleridge- Taylor, Mrs. Henry; North
America, Emancipation songs, Many
Thousands Co." and Done Wild Drib-
er's Dribin,'' Spiritual song. Deep
River" harmonized by Edwin ]. De-
ceVee, Mrs. Decevee, Mrs. Cox, Dr.
Deeter, Miss Seaman; South East
Africa, Take Nabandji," Thata Ma
banJl. ldSe-IaNlor; west lndleS
The Bamboula. African Dance. Cole
ridge Taylor. Mrs Rhodes; Mississippi
River Songs. "Oh. Rock Me, Julie.
I'm Gwine to Alabamy," arranged by
Burleigh; Spirituals, Nobody Knows
the Trouble I've Seen" arranged by
Burleigh 4 Great Campmeetn. Mrs
Hull; West Africa Folklore Song and
Drum Call. 80 10 .ba," arranged by
Taylor. Mrs. Henry; Boyle County
Kentucky. Baptizing Hymn. arranged
by II. H. Huss; You may bury Me in
the Eas" arranged by Burleigh. Miss
Worley: American Negro, I'm
Troubled in Mind" arranged by Tay-
lor; my Lord Delivered Daniel" ar
ranged by Taylor. Miss Hess; Spirit
uals. Go Down, Moses" Swing Low
Sweet Chariot STEAL Away" Mrs
Decevee; Chanson Negre, lie Bananier,
i. NJ. Gottschalll, Miss Wittenmyer;
Since You Went Away" J. Rosamond
Johnson; Mammy's Lullaby, Sydney
Homer; Two Lovers and Lizette,
sydney Homer. Mrs. Harris; OF Br'er
Rabbit, from Fireside Tales, Mac
Dowell; Danse Negre, Cyril Scott
Miss Whitman; My Lady Chic. Afri-
can Love Song, Clough Leighter;
Carry Me Back to ole Virginny, Bland
Hilton, Chorus.