2010 Vigil for Immigration Justice at Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship

Here's a post that I almost forgot about!  It describes an event two years ago, but the information is still relevant.

On May 1, 2010, Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship joined many churches across the country in a prayer vigil for immigrant justice. I was one of three presenters. I focused on Irish immigration of the nineteenth century while the other two speakers dealt with more recent events.  Jean Montrevil talked about the New Sanctuary Movement, and Confesor Linares, pastor of First Mennonite Church in Brooklyn, described his experience as an immigrant from the Dominican Republic.

My presentation appears in green text below.  I concluded my talk by singing Mick Moloney's arrangement of McNally's Row of Flats.

Mourning Doves at Menno House

Last summer mourning doves nested on a windowsill of Menno House.  Manager Rachel Smith recorded the development of the squabs (that's what you call mourning dove chicks) from hatchlings to fledglings. 

Video by Rachel Smith

Did you know . . .

• Mourning doves mate for life
• Mourning doves often reuse their own nests or the nests of other birds, even squirrels
• Both parents feed their young with "crop milk" produced by glands in their crops
• The young squabs fledge (fly from the nest) after only 14 days, but parents continue to care them for another 2 weeks
• Mourning doves can fly at speeds of 55 mph

If you'd like to entice mourning doves to nest on your property, this site offers an inexpensive and nice looking nest box.   I bought one for Menno House and am hoping the doves will use it this year.

In case you're wondering how I came to know about the Menno House doves, well, I'm on the Board of Directors of Menno House which is owned and operated by Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship. 


Additional reading:
Mourning Doves and Their Young
The Mourning Doves Coo Begins Season Of Nesting and Feeding
Mourning Dove (Wikipedia, with great pictures and links) 



© 2012, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Menno House 50th Anniversary

Photo by Lowell Brown, used with permission.

Sometimes around Christmas I do a post about the Lessons and Carols service I've organized for my church, Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship (MMF). This year I didn't work on Lessons and Carols. However, earlier in the year I spent months helping to organize the Menno House 50th anniversary celebration. Since I'm chairperson of the Menno House board of directors, I was up to my ears in the planning of this three-day event. That's not a complaint though. As a project manager by trade, I was happy to use my skills on a project that had nothing to do with software used in the financial services industry. I found that projects in the nonprofit sector require a somewhat different approach. But that's another post altogether! What I want to tell you about is the Menno House event itself.

September 19-21 marked the 50th anniversary of Mennonites at 314 E. 19th Street in New York City. The four-story townhouse on this site is currently known as Menno House. Since 1997 Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship (MMF ) has owned and operated Menno House as a home for Mennonite Voluntary Service and Mennonite Central Committee volunteers as well as students, interns, and workers at local service agencies. This continues the House’s 50-year tradition of sheltering Mennonite service personnel.

On Friday night, when the 125 current and former residents began to gather to celebrate the occasion, the House reverberated with the spirit of reunion. Mike Erb of Waterloo, Ontario (2006 resident) provided music which set a festive atmosphere in which to view the recent work of MMF painter Jayne Holsinger, whose paintings of rural Mennonite life were on display.

After a typical New York breakfast of bagels and cream cheese,

Photo by Lowell Brown, used with permission.

Saturday’s events offered a session on the history of 314 E. 19th Street.

Photo by Lowell Brown, used with permission

Saturday afternoon included a luncheon for former Menno House managers, a guided tour of Menno House, and a tour of Anabaptist sites in Lower Manhattan led by Dan Ness (1961-62 resident) of Lancaster PA. At 4 pm attendees reconvened for a rousing hymn sing led by North Bronx Mennonite Church pastor, Ruth Wenger (1977-78 resident). Pianist Francesco Lecce-Chong and violinist Amy Kauffman, regulars at MMF, performed a Brahms sonata.

The after-dinner presentation was the highlight of the Menno House 50th Anniversary Celebration. Singer/songwriter Gina Holsopple (manager 2001-03), performed original songs. Myrna Burkholder, Menno House manager from 1977-1982, was honored with an original calligraphy for her vision in implementing the residential structure that still guides Menno House.

Penn State professor Julia Spicher Kasdorf (resident 1983-85) read selections of her poetry set in the immediate neighborhood of Menno House.

Photo by Kyle Dean Reinford, used with permission

Professor John Rempel of Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, IN, who served as MMF’s first pastor from 1989 to 1999 and led the congregation in the purchase of Menno House, presented the keynote address.

Photo by Kyle Dean Reinford, used with permission

Sunday’s activities started with a morning brunch during which former MMF interim pastor Stan Bohn of Newton KS led the group in reflections on peacemaking in our time,

Photo by Lowell Brown, used with permission.

and Michele LaRue, actress and theater writer-editor, read from the works of Mennonite writer now deceased, Warren Kliewer.

