Joseph Summerlin James
Encyclopedia
Joseph Stephen James, of Douglasville, Georgia
, was a lawyer, shape note
singer, composer, and a reviser of the tunebook known as The Sacred Harp
.
J. S. James works include A Brief History of the Sacred Harp and Its Author, B. F. White, Sr., and Contributors (1904), Union Harp and History of Songs (1909), Sacred Tunes and Hymns (1913), Explanation of the Sacred Harp (1920) and the Original Sacred Harp. The Original Sacred Harp was released in 1911. It added alto parts to most of the songs and restored several songs that had been deleted in the 1869-70 revision of The Sacred Harp by B. F. White
and the Southern Musical Convention
. James supervised the revision and was head over a revision committee appointed by the United Sacred Harp Musical Association.
James' book quickly embroiled him in two controversies. He was sued by W. M. Cooper
for plagiarism of the alto parts as written by Cooper. James brought a suit against J. L. White
for White's revision of The Sacred Harp, claiming infringement of copyright and seeking $3000 in damages.
Joe S. James was born March 20, 1849, in Campbell County
(now in Douglas County
), the son of Stephen and Martha (Shipleigh) James. He was an attorney and was active in local civic and political life. He was the first mayor of Douglasville, was instrumental in the establishment of Douglasville College, in obtaining the city's first water and phone systems, and in bringing several industries to the city. James held membership in the Methodist Church and the Masonic Lodge. He was owner and editor of The New South, newspaper of the city of Douglasville. He led in organizing the United Sacred Harp Musical Association in 1904, which he hoped would function as a sort of "National Association" of Sacred Harp singings and conventions.
J. S. James married Margaret Elizabeth Maxwell in 1869, and they had seven children: Margaret Odessa, Stephen Edwin, Infant twin sons, Eunice Lettitia, Lois Cleveland, and Joe S., Jr. He died in 1931 and is buried in Douglasville, Georgia
.
Douglasville, Georgia
The city of Douglasville is the county seat of Douglas County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 30,961...
, was a lawyer, shape note
Shape note
Shape notes are a music notation designed to facilitate congregational and community singing. The notation, introduced in 1801, became a popular teaching device in American singing schools...
singer, composer, and a reviser of the tunebook known as The Sacred Harp
Sacred Harp
Sacred Harp singing is a tradition of sacred choral music that took root in the Southern region of the United States. It is part of the larger tradition of shape note music.- The music and its notation :...
.
J. S. James works include A Brief History of the Sacred Harp and Its Author, B. F. White, Sr., and Contributors (1904), Union Harp and History of Songs (1909), Sacred Tunes and Hymns (1913), Explanation of the Sacred Harp (1920) and the Original Sacred Harp. The Original Sacred Harp was released in 1911. It added alto parts to most of the songs and restored several songs that had been deleted in the 1869-70 revision of The Sacred Harp by B. F. White
Benjamin Franklin White
Benjamin Franklin White was a shape note "singing master", and compiler of the shape note tunebook known as The Sacred Harp. He was born near Cross Keys in Union County, South Carolina, the twelfth child of Robert and Mildred White.-Musical career:White and Elisha J...
and the Southern Musical Convention
Southern Musical Convention
The Southern Musical Convention was the first Sacred Harp musical convention, organized by B. F. White and others in 1845. It was formed at Huntersville in Upson County, Georgia....
. James supervised the revision and was head over a revision committee appointed by the United Sacred Harp Musical Association.
James' book quickly embroiled him in two controversies. He was sued