PAS 214 Notes: February 24, 2015Late 19th Century Music Cont’dMinstrelsy, Coon Songs, Carry-Me-Backs, Pseudo-Spirituals, Concert Music, Traveling Shows,Brass Bands, RagtimeI. Coon SongsA. Way of depicting negative image of BlacksB. Blacks portrayed as promiscuous with no libidoC. Also portrayed as prone to violenceD. Rigid rhythmsE. Syncopation prominentF. Printed as sheet musicG. Examples:1. “All Coons Look Alike to Me” by Ernest Hogan2. “Da Coon Date Had de Razor”II. Pseudo-SpiritualsA. Secular songs with spiritual-like titlesB. Designed for parlor and show performancesC. Examples1. “Oh Dem Golden Slippers”2. “My Lord is Writin’ Down Time”III. Concert ArtistsA. Concert Music: Philadelphia 1800s Cultural CenterB. Hyers Sisters (Anna/Emma)1. 1st Black concert repertory company2. Also formed comic opera/music comendy repertory companyC. Prima Donnas1. The Black Swan: Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield (America’s 1st black concert singer)2. Marie Selika Williams: “Queen of Staccato”3. Nellie Brown Mitchell: “Greatest Singer of African Descent” (1886)4. Flora Batson Bergen: “Double Voiced Queen of Song”—extensive range5. Lucie Lenoir: “Creole Nightingale”6. Matilda Sisieretta Jones: “Black Patti” (Sang at the White House for President Harrison in 1892)D. Male Vocalists1. Sidney Woodard2. William Powell3. Theodore Drury4. George Jonson: 1st Black to sing on record5. Male singers more often in ensembles, quartets, minstrel troupes, or companiesE. Concert Instrumentalists1. Thomas Green Bethune “Blind Tom”: PianoPAS 214 Notes: February 24, 20152. John William Boone “Blind Boone”: Piano3. John Thomas Douglas: Violin4. Walter Craig: ViolinIV. Traveling Road ShowsA. Hyers CompanyB. Slavin’s Original Georgia Jubilee Singers: One of the first to use Black actors in U. T. C. (1876)C. In Old Kentucky1. Used 24 piece “boys” band “The Wangdoodles”2. Became training ground for black entertainers3. Forerunner of Brass Bandsa. Jenkins Orphanage Bandb. Brister’s Boys Band (1890s) in CincinnatiD. The South Before the WarV. Brass BandsA. Popular in New OrleansB. Forerunners to jazz bandsC. Instruments often hand-me-downs from the militaryD. Played parades, holiday celebrations, funerals, social eventsE. Examples1. Excelsior2. Onward3. St. Bernard4.