MMF’s 5 pm Sunday service concluded the celebration. Stan Bohn preached and Pastor Shirk Charles offered a touching re-dedication of Menno House.

By all accounts, the weekend was a huge success. On October 6, 2008, Mennonite Weekly Review, an inter-Mennonite newspaper published weekly since 1923, ran a very nice story which I helped to write.

Menno House Celebrates 50 Years in New York City

On October 9, 2008, the Town and Village, an independent community newspaper, ran a story on my involvement with Menno House. That story and a big picture of me at Menno House were prominently displayed on page 2! That paper isn't online, but you can see a pdf of the article by clicking on the title below.

Mennonites Celebrate 50 Years of Peace and Low Rent

On October 21, 2008, The Mennonite, a semi-monthly magazine for members of Mennonite Church USA, also made mention of the event.

Menno House Celebrates 50 Years

I am very pleased to be involved with the Menno House. It has enabled many people to do a lot of good. Planning this event was certainly a huge amount of work, but it was very rewarding. Since this blog is the place where I share such things, I wanted to include, albeit belatedly, the 50th anniversary celebration of Mennonites in 314 East 19th Street.

© 2009, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Lessons and Carols at MMF (2007)

With my recent spate of Irish music performances now concluded, I was able to give my full attention to planning the 2007 Lessons and Carols service at Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship (MMF). Since I prefer the traditional format of paired readings and music, I decided not to include a pageant like we did in our 2006 service. Instead, I organized an adult choir, a children's choir, and a couple of duets.

Here is the order of service used on December 16th, 2007, and a few pictures taken by my friend, Mervin Horst. 62 people attended this year's Lessons and Carols service. 27 were involved in reading and presenting music.

GATHERING
Prelude (Mory Ortman, pianist)
Welcoming Greeting (Sylvia Shirk Charles, pastor)
Introduction of visitors
Announcements
Invocation
Candle Lighting of the Third Advent Candle
Opening Congregational Songs:
"Oh, how shall I receive thee"
"Gaudete"
(we sing this song every year in memory of our former pastor, Arlene Pipkin, who introduced it to our congregation in Advent 2001, the year before she died.)

SERVICE OF LESSONS AND CAROLS
Lesson One: Psalm 96: 1-4 and 11-13
Praise to the Lord, the righteous judge
the First Carol: "Let the heavens be glad"
(MMF Adult Advent Choir)

Lesson Two: Matthew 25: 1-13
You know not when the Lord will come
the Second Carol: "Sleepers, wake!" (congregation)

Lesson Three: Luke 1: 57-79
Zechariah prophesies the birth of the Savior
the First Carol: "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence/Bless’d Be the God of Israel"
(Linda Hood - flute, Robert Charles - guitar)

Lesson Four: Isaiah 9: 2-7
The prophet Isaiah speaks of a child who is born for us
the Fourth Carol: "O come, all ye faithful" (congregation)

Lesson Five: Luke 1:26-31 and 46-56
The angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will conceive a son, Jesus
the Fifth Carol: "My soul is filled with joy" (congregation)

Lesson Six: Luke 2:1-12
The birth of Jesus in a stable in Bethlehem
the Sixth Carol: "The Friendly Beasts/Away in a Manger "
(MMF Children’s Advent Choir)

Lesson Seven: Luke 2:13-20
Angels and shepherds praise God at the birth of Jesus
the Seventh Carol: "O Holy Night"
(Sharon and Sarah Hewitt - vocal duet, accompanied by Mory Ortman - pianist)

RESPONDING
Congregational Carol: "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"
Prayer of Thanksgiving for the Offering
Offertory Music: Concerto for Violin, by Antonio Vivaldi
(Maya Petkovitch - violin, accompanied by Mory Ortman - piano)
Pastoral Prayer / Congregational Prayer

SENDING
Closing Congregational Song: "Keep your lamps trimmed"
Benediction
Postlude - Boil the Cabbage, a traditional American tune
(Anya Petkovitch - violin, accompanied by Mory Ortman - piano)

The Children's Advent Choir was this year's big hit. The age range of the kids pictured above was 3 to 13. We had only two rehearsals. The first one left much to be desired, and I was sure my inspiration to pull together a children's choir was symptomatic of some holiday lapse of sanity. However, one of the nonreaders practiced every day and memorized the words. All the kids worked hard at the second rehearsal, and in the service they were transformed into a choir of angels! They sang two songs - The Friendly Beasts and Away in the Manger. They pronounced the words clearly. They sang in unison on pitch. They held onto the tune against a varied and flowing piano accompaniment. Some children even sang solos on the internal verses of The Friendly Beasts. I was so glad I hadn't lost my courage. They were quite good, and I was very touched by how hard they worked and how happy they were to be part of the service.

