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Show The Foster Negro Helodlea. The generation of today whose idea of negro songs and dances Ik of tho i-agtlme and wishy-washy otyle has no Idea of the beauty, pathos nnd qualntness of the old-tlmo ballads and dances of a generation genera-tion ago. says Goorgo Primrose, the minstrel. min-strel. It was Thackeray who once wrote: "I heard a humorous balludlst not long since, a minstrel with wool on his hend and an ultra-Ethiopian complexion, who performed a. negro ballad that I confess moistened these spectacles In a most unexpected un-expected manner I have, gazed at thousands thou-sands of tragedy queens dying on the stage and expiring In appropriate blank verse, and I never wanted to wipe my eyes. They havo looked up. be It said, at many scores of clergymen without being dimmed, and, behold! a vagabond with a corked face and a banjo sings a llttlo song, strikes a wild note which sets the heart throbbing with happy pity." It would be impossible- to attain any such effect upon the heart strings with the songs of today, therefore I havo revived re-vived several of tho old-time folk songs nnd balluds written by the late Stephen C. Foster, which are dear to the henrts of all. "Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming." tho ballad built with sweet words and moat pathetic melody, which unfortunately unfortunate-ly is not heard as often as the public desires de-sires it should be. Is one of the most popular. pop-ular. The ono great quality In all of Foster's Fos-ter's mnslo Is thnt It never grows old. "Suwnnee River" today Is ns sweet to tho oar as when it was llret heard. Tho pathos pa-thos In "Old Black Joe" hns become more tender with years. The tuneful melody of "Oh, Boys. Carry Mo Ixng." "Bob-Tall "Bob-Tall Nag" and olhern have mellowed with age. There is a strain of sadness In "Massa's In de Cold. Cold Ground" that brings tears to the eyes today fresh as when It was llrst heard by aii audience. audi-ence. The other Foster melodies "Willie. Wo Have Missed You." "Gentle Annie," "Hard Times Come Again No More" and "Old Dog Tray" are being sung with good effect. As to the dances of today, they are more on tho grotesque and knockabout order and do not compare with the graceful movements and step of ' The Essence of Old Virginia." "The Georgia Cone Dance." "The Louisiana Reel," "Tho Silver Sil-ver Shower," "Lancashire" and waltz clog which 1 have also revived. |