{"id":4166,"date":"2019-10-03T08:23:15","date_gmt":"2019-10-03T13:23:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/americanmusic\/?p=4166"},"modified":"2019-10-03T08:23:15","modified_gmt":"2019-10-03T13:23:15","slug":"black-opera-and-catholicism-a-case-of-selective-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/americanmusic\/2019\/10\/03\/black-opera-and-catholicism-a-case-of-selective-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Opera and Catholicism: A Case of Selective History"},"content":{"rendered":"

While the most recent course readings and discussions have focused on the (relatively little) good and (predominantly) bad effects of minstrelsy, discussion of other black performance in the 19th century has been limited or in passing. While browsing the archives of the <\/span>African American Newspapers <\/span><\/i>database, I came across a name that was mentioned multiple times in a few articles about black vocal performances in the Washington D.C. area in the latter half of the 19th century. A \u201cMrs. Smallwood\u201d was cited multiple times for her performances at various churches. Further digging revealed Agnes Gray Smallwood to be a vocal performer, with multiple newspaper articles hailing her as an outstanding performer.<\/span><\/p>\n

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In this newspaper review, Agnes Smallwood is hailed for her solo singing after a concert given at a local church.<\/p><\/div>\n

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This announcement was found in many papers, noting Mrs. Smallwood’s achievement, yet failed to mention specifically which church she would sing at.<\/p><\/div>\n

Mrs. Smallwood was a part of a group of singers that formed the little-known <\/span>Colored American Opera Company<\/span><\/i>, America\u2019s first opera company for black singers<\/a>. The group rose out of the need to raise funds for St. Augustine Catholic Church in Washington D.C., a catholic church that has long established itself as the \u201cmother church of black Catholics<\/a>\u201d. The church established itself as a haven for free blacks in the final years of the Civil War, and has since been a spiritual and cultural refuge for blacks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although I could not find any video or other media related to the Colored Opera Company, take a moment to view a short video about St. Augustine Catholic Church and how the work of the opera company lives on today in this unique catholic church.<\/span><\/p>\n