As is our custom, the Lessons and Carols service was followed by a potluck dinner at Menno House. SoupFest was the theme of this year's Christmas potluck which featured four delicious soups and various salads as well as many homemade desserts. We all enjoyed time to visit with each other and bask in the glow of the service.

To all of you in various parts of the world, let me extend Merry Christmas greetings. I hope you find time amidst the frantic shopping and holiday parties to enjoy warm moments with people you love and to be engaged in activities that bring meaning to your life.

Photos by Mervin Horst, used with permission.

© 2007, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Music at MMF (July 1, 2007)

(This photo was found on Tom Fletcher's New York Architecture Images and Notes.)

Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship - which meets at 5 pm in Manhattan's 15th Street Friends Meetinghouse pictured above - has a number of capable musicians who rotate the responsibility of providing music for services. My turn rolled around on July 1st. In addition to accompanying the hymns I was responsible for a prelude, an offertory, and a postlude. That's a lot of music!

Since I currently practice flute and singing much more than piano, I decided to do a flute prelude consisting of a lovely Irish slow air plus the first two hymns of the service.

How Can I Live at the Top of the Mountain

Immortal, Invisible God Only Wise (St. Denio / Joanna)

I Sing the Mighty Power of God (Ellacombe)

My arrangement employs principles from the traditional Irish music as well as some classical stylings such as key changes, melodic variation and ornamentation to build to a climax. Click here to listen. (If you hear only a few clicks - no music - when the Quicktime player appears, try enabling Pop-ups. In Internet Explorer, look under the Tools menu.)

For the offertory, my son Michael accompanied me on guitar as I sang a song by John Bell of the Iona Community called Don't Tell Me of a Faith that Fears. The tune has a folksong quality, and the words are very thought-provoking. Unfortunately, the quality on this recording isn't very good. I nearly forgot to turn on the recorder so the piece is missing a few notes at the beginning. Later, the flute volume level rather overwhelms the little microphone in my mp3 recorder. Despite the technical difficulties, I think this recording merits sharing. Click here to listen.

For the postlude. I selected an African-American Spiritual called Steal Away to Jesus, arranged in 1940 by J. Rosamond Johnson who was featured in my March 15, 2007 post. Click here to listen. Beware: there's a long lead time before the music starts.

All in all, it was a lovely service. Michael and I received many nice comments and compliments about our song. He doesn't play in church any more often than I sing, so people were surprised as well as blessed. Providing music which aids and enhances people's worship experience is very satisfying indeed.

© 2007, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Musical Analysis of Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing

(The conclusion, Part V, in a five-part series on the song Lift Every Voice and Sing written by James Weldon Johnson & J. Rosamond Johnson.)

In my internet research I didn’t find any material on the musical elements of Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing. That prompted me to do some analysis of my own, so in this post I will consider a few aspects of composition and songwriting. You may want to refer back to my introductory post on February 25, 2007 to review the song's text and listen to the music in the links found there.

The basic premise of good songwriting is that the music complement the words. One of the ways Rosamond Johnson uses musical elements to accentuate the words is by placing longer note values on important words or concepts. The opening phrase of the first verse illustrates this technique. Rosamond sends the first phrase of the song off to a running start by moving quickly through the first three words which have less relative importance, then remaining longer on the more important words he wants to highlight. The emphasized words get triple the time allotted to the preliminary words. Also note the placement of the emphasized words: both VOICE and SING fall on the downbeat, the strongest rhythmic beat in each measure. By contrast, the words of lesser importance precede the downbeat and are used as "pickup" notes.

Lift-ev-ry VOICE AND SING

In wordy passages Rosamond aligns the metrical value of the notes to speech rhythms as is done in opera recitatives. In this example, each monosyllabic word is given a separate note and all words have equal time value, much like the phrase would be spoken.

Full-of-the-faith-that-the-dark-past-has TAUGHT US

Another musical technique Rosamond employs is called word painting. In the opening phrase about LIFTING our VOICES, the pitch rises with each word in the phrase, moving stepwise up the scale.

Lift-ev-ry VOICE.

Later in the first verse is found this phrase:

let-our-re JOIC- ING RISE

On the word RISE the melody achieves the highest note yet heard in the song, an E above the piano’s middle C, illustrating a very effective use of word painting.

Looking at meter for a moment, we see that Rosamond uses a 6/8 time signature, a rolling dance meter which emphasizes the first and fourth beats of the measure.

