NEGRO SPIRITUALS

Southland Times, Issue 19546, 9 May 1925, Page 8

NEGRO SPIRITUALS

EDNA THOMAS RECITAL.

AN INTERESTING EVENING. Music that is the outward expression of the pent-up feelings of a long-suffering and down-trodden race is always interesting and frequently beautiful. It expresses the grief, tile every-day joys and troubles, the aspirations of the people. Its appeal is direct, .ts : simplicity its greatest charm. It speaks from the heart to the heart. Herein lies the origin of all the Folk Songs of all the ages. fhis is the mainspring of the melou.es of the Negro Spirituals. Everyone is familiar with the frightful misery that was the daily portion of (he Negroes in those early days of slavery. hew bother to think, or have the imagination necessary realise, the degradation and suffering of a people, born with like passions and feelings as ourselves, whose only crime wap lhe.r colour. Forbidden to learn either the art of reading or writing, but brought under the teachings of the Bible and the sound of the Gospel, is it any wonder x that they seized upon passages of Scripture redolent oi a future -Mis, and committed them to memory, interpreting them to meet their own peculiar needs, affording as they did, such a contrast to their own unhappy condition. From memory to vocal expression is but a step. Thus it is that, to a listener endowed with a requisite understanding and a heart atune, these Negro melodie§ appeal in a most peculiar way. Free of all the trappings of the modern song, they are the simple, earnest expression of a people whose days were gladdened by the hopes (hat these songs expressed, who dreamed of equality and freedom in exchange for slavery and contempt. It is in a frame of mind, the outcome of such reflections, that the songs that Miss Edna Thomas sings can the best be appreciated. And Miss Edna Thomas comes to us steeped in the traditions of these songs. As she, herself, told us, in a very delightful description with which she prefaced each group of songs, the old families of South Carolina, Virginia anil other Southern States nursed these melodies and sang them from babyhood, and loved them as much as the originators themselves. Peis 4 * sessed of a voice of a charm and sympathy peculiarly suited to the type of song she interprets, she held the audience interested 'from the first moment to the last. In the many'Spirituals that Miss Thomas sang, from the joyous to the serious, her intimate knowledge.of the finer shades of feeling, her method of expressing every tone and colour and the little idiosyncrasies of the darkie were all faithfully portrayed. From jubilation in such songs as “I’ve Got Shoes,” “I Wanna be Ready.” to the plaintive note in “Carry Me back to Old Virginie,” “Old Black Joe” the audience were carried in silent wonder. Her most impressive numbers were “Go Down Death,” “Mammy, is Massa Gwin a to Sell us To-morrow?” and “Go Down Moses,” “He Never said a Mumblin’ Word,” a song descriptive of the Crucifixion was a most heart appealing effort. Later in the evening Miss Thomas sang several Creole Negro songs including love songs, such as “Clementine,” and “Mamzelle Zizi,” and descriptive national songs such as “Madame Cabas.” Her renderings of pickaninnies lullabies were delightful. Miss Constance Piper, who played throughout from Memory was a very able and accomplished accompanist. Miss Lucile Lawrence, harpist, was well enjoyed. She played with feeling and style, but her treble notes were inclined to be “tinny.” The music for the harpist is limited, but Miss Lawrence played “Impromptu Caprici” (Pierne), two French songs (Marcel Grandjaing), and Petili Valse (Hasselmans) with feeling.