The broad ax., 1927-05-14
MUSIC NOTES
By Clarence Cameron White, Premier
Violin Soloist, Former President
National Association of Negro
Musicians
(For Preston News Service)

were shocked to find the following in
my sketch of Bridgetower; "Ries is
wrote for Punto" which should have
read "Ries is referring to the hardness
Of the composition Of the Horn Son
alta which Beethoven wrote for Ponto- "
A New Book of 40 Negro Spirituals
A new book Of 40 Negro Spirituals
is soon to be issued by the Theodore
Presser Company of Philadelphia. The
arrangements are by the writer of this
column, and perhaps word as to the
purpose and treatment of this volume
may be of interest to our readers.
When the president Of the Theodore
Presser Company, of Philadelphia,
asked the writer last spring to compile
book Of Negro Spirituals for them
he (the writer) wondered if it were
possible to get together something a
bit different from the rapidly increas-
ing volumes of these religious songs
already before the public His first
thought was that more often than not
! these are "harmonizations" offered the
musical public in recent years were a
bit "overly dressed" There was, to
the writer's mind, striving to paint"
the lily as it were. There has been an
honest attempt to avoid this one thing
in this new volume.
This collection is intended to fulfill
an individual purpose in an individual
way. More than a folklore anthology
for the library, or source of book Of
strictly CHORAL versions, it presents
in SOLO arrangement the authentic
texts and melodies, with harmoniza-
tons adapted from actual traditional
denominations as heard by the COM
piler in choral performances by Ne
groes; from the basis of these, piano
Accomplishments have been developed
interpreting the spirit and individual
tiles Of the Spirituals.
The compiler, in his work at the
West Virginia Collegiate Institute, has
been in contact with sources and ira
ditions which indirectly connect with
those representative of the entire
south. West Virginia, as the most
northern of the southern states, and
for other reasons, historical and indus
trial, has received in former years and
still receives large influx of Negro
immigration from states farther south
Among these both the newcomers and
the descendants of the earlier arrivals,
is found very vital concern for the
preservation of the SpirituaIs which
are known quite generally throughout
the south as well as in the northern
states; and, besides, an as yet only
slightly explored body Of spirituaIs not
hitherto known at all widely
In this collection the unique elo-
quence of each Spiritual is brought out
SO that it may be evident to all hear
ers why these songs have been so
treasured and perpetuated. Unusual
ness of harmony is no objection where
it comes about naturally or where the
emotion cries out for it-there routine
harmonization would falsify the real
expression-the Spirituals themselves
They contain a musical grammar of
their own which only by partial coin
cidence is parallel with Continental
and English harmonic customs.
All that, totally, is effortful (felt as
either forcedly restricted or needless
~ expended) is foreign to these songs
Among the distinctions between the
choral and solo versions there is to be
recognized the need Of a f1exibly re-
| sponsive treatment of the thought of
different verses of the same Spiritual
There is no longer the restriction set
by the needful ensemble of voices; and
a piano accompaniment literally re-
peated for different verses cannot bring
out the distinct expression for varying
thought and feeling. Hence the inter
pretations for different situations are
properly expressed, often, in contrast
ed verse settings. Such instrumental
harmonization of the Spirituals is one
Of the most delicate problems in mu-
sic; there is so much to be conveyed.
and that, too, of intimate shades Of
childlike aspiration to be handled with
reverence and unsophistication. The
musical idiom and usages have to be
discovered and kept free from all that
is alien to them; in combined effort,
they must be less acquainted with the