1-2-3-4-5-6 1-2-3-4-5-6

The strong pulses fall on beats 1 and 4,creating a feeling of duple meter. Because this tune is heard in a slow “two,” the result is a walking tempo, not as strident as a march and with a lilt coming from the dance-like triple meter underpinning. Again, very appropriate for the tone of the words – not charging forward or lightly skipping, but walking steadily towards a goal.

Rosamond sets the song in a major key. We associate major keys with happy, positive emotion. In one brief phrase towards the end of the verse, Rosamond dips into a minor key, a darker and more brooding modality, but returns quickly again to major. This technique lends musical interest and variety, and gives the whole song more emotional credibility than if it was strictly in a major key. The harmonic tension between major and minor symbolizes the tensions described in the text – a determined optimism about the future despite a tragic past.

Rosamond's chords throughout the song fall in the same rhythm as stated in the melody. There are no frilly filler notes, arpeggiated chord patterns, no counter-melodies -- just strong chords placed directly on the melody’s rhythm. This technique once again indicates the strength of the sentiment expressed in the poem. In fact, Rosamond seems determined to allow nothing to lead our attention away from that sentiment, not even for a moment.

That’s probably enough analysis to illustrate some of the musical conventions that Rosamond used. The techniques I’ve described were applied with skill, and as a result they don’t draw attention to themselves but instead hold the words up for our consideration.

Although James Weldon Johnson’s words speak of African Americans’ past travails and current hopes for the future, these words speak to ALL Americans of the spiritual strength and dignity of those who were oppressed. In order not to be part of the continuing oppression and racism in our country today, I believe it is important that Anglo Americans try to see history from the African American point of view.

On her Speaking Truth to Power website, Vernellia Randall, Professor of Law and Director of the Academic Excellence Program at University of Dayton School of Law, recalled attending segregated schools in Texas until she graduated from high school in 1966. At each of the three schools she attended, the day began with The Lord’s Prayer, the National Anthem, and the Negro National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing. When I first programmed this hymn to be sung on Martin Luther King Sunday at Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship, I hoped that James Weldon Johnson’s words would enable our mostly white Mennonite congregation to catch a glimpse of what Randall must have felt when day after day she prayed to be forgiven of her sins as she forgave those who sinned against her, then sang the national anthem of the country that segregated her, followed immediately with the Negro National Anthem that offered her the hope that things could be -- indeed, would be -- different.

As Anglos in America, who by definition are members of the dominant class, let us not be afraid to face the shameful history of our country. Let us honor the memory of people like the Johnson brothers who helped all of us to find a way out of those awful times. Let us continue their efforts to achieve full equality for all.

Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on 'til victory is won.

And all the people said?
Amen!



© 2007, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

History of Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing

(Part IV in a five-part series on the song Lift Every Voice and Sing written by James Weldon Johnson & J. Rosamond Johnson.)

Today’s post deals with the history surrounding the composition of Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing. The last and final post on the series will contain a bit of musical analysis and a conclusion.




Augusta Savage's The Harp was inspired by Lift Every Voice and Sing. Photo: Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.


In 1900 James Weldon Johnson had been asked to speak at the Stanton Public Schools celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. Instead of a speech, he had decided to compose a poem, but his muse was slow to deliver inspiration for a poem. With time running short, he asked his brother Rosamond to help him write a song. Lift Ev’ry Voice was the product of their efforts. They sent the song to their New York publisher, who mimeographed copies so the song could be taught to a choir of 500 schoolchildren who sang it at the Lincoln celebration. The preface to Lift Every Voice and Sing (cited below) contains a 1935 quote where James Weldon Johnson recounts the ripple effect of that historic performance:

Shortly afterwards my brother and I moved from Jacksonville to New York, and the song passed out of our minds. But the school children of Jacksonville kept singing it, they went off to other schools and sang it, they became teachers and taught it to other children. Within twenty years it was being sung over the South and in some other parts of the country. Today, the song, popularly known as the Negro National Hymn, is quite generally used.

In February 2002, Dave Person of National Public Radio did a piece on on Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing. I hope you will click on this link and listen. (You need RealPlayer). It is a moving piece combining facts interspersed with music. In his piece, Person relates how James Weldon Johnson never wanted the song referred to as the Negro National Anthem. He always used the word hymn instead. He felt that there divisions might arise between races if there were more than one national anthem and during his time in the NAACP he often cautioned people against calling the song an anthem. The fact that he could never eradicate the unofficial anthem designation speaks to the transcendent meaning the song held for people.

