The Washington times., 1922-04-13
"a SCORES ARE
SENT To NEGRO.
MUSIC CONTEST
Prize Committee Encouraged
by Quality in Almost Every
Division.
By JESSIE MacBRDE.

Is America musical7
That oft repeated question has had
an answer in the affirmative that
has come out of last years Music
Week" In Washington.
II comes from the colored com
posers of America.
The thing that has happened is
this:
The Dunbar song leaders class,
OF Dunbar High School. which is the
eolored high school OF Washington,
organized a prize composition contest
Immediately following the first Music
Week here.
They sent out a circular letter
last June, one filled with enthusiasm,
TO American Negro Composers" of
the entire United States. The con-
test has closed. The results are 30
really epoch-mahng that the prize
committee has decided to present
these prize compositions as their
program for Music Week, 1892.
Twenty-four compositions from
twelve composers have been received.
They represent, encouragingly.
almost every class of work that was
specified. The prize-winners have
not yet been chosen, but the COM
nnittee. OF which Mrs. Gregoria
Fraser O oins is chairman, is forming
a group OF judges.
Concert and Compositions.
This unique Music Week concert,
of the works Of contemporary negro
composers, will take place on the
evening of May 20 at Dunbar High
School.
The compositions entered include
enc sacred cantata, as a chorus COM
position; the first movement OF a
symphony, as an orchestral compo-
sition; five anthems, one sacred song,
three secular songs, one popular
work that is In quartet arrangement,
one song suitable for public school
use, two choruses using as theme a
negro spiritual, four quartets. using
the spiritual as theme, three violin
compositions, and one for piano.
The spiritual themes have received
splendid treatment, the manuscripts
are gratifyingly good, are beautifully
done.
The entire movement. designed to
specifically develop the great musical
gift of the negro, is of particular
value because II connects the work
of these people. win show their
united trend, and show also how In
dividual and advanced they have be-
come.
A New Music.
Washington and the music world
will look with interest to see II out
OF this contest-sent out through the
public schools through their Com
munity Center here-a new note in
music viii be struck.
The concert is a milestone in our
music.
1t is interesting to know, also, that
this will be the only event of this
kind during Music Week, and that Il
remained for the colored people of
the National Capital to put II
through!
When the National Negro Mu-
sicians Association met for their con-
vention in Kansas City last August,
this circular letter was distributed
there. This Is a negro organization
similar to the National Federation OF
MUSICIANS.
The committee on prizes, with Mrs.
Fraser Coins as chairman. has also
Mrs. Joseph Douglass, Mary Europe,
Edna Gordon and Marguerite Hall.
Mrs. Gabriel Pelham, that dynamic
worker for the advancement of the
colored people. particularly in their
own individual arts, Is president of
Dunbar Community Center and a
prime mover in this work, and We'll
lington A. Adams, who is equally
well known for his musical interests,
In the secretary.
The Music Week concert. of recent
composition by the colored people OF
the entire United States. Will make
May 20. 1922, a significant date in
the annals OF our music, for Il is to
the negro and to the Indian that one
must look for any native music In
America.