The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-09-21
Music in the South


was reason then for the query. To-
dav the question is frequently asked
with irritating supercIllousness: What
has the South done for muster"
II the sneer has reference solely TO
orchestral and operate organizations
we must admit our guilt. With the ex-
ception OF the city subsidized Baltimore
orchestra the South has nothing. The
great centers OF population are in the
North. New Orleans being the only
exception TO this rule
While this Ii true Of costly musical
organizations, II does not hold true OF
musical composition, though as yet the
South has produced no great composers
TO rank with Damrosch, Herbert. or
the leaders in the French and Italian
schools. the basis for the great national
music is TO he found here, The music
that has been written in the South,
about the South and been inspired by
the South, has a more universal appeal
than any created elsewhere.
Each nation stamps indelibly its
character on its folk music. The songs
of the Sav. with their wildness and
moving pathos tell only too well OF the
fear Of the knout, OF Cossack raids,
OF long, weary exile and the crushed
aspirations of noble race They are
strangely akin to the moving pathos
found In all Celtic songs. Englands
noble traditions are embodied In her
spirited ballads, while the beautiful
folk songs of France can never die.
"a
the great Bohemian composer, discov-
cred that the United States had folk
music entirely her own. His study Of
our musical riches resulted in three
wonderful compositions. They were
string quartet, string quintet and
a symphony,
In the symphony 20 Noveho Sveta"
(From the New World Dvorak intro
duced Americans to their own music.
Mary insisted. however that the form
was more Bohemian than American.
Winters astutely observed that the
form Dvorak worked in was German,
the temperament Bohemian, but that
the materials were at least two-thirds
American
Czykowskl. the Austrian composer,
introduced the "Suwanee River into one
OF his compositions without giving Fos-
ter the slightest credit, Dvorak used
the negro melodies OF the South fully
and freely and acknowledged his In
debtedness This aroused antagonism
in the North which repudiated the SYM
phony as foreign. Yet, nevertheless, the
North followed where Dvorak led Sam
uel Colerdge- Taylor composed TWEEN
ty-four Negro Melodies" that opened
the eyes Of the North to the lure and
witchery Of Southern music. Henry
Schoenefeld disciple OF Dvorak, COM
posed a characteristic suite entitled,
YIN the Sunny SOUTH The planta-
zion dances OF G. w. Chadwick. who
did much to awaken the North--and the
South as well-to hidden riches. Mac
Dowcll's Uncle Remus," Sousas's I'm
Darkest Africa" and the works of
e. r. Kroeger are other good examples
OF modern arrangements that owe their
vital spirit to the South.
LafcRdio Hearn. that strange. erratic
genius. who knew his South so we'll
was quick TO feel the marvellous po-
tency In the slave songs, songs in
which one might expect TO find merely
mass Of Crudities, These were not
compositions after the manner OF most
music. Mnerya-llko from the white
heat Of religious fervor or from the in
spiration OF some unforgettable moment
For plaintiveness, seductiveness and
haunting melody they are unequaled,
Like the ballads OF old they sprang
from the hearts OF a people. In speak
ing Of them once an old negro nanny
said: When Massa Jesus He walk on
earth He felt tired sometimes: an jess
set restin' on Jacobs well an make
up desc spirituals fob His people"
These songs are alike sacred, sentiment
tai or humorous, and their emotional ap-
peal cannot be oyerestimated: witness
their appeal In -eligious ceremonies.
especially on such a scale as the taber-
nace meetings Of Sunday the evangel-
list.
Triple, or three -four time rarely oc-
ours in the music Of negro songs, THIS
is because OF the habit OF beating the
foot and swaying the body. motions
which require uniform ard regular
measures Nearly all the tunes are In
the Scottish scale that Is, the fourth
and seventh notes are ommitted. This
was the scale OF the Greeks. which
would indicate that # was a simple
and primitive form
The greater number OF these songs
are OF a religious character The words
80
the soul secrets OF An ignorant people
in which religious Iongings and soul
feryor strive for expression through
limited vocabularles and primitive har-
monies. For instance:
The Lord Is in the giving hard
Trouble win bury me GOWN.
The more pray tho better feel.
Trcuble will bury me down,
Trouble will bury me down--po' mot
pc mel
Why, brothren-po' met po me!
Pc mel Trouble will bury me
down"
Or this spirited one that you will
hear pleasant evenings In the negro
section:
',,olo slstah Mary drapped her pride
An all al once got sancufied,
CIT on dc groun' pc sinnAh man,
An pray TO de Lawd as fas' as yo'
can,
Ole slstRh Mary when she ris,
She shook her foot at de rheumatic.
Get on de groun',' etc.
After hearing some OF the spirituals
that are as dolefuI as some Of Watts
hymns, for instance
20 your soul! O my soul
I'm goln' to de ehu chyard
TO lay dis body down"