To understand the unique role this hymn played in shaping the lives and consciousnesses of African Americans, I recommend the book I mentioned above -- Lift Every Voice and Sing: A Celebration of the Negro National Anthem: 100 Years, 100 Voices edited by Julian Bond, known for his work in the Civil Rights movement and now serving as chairman of the board of the NAACP and professor of history at the University of Virginia, and Sondra K. Wilson, the executor of James Weldon Johnson’s literary properties and an associate of the W. E. B. DuBois Institute at Harvard University. I read over and over the specific instances in which it gave inspiration: how many years ago schoolchildren in the south began their day by singing it, how it gave dignity in the face of racist insult, how one generation taught it to another, how present day teachers assigned it to their students so the tradition singing it would not be lost, etc. Reading these 100 essays was really amazing and often quite moving. I find it unbelievable, actually, that one song could have had such an effect.

In conclusion, I will quote Wikipedia's lovely summary of the historic significance the song has achieved in the last 100 years.

Singing this song quickly became a way for African Americans to demonstrate their patriotism and hope for the future. In calling for earth and heaven to "ring with the harmonies of Liberty," they could speak out subtly against racism and Jim Crow laws — and especially the huge number of lynchings accompanying the rise of the Ku Klux Klan at the turn of the century. In 1919, the NAACP adopted the song as "The Negro National Anthem." By the 1920's, copies of "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" could be found in black churches across the country, often pasted into the hymnals.

During and after the American Civil Rights Movement, the song experienced a rebirth, and by the 1970's was often sung immediately after The Star Spangled Banner at public events and performances across the United States where the event had a significant African-American population.

In 1990, singer Melba Moore released a modern rendition of the song... Partly because of the success of this recording, Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing was entered into the Congressional Record as the official African American National Hymn.

All Americans who value justice and equality can sing this song. It applies to our times as well. The struggle against racism is far from over, so we too can...

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on 'til victory is won.



© 2007, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

J. Rosamond Johnson (1873-1954)

(Part III in a five-part series on the song Lift Every Voice and Sing written by James Weldon Johnson & J. Rosamond Johnson.)

Photo: Copyright ©2001 by Yale University

John Rosamond Johnson, born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1874, was the youngest of the three Johnson children. Although his first name was John, he was called Rosamond by his family and friends. Professionally, he referred to himself as J. Rosamond Johnson.

Rosamond’s special talent was music. He began piano lessons with his mother when he was 4 years old. After graduating from the Stanton Public school in 1891, he went to the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston where he studied piano, organ, composition, and voice. He also studied music in London.

Around 1896 he left the conservatory to pursue an interest in musical comedy. It is believed that he toured as a vocalist with Oriental America, a company that staged the first African-American show on Broadway to differ from a burlesque house performance. Most likely, Jacksonville served as home base during the time he toured with Oriental America, because he held the administrative position of Supervisor of Music in the Jacksonville public schools from 1896-1899.

By 1898 Rosamond settled full time in Jacksonville, and in addition to his job with the Jacksonville public school system, he worked as organist and choirmaster of a large Baptist church and taught music once a week at the Baptist Academy. He also gave private piano lessons. The level of instruction he offered was far above that of previous itinerant musicians who taught in Jacksonville. James Weldon Johnson, in his autobiography called Along This Way, says: (1)

Rosamond had begun to using some of James’ poetry as texts for his composition. Their first joint effort was a comic opera that satirized American imperialism after the Spanish-American War. It was never produced, but it introduced the Johnsons to many influential people in show business.

In 1902 the Johnson brothers left Jacksonville to seek their fortune on Broadway. As a team with Bob Cole, an African-American lyricist, composer and vaudeville performer, they wrote musical comedies which were produced on Broadway with an all-black cast. They also wrote more than 200 popular songs in which their goal was to elevate the lyrical sophistication of Negro songs.

After James accepted a diplomatic appointment to Venezuela in 1906, Rosamond and Bob formed their own theater company and put on several successful productions until 1911 when Bob Cole died. The Library of Congress website states that “[Rosamond] Johnson’s compositional skills were the strongpoints of his musicals and vaudeville performances. Musicologist Thomas Riis considers Johnson’s harmonic language to be the richest of all the other black theater composers of his time save for Will Marion Cook.” (2)

After Cole’s death, Rosamond’s success continued. He composed the music and conducted the orchestra for the 1911 Broadway revue called Hello Paris, marking the first time an African-American had conducted an all-white orchestra for an all-white cast in a New York theater. He gave a piano performance in “A Concert of Negro Music” in Carnegie Hall on May 2, 1912. In that same year Oscar Hammerstein appointed him musical director of his Grand Opera House in London. There, Rosamond met Nora Floyd. They were married on June 3, 1912 and lived in London until 1914 when they returned to New York and started the Music School Settlement for Colored People. That was the year that ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) was formed, and Rosamond was one of only 6 African-Americans in the original membership of 170 people. In 1917, Rosamond directed a singing orchestra which appeared in a series of ground-breaking plays at the Garden Theater in Madison Square Garden. The plays had a relatively short run due to the fact that the US declared war on Germany the day after the play opened. During the World War I Rosamond served as a second lieutenant with the 15th Regiment.

