The Phoenix index., 1940-09-14
The Negroes Field In Music

DURING AN EXTENSIVE survey over some southern states
during the spring and altogether another mission
ang education and agriculture there
absence of the rising lays of melodies peculiar to
Ringing up from the mill hands, the boys that "roused
down the Chatahoocee the steamboats, and from hOesp
quarcts reng in the Sunday schools and church services these
literally moved the In the low lands of the black
belt of east Alabama naveled the and magnetism
of the flowing harmony i'll the that mingled with form
Of race prejud'e and privaon and economic starvation
In travelling the southland the region of the oeope who
often without shoes during months while dadated
dwellings and rundown school shacks evidence hand
would conclude the Negro happy from its spiritual
fervor translated in its 1t might be to the big city
church cors know that the backwoods rural churches also
i'll for quartets 1t at little country village lost town in
Alabama that Quarterly meeting OF the A. M. E.
Church. much modelled after the old days that we heard rendto
from lae quartet Far i'll the rua these boys had caught
the spirit of wings Over Jordan Chariot Wheels and Marian
Anderson in her superb spiras While lack technique and
forth in their rendons the close limitations sufficient to
relish the astdou Some Of the fellows sweat shirts
others in their shirt sleeves and wore gauses still they had
that baShuness the stage fright They
held down by their possible fear of dscods and the like but
out in the open with faith and courage
It another rural church the Georgia border that
requested choir sing that thrilled twenty years
ago when doing the chores school teacher that
sisters and brother forward and the request in vigo
and that would have enlightened Mrs Franklin D. Roosevelt
The rural ceners not without their social activities While
there and political gathering among them. hardly
night bit what isn't charmed by the community hom
home singing practices Here the various chos gather resi-
dences ring along their song books and baskets for the nights
singing They gather they being raid for the services
The rivalry keen and in their ranks pick the
billy of great musical genius The rich afuance of color and da
settings beray what people could do another sphere
If trained and appetized
All in all, the rural people certainly musical In se Of
old pension ferena starvation and tied down
farms there periodic oubrsts of triumph and ubaon On"
would wonder in the face of trying conditions what that for
titles the Negro with SO mitch mh He goes along SINGING
For the the teachers in these rural the light
houses You heare children talking about basket
ball tournaments Joe Lois and tennis The teachers bring
ing modern methods the rurals and here fine thing that al
the host graduating from college get jobs the city choo
The preachers, doing little There
decided indifference anopg the church members The
besnps badly rundown The young people who remain
the farms very curchy Old fashioned preaching by il
eate preachers is not interesting them In places the
churches hello together by old men, children The
times One will reach the conclusion after of the
that poor pay preach. And that is that
AS say the musical charm the joyful setting of
cclor rendition what startled profound
lover of and sometimes music in the raw wondering
what important function in the the cooed
play with its music Unsurpassed ent and the budding of genius
should by default The Negro intensely and dvney gttet
with His fittings sway the world and maybe after all he
may be the great Daniel left interpret the dream that
harrasSng the world literally love into everlasting
with song
1881 Thomas Jefferson Flanagan