[music notation]
soul will rise to heab'n above, An' heary when Jordan roll.
The following has evidently been composed since the negroes became free,
and expresses very forcibly their feelings toward 'driber, massa, and
missus':
[music notation]
Done wid driber's dribin', Done wid driber's dribin',
[music notation]
Done wid driber's drib-in', Roll, Jordan, roll.
2. Done wid massa's hollerin',
Done wid massa's hollerin',
Done wid massa's hollerin',
Roll, Jordan roll.
3. Done wid missus' scoldin',
Done wid missus' scoldin',
Done wid missus' scoldin',
Roll, Jordan, roll.
4. Sins so heaby dat I cannot get along,
Sins so heaby dat I cannot get along,
Sins so heaby dat I cannot get along,
Roll, Jordan, roll.
5. Cast my sins to de bottom ob de sea,
Cast my sins to de bottom ob de sea,
Cast my sins to de bottom ob de sea,
Roll, Jordan, roll.
Perhaps the best illustration of the Scriptural patchwork which
characterizes many of the shout songs, is seen in the 'Lonesome Valley,'
the music of which is very quaint and plaintive:
[music notation]
O brudder William, you want to get religion, Ri' down in de lonesome valley,
[music notation]
1. Down in de lonesome valley, Go down in de lonesome valley, my Lord, Ri'
2. You feed on milk and honey, You feed on milk and honey, my Lord, You
[music notation]
down in de lonesome valley, You meet my Jesus dere.
feed on milk and honey, And meet my Jesus dere.
The third and fourth stanzas are:
3. When Johnny brought a letter,
When Johnny brought a letter, my Lord,
When Johnny brought a letter,
He meet my Jesus dere.
4. An' Mary and Marta read 'em,
An' Mary and Marta read 'em, my Lord,
An' Mary and Marta read 'em,
Dey meet my Jesus dere.
The example above given will convey a good idea of the general character
of the shout songs. Apart from these religious songs, there is no music
among the South Carolina freedmen, except the simple airs which are sung
by the boatmen, as they row on the rivers and creeks. A tinge of sadness
pervades all their melodies, which bear as little resemblance to the
popular Ethiopian melodies of the day as twilight to noonday. The
joyous, merry strains which have been associated in the minds of many
with the Southern negro, are never heard on the Sea Islands. Indeed, by
most of the negroes, such songs as 'Uncle Ned' and 'O Susanna' are
considered as highly improper. In the schools, many of the best songs
which are sung in our Sunday and public schools have been introduced,
and are opening new sources of pleasure to a race so musical by their
very nature as are the negroes of the South.
While in Beaufort, I attended a concert given by a band of genuine
'negro minstrels.' The company had taken the name of the 'Charleston
Minstrels,' and was composed mainly of refugees from Charleston, who
were then servants to various officers in General Saxton's Department.
The concert was held in the Episcopal Church, and the proceeds devoted
to the benefit of the sick and wounded of the First South Carolina
Volunteers. The first view of the performers, as they sat round the
stage, a dozen finely formed and good-looking negroes, caused the
spectator to fancy himself in the presence of the famous band of
Christy, or some other company of white Ethiopian serenaders. Soon, the
opera glass revealed the amusing fact, that, although every minstrel was
by nature as black as black could be, yet all the performers had given
their faces a coating of burnt cork, in order that their resemblance to
Yankee minstrels might be in every respect complete. There were
excellent voices among the singers, and some of the players handled
their instruments with surprising skill; but the presence of an audience
composed entirely of white people, and including many of the highest
officers in the Department, evidently caused great embarrassment to
performers so unaccustomed to the stage. Not a single song which could
be called comic was included in the programme; and, with the exception
of a few patriotic airs, the songs were of the 'Lily Dale,'
half-mournful sort. Between the pieces there was the customary telling
of anecdotes and cracking of jokes, some of which were quite amusing,
while others excited laughter from the manner in which they were told.
As an imitation of our Northern minstrelsy given by a band of uneducated
negro musicians, the performance was a wonderful success. Yet the
general impression left upon the mind of the hearer was far from
pleasing. One could not help feeling that a people, whose very natures
are attuned to harmony, are capable of something better than even the
most perfect imitation of those who have so grossly caricatured their
race.