After the war Rosamond concentrated on his collections, arrangements, and performances of Negro spirituals. He wrote the score to Emperor Jones, starring Paul Robeson in 1921. He published The Book of American Negro Spirituals in 1925 and The Second Book of American Negro Spirituals in 1926. He toured the US and Europe with Taylor Gordon giving performances of these works. In the following decade Rosamond published two more volumes -- Shout Songs in 1936 and Rolling Along in Song in 1937.

In the thirties, Rosamond’s acting career took precedence. Between 1929 and 1946 he performed in a variety of plays and musicals, most notably singing the role of Lawyer Frazier in Porgy and Bess in its Broadway premier in 1935 and again in 1942-43. The International Movie Database (IMDb) lists a number of credits, as does the Internet Broadway Database (IBDB).

After a varied and successful career in the arts, Rosamond Johnson died of a heart condition on November 11, 1954 in his home on West 162 Street in New York City. Besides being a talented and accomplished musician, he worked to educate African-American musicians and pioneered the musical acceptance and recognition of African-American art forms. Although he is not as well known as his brother, James Weldon Johnson, he deserves equal recognition for his varied achievements.
______________
Footnotes:

1. James Weldon Johnson's autobiography, Along This Way. p. 149. (reference to "Shout Songs" & the quote in the image above]

2. From the Library of Congress website: http://memory.loc.gov/cocoon/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200038845/default.html

______________
Bibliography (in addition to Footnotes above):

1. Irving S. Gilmore Music Library of Yale University website, biographical overview: http://webtext.library.yale.edu/xml2html/Music/jrj-d.htm

2. Internet exhibit called "Let It Resound," part of the Yale University library. http://beinecke.library.yale.edu/LetItResound/art_rmt_johnson_jr.html

3. College of New Jersey, student website by Melvina D. Fennell, Pierre Miller, and Michael McLaughlin. http://www.tcnj.edu/~fennell2/John%20Rosamond%20Johnson.htm

4. Website on famous Floridians, comprised by essays written in 2002 by Florida school children to celebrate African American History Month. http://www.myflorida.com/myflorida/governorsoffice/black_history/rosamond_johnson.html (this material was recently removed and the link no long works.)

© 2007, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938)

(Part II in a five-part series on the song Lift Every Voice and Sing written by James Weldon Johnson & J. Rosamond Johnson.)




The parents of James and Rosamond Johnson came to Jacksonville Florida from the Bahamas in 1866 after a hurricane destroyed their sponge fishing and dray businesses. James Sr. worked as the headwaiter in one Jacksonville’s fine resort hotels. His wife, Helen Louise Dillet Johnson, taught elementary school. In fact, she was the first female African-American public school teacher in Florida. The importance she placed on achievement and public service undoubtedly came from the example set by her father, who served in the House of Assembly in the Bahamas for 30 years. I relate the Johnson family background to illustrate the values and social climate within their family. The Johnson boys had educated and successful parents. They lived privileged lives for African-Americans of their time.

James Weldon Johnson was born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1871. He attended the Stanton Public School where his mother taught, and upon graduation he went on to study at Atlanta University. After completing his bachelor’s degree in 1894, he returned to Jacksonville and to become principal of the Stanton Public School. He must not have found that position entirely satisfying because he was involved in other endeavors during his entire tenure as principal. In 1895, James founded the Daily American, a newspaper devoted to reporting on issues pertinent to the black community. Despite the long hours he devoted to the paper, it was not a financial success and after a year he gave up the effort. However, the Daily American drew the attention of Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. DuBois, who supported James in various ways later in his life. After the demise of the paper, James studied law and became the first African American to be admitted to the Florida bar through open examination. And all of this while holding down a full time job as public school principal!

James and Rosamond started their musical collaboration in 1898 when Rosamond returned to Jacksonville to teach music. Their first work was a comic opera called Toloso that satirized American imperialism after the Spanish-American War. Though Toloso was never produced, its songs were later used in Broadway musicals and it introduced the Johnsons to many influential people in show business, including Oscar Hammerstein and their future partner, Bob Cole, an African-American lyricist, composer and vaudeville performer. During their early collaboration when they were both living and working in Jacksonville, they made periodic trips to New York where their work was well received.

