NEGRO MINSTRELSY, a species of singing which originated among the negro slaves of the United States, and is now popular at public entertainments. The sentiment of the earlier of these negro melodies was of the most simple kind, the words mostly broken English. and the harmonies confined chiefly to two chords—the tonic and dominant. How the airs were composed has been a matter of curious inquiry. Some of them are believed to be broken down and otherwise altered old psalm-tunes, which had been caught up by the more musical of the negro race. In sonic instances, the singing of the melodies is accompanied with grotesque gestures: the effect being to give the idea of good-nature and love of fun in the dark-skinned minstrels. Negro melodies may be said to hfvve been made known by Mr. D. Rice, who, first in New York, in 1831, and after ward in London, created It sensation by his of Jim Crow. Other songs followed. such as Jim along Josey and flaffalo Gals; anti from less to more, there was created a very charmfleristicallynational music, if the Americans will allow us to call it so. Becom
ing extensively popular, and addressed to fashionable audiences, this negro minstrelsy now comprehends a large variety of songs, with airs of a pleasing kind, the whole much in advance of the original negro compositions. For these improvements, the world is indebted, among others, to Mr. E. P. Christy, who began as conductor of a band of min strels at Buffalo in 1842, and who established himself in New York in 1840. At first his troupe were called the Minstrels," but afterwards they were known as the " Minstrels." Mr. Christy's great success in this species of entertainment b.ought other leaders and troupes into the field. In most cases, the members of the negro min strel troupes are only negroes in name, with faces and hands blackened for the purpose. See Ciristy's Minstrels I,Tew Songs, with _Music, edited by J. Wade ; and other similar collections.