The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1917-05-19
BURLEICH WINS
SP|NCARN MEDAL
Noted Composer Given Famous
Prize at Washington.
AWARDED BY SENATOR JONES

leigh's Rise From Obscurity to Ma
tional Prominence In the Musical
World-Rieh Trophy 10 Donated An
nuaIly by Dr.. J. e. spinsarn. :,
By N. BARNETT DODSoN.
Washington, May 10. - The third
Spingarn medal was awarded here last
night to Henry Thacker Burleigh of
New York, the distinguished composer
Of songs, at a meeting in the First
Congregational church, held under the
auspices of the National Association
For the Advancement of Colored Peo-
pie. Moorfeld Storey Of Boston, the
national president of the association,
presided. The presentation was made
by Hon. Wesley L. Jones, United
States senator from Washington.
The Spingarn medal Is awarded an
nually to the man or woman Of Afri-
can descent and of American citizen
ship who shall have made the highest
achievement during the preceding year
in any field Of elevated or honorable
human endeavor, the candidate being
chosen by committee Of award,
which includes Bishop John Hurst Of
Baltimore, Hon. William Howard
Taft, John Hope, president Of More
house college, Atlanta; DR.. James H.
Dillard, director of the Slater and
Jeanes funds, and Oswald Garrison
Willard of the New York Evening Post.
The committees choice is not limited
to any one field, whether that be In
tsllectual, spiritual, physical scientific,
commercial, educational or any other.
So the winning of the Spingarn medal
has come to be the greatest distinction
which can be conferred upon an Amer
lean Negro. The medal is Of gold. Of
the value of 800, and is donated by
DR.. Joel e. Spingarn, chairman Of the
board Of directors of the National AS.
sociation For the Advancement Of Col
ored People and formerly professor Of
comparative literature In Columbia
university, who Is at present in train
ing for his majors commission at Mad
ison barracks, New York.
Henry Thacker Burleigh, the winner
Of the medal for 1917, is a composer
whose songs have for two or three sea-
sons past been sung by list of prom
inent singers which would make any
composers mouth water, from John
Mccormack to Kitty Cheatham. One
song, "Deep River" has probably ap-
peared on concert programs during the
past season more times than the work
of any other cOntempOraneOus COM
poser. And across the ocean Bur-
leigh's "The Young Warrior" with
words by the Negro poet James Wei
don Johnson, translated into Italian
and orchestrated by the great Zando-
mai, has become a sort Of patriotic an
them of the present war.
Mr.. Burleigh's compositions include
about 100 songs, a few festival an
thems for church chorus and volume
of plantation melodies, which he COM
piled in an effort to save them from
falling into oblivion. The small group
Of songs by which he is best known
include "Deep River" 'The Gray
Wolf" to words by Arthur Symons; a
superb setting of Walt Whitman's
ETHIOPIA saluting the Colors," 1.-THE
Soldier" and "Jean."
1.-The Five Songs Of Laurence
Hope,'" writes a critic in the Boston
Transcript of March 10. probably rep
resent Mr.. Burleigh's best work. Here
are haunting melodies, accompani.
ments rich in detail, yet not overwrit-
ten, striking bits Of delineation and
much skill in the wedding Of music to
words"
Regarding "The Soldier" A. Walter
Kramer in Musical America wrote:
'"wars produce mass Of incOnsequen-
tial literary and musical stun. The
present European conflict is no excep-
ton. But I think that this
Burleigh setting Of Rupert Brooke's
inspired lines will be among the impor
tant art products Of the great war
when the record is made"
These creative achievements have
necessarily been snatched from life
Of routine musical toll, by which Mr..
Burleigh has earned his daily bread.
Since 1894 he has been baritone soloist
In st. Georges church, one OF New
York's old and aristocratic congrega-
tions, and for seventeen years he has
sung at the Temple Emanuel as well.
These achievements become dOubly
significant when one realizes how Mr..
Burleigh has worked his way f'rward
almost without aid, handicapped by
color az well as poverty. 1t ia related
how Mr.. Burleigh as hoy In Erie. Pa,
contracted pneumonia from standing
In tho sr,nN orltsila the drawing room