In 1902 the Johnson brothers left Jacksonville to seek their fortune on Broadway. They teamed up with Bob Cole and wrote musical comedies that were produced on Broadway with an all-black cast. They also wrote more than 200 popular songs in which their goal was to “elevate the lyrical sophistication of Negro songs.”

Perhaps writing on a regular basis is what aroused James’s interest in studying English at Columbia University. He was awarded a Ph.D. in 1906. It is remarkable that he was able to pursue a successful Broadway musical career while earning a doctorate. But he did. With one foot in the glitzy world of show business and the the other in the academic scene at Columbia, James met many influential leaders of the day. All were impressed with his high energy, his keen mind, and his many talents.

Through his friendship with Charles Anderson, a black Republican leader and close friend of Booker T. Washington, James became interested in foreign service. After his graduation from Columbia in 1906, he received and accepted an appointment to the United States consulate in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela. In 1909 he was transferred to Nicaragua, where he met the beautiful Grace Neil, daughter of a wealthy New York real estate broker. They were married in 1910.

His consulate assignments allowed James to devote time to his writing. During his years in the Foreign Service (1906–1913) he wrote much poetry and worked on a novel called The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man which was published in 1912. He returned to New York in 1913 and continued to have an active literary life, publishing editorials, fiction, as well as poetry.

In 1916 he became field secretary of the NAACP, an organization which was then only seven years old. During his four years as field secretary, Johnson increased the organization’s membership from 9,000 to 90,000, a remarkable accomplishment. In 1920 he was appointed executive director and he headed the organization’s fight for racial equality for the next ten years. In 1930 he retired, and spent the next eight years writing and teaching.

Johnson’s creative and influential life came to a sudden end on June 26, 1938 when his car was hit by a train near his summer home in Maine. More than 2000 people attended his funeral, a tribute to his accomplishments and to his wide scope of influence.


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Bibliography:

1. Modern American Poetry website, owned and maintained by the Department of English at the University of Illinois in Champagne-Urbana: An Online Journal and Multimedia Companion to Anthology of Modern American Poetry (Oxford University Press, 2000). Edited by Cary Nelson. http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/g_l/johnson/life.htm

2. Department of Rare Books and Special Collections website, owned and maintained by the University of South Carolina. http://www.sc.edu/library/spcoll/amlit/johnson/johnson.html

3. University of Pennsylvania website - Excerpt from the book called Before Harlem, The Black Experience in New York City Before World War I by Marcy S. Sacks http://www.upenn.edu/pennpress/book/toc/14294.html

4. National Portrait Gallery website, Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/harmon/johnharm.htm

5. Jazz Roots website by Thomas L. Morgan. This site provides an overview of jazz musicians and other historical information about regarding jazz from 1905 – 1920. http://www.jass.com/c&j.html

6. Academy of American Poets website. http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/72

7. NAACP website. http://www.naacp.org/about/history/levas_history/

8. BlackPressUSA.com archives. http://www.blackpressusa.com/history/archive_essay.asp?NewsID=810&Week=26

9. Poet's Corner on the Gale Group Free Resources website. http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/poets/bio/johnson_j.htm

10. James Weldon Johnson's portrait above is by Laura Wheeler Waring. Oil on canvas, 1943. National Portrait Gallery, Washington D.C.

© 2007, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Introduction to Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing

During Black History Month (February) Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship has closed every service with the hymn Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing. The first Sunday we sang Lift Ev’ry Voice, I introduced it to the congregation. My research uncovered much more than I was able to include in a short talk. Now what is a blogger to do with all that good material, if not to turn it into blog posts! This introduction, therefore, will be followed by four more posts. The first will chronicle the life of James Weldon Johnson, the poet and lyricist of the song. The second post will be devoted to J. Rosamond Johnson, the musician and composer of the song. The last two posts will focus on the song itself.

Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing was written in 1900 by two brothers who were very accomplished and well known in their time. Though the song was written for a particular event at a particular time in history, its perspective has become timeless for the inspiration it has offered, and offers still. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with it. This link to the NPR’s archives (which requires RealPlayer) will play a lovely choral rendition. As you listen, please follow along with the words below. If the NPR link above doesn’t work for you, listen to this piano version from the Cyberhymnal, reading the words in rhythm with the music.

LIFT EV’RY VOICE AND SING
Words by James Weldon Johnson
Music by J. Rosamond Johnson

The apostrophes (inserted by the author) and hyphens (inserted by the blogger) denote melody pitch changes.

Lift ev'ry voice and sing,
Till earth and heav-en ring,
Ring with the har-mon-ies of Li-ber-ty;
Let our re-joic-ing rise
High as the list'ning skies,
Let it re-sound loud as the roll-ing sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the pres-ent has brought us;
Facing the ris-ing sun of our new day be-gun,
Let us march on till vic-tory is won.

