The Denver star., 1917-03-03
CHICAGO ENJOYS
MUSICAL FEAST
Celebrates Composers Day With
Harmony and Eloquence.
RACIAL MELODIES ExToLLED

negro MUSIC ~ only original Amor
lean soures-Banqust Closes Memo.
rabIs Occasion.
Chicago.-This city is rapidly devel
oping into a musical center. During
the past year it has welcomed many
noted colored musicians, among them
Mrs. Maud Quincy Hare of Boston, but
1t was reserved to Miss Eloise Davis
Carey, a graduate of Northwestern
university and short story writer OF
brilliancy and PROMISE to give Chicago
recently the musical sensation of the
season. She conceived the idea of eel
ebrating Composers day and honoring
composers of African descent
The result was that the Sunday y
| Afternoon Club of the Institutional
Church, of which Rev. A. ]. Carey,
| u. D., is pastor, gave a recital, with J..
Rusamond Johnson, the composer bar
itone of New York city, as the star,
which not only filed the auditorium,
but also crowded the galleries.
The unique feature Of the recital was
that several of the compositions of J.
Rosamond Johnson, deep River" and
another composition of II. T. Burleigh
and Listen to the Lambs" by Dett.
colored composers, were rendered dur
ing the evening. as well as the works
of some of the worlds masters of song
Mr.. Johnson was supported by Beth
el choir, James A. Mundy choirmaster;
E. Marie Summers. reader, and Paul
inc James Lee, contralto. Walter z.
Gossett was the accompanist.
An unexpected pleasure was afforded
the audience by the appearance of
Clarence Lee, violinist, who played
with feeling and power. His handling
of the bow revealed not only perfect
mastery of the instrument, but that
fire and passion which made Joseph
Douglass famous as a violinist.
Miss Lee appeared In Indian costume
and sang Indian songs. Her singing
of '"The White Dawn Is Stealing" by
Charles Cadman, was thrilling and ap-
pealing. And her intense, magnetic
personality, her full soprano and the
thrilling contralto showed at their best
in her singing of 1.-The Rose" by
Leurance. Professor Mundy's chorus
did Detts Listen to the LambS Jus
tice, and that is saying a great deal.
But the audience was interested most
in the star OF the evening, ]. Rosamond
Johnson, the composer and head of
the musical settlement of New York.
Mr.. Johnson's singing was not ex-
traordinary, but he made decided hit
as an entertainer and instructor never
theiess. He has a dignified and Inn
pressive personality.
He prefaced his second appearance
by stating that the motif Of Walk
Together, Children" was developed by
Anton Dvorak in the SYMPHONY to
the New World which is played
every year. He also stated that
Dvorak said that the Negro melodies
were the only original American mu-
sic and that the motif in go Down,
Noses" was as strong as the motif in
Siegfried. Then Mr.. johnson illustrat-
ed several spirituals. such as Swing
Low, Sweet Chariot" walk Together,
Children" and Nobody Knows the
Trouble l See,' and sang ILL Gal"
his own composition.
In his third appearance Mr.. johnson
changed his program. After he had
sung Il Attempt From Loves Sickness
to Fly" by Purcell, he displayed his
skill as pianist. He played 1.-THE
Banjo Song" his own composition,
with technique and power. Then he
played and sang Under the Bamboo
Tree" another of his own productions,
and closed with the "Levee Scene" and
Roll Them Cotton Bales" which took
the house by storm. On the whole,
Mr.. johnson is a pleasing and gifted
entertainer. After the exercises the
invited guests repaired to the Neigh
borhoOd Parlor, where the Composers
day. banquet, embracing ten courses,
was served. Miss Annabel Carey, Miss
Emma Simpson Davis, p B. Prescott,
Jr., and DIR. II. W.. b. Garnes formed
the banquet committee.
Mrs. A. j. Carey, an alumna of At
lanta university. who made a reputa-
tion as teacher in the southland, pre-
pared set of postprandial speeches,
which rivaled the brilliant concert and
the delicious food. Literature, art, mu-
sic and the drama were discussed not
only in their racial and Negro, but In
their broad and universal aspects.
Rev. A. ]. Carey was toastmaster, and
he was a master Of the art OF saying
"multum IN parvo' and Of aptly intro
ducing the speakers. The following
toasts were responded to: ''The Herr
tage Of a Race a Source of Song and
Story" by Patrick B. Prescott. Jr.;
The Present Era Of Golden Oppor-
tunity For the Afro-American Com
posers," by Mrs. David Manson; 'Thc
Music Of Coleridge Taylor" by T. The
odore Taylor: 1.-The Church and the
Stage, by the writer, and when Rosa
mond Plays" by Alfred Anderson. ].
Ttosamond johnson responded
Miss Eloise Davis Carey. the presid,
ing genius. was billed to respond to
he toast Variety In Afro.Amerfcan