Ston-y the road we trod,
Bit-ter the chast'ning rod,
Felt in the days when hope un-born had died;
Yet with a stead-y beat,
Have not our wear-y feet
Come to the place for which our fath-ers sighed?
We have come o-ver a way that with tears has been watered.
We have come, tread-ing our path through the blood of the slaugh-tered,
Out from the gloom-y past,
Till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our wear-y years,
God of our si-lent tears,
Thou who hast brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who hast by Thy might,
Led us in-to the light,
Keep us for-e-ver in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the plac-es, our God, where we met Thee,
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we for-get Thee;
Sha-dowed be-neath Thy hand,
May we for-e-ver stand,
True to our God,
True to our na-tive land.

© 2007, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement

Lessons and Carols at MMF (2006)

Upon returning home from Portland, I plunged into helping our pastor organize the annual MMF Lessons and Carols service. Although Manhattan Mennonite Fellowship is a very small congregation (average attendance 35 or so), this service involved a cast of thousands. Ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration, I'll admit it. But it felt that way because nearly every regular attender was involved in some way. A singing ensemble of about 12 people performed 3 songs. Two children played violin pieces; two other children played a flute and piano duet. The entire congregation sang hymns and carols, and a gospel choir from a sister church in the Bronx presented special offertory music. A marvelous pianist who attends our church played a lovely prelude and postlude and accompanied the hymns and special music. Various people read the seven scripture lessons, the last of which was the Christmas story. During this reading, children and adults alike formed a Christmas tableau which contained shepherds and a small poodle playing the part of a lamb, angels, wise men, and of course Mary, Joseph and a real baby playing the part of Jesus.

I've included the order of service especially for a couple of friends who used to attend our church until they moved away from Manhattan.

GATHERING
Prelude
Congregational song: "Hark! The glad sound!"
Welcome and Introduction of the Day

SERVICE OF LESSONS AND CAROLS
Invocation
Candle Lighting
"Gavotte" by P. Martin (played by 12 year old violin soloist)

Lesson One: Zephaniah 3:14-20
God’s people sing and rejoice in the promised deliverance.
The First Carol: "We will walk with God" sung by the MMF Ensemble

Lesson Two: Isaiah 12:2-6
Sing praises unto the Lord.
The Second Carol: "Gaudete" by Viktor Hug performed by the MMF Ensemble and instrumentalists (two flutes and violin)

Lesson Three: Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always, and think on things that praise God.
The Third Carol: "Love came down at Christmas" (congregation)

Lesson Four: Luke 3:7-18
John the Baptist preaches and prophesies of the mighty One who will come.
The Fourth Carol: "Lo, how a rose e’er blooming" sung by the MMF Ensemble

Lesson Five: Micah 5:2-4
The one who shall be ruler of Israel will be born in Bethlehem.
The Fifth Carol: "O, come, all ye faithful" (congregation)

Lesson Six: Luke 1:26-33
The angel Gabriel announces that the Holy Spirit will come upon Mary, and she will conceive and bear a son, Jesus.
The Sixth Carol: "The angel Gabriel" (congregation)

Lesson Seven: Luke 2:4-14 and Matthew 2:1-2, 11
The Christmas story is read while the Christmas tableau is formed.
"O come, little children" traditional folk song (played by 8 year old violin soloist)
The Seventh Carol: #193 "Silent night, holy night" played by 12 year old flutist and 9 year old pianist (congregation singing along)

Pastoral prayer followed by The Lord’s Prayer

RESPONDING
Announcements
Prayer of Thanksgiving & Offering
Offertory music by Friendship Community Church Gospel Choir

SENDING
Closing song: "There is more love somewhere" (congregation)
Benediction
Postlude

This service, which is not a very traditional Lessons and Carols format, was quite an organizational feat involving many people getting into the right place at the right time as well as moving a few props. Baby Jesus was fussy before the pageant began but miraculously she settled down when she was handed over to Mary. (Yes, in this pageant Jesus was a female, being the only baby available for the part.)

When so many from our youthful Manhattan congregation return to their parents’ homes in Kansas, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Virginia and other places around the country, the lessons and carols service has become the time when we draw together as a congregation. We are small and we have our share of problems, but at Christmas we appreciate each other and unite to celebrate not only our faith but our community. I was gratified to have been able to organize a service where everyone could experience a solid spirit of community.

Afterwards we went over to Menno House, the boarding house owned and operated by the church, for a bountiful meal contributed by members of the church. We ate and socialized and rejoiced in the warmth of the Christmas season. In this post, I hope I've shared a little Christmas joy with all of you.

© 2006, Linda Mason Hood
Truffles, Turtles & Tunes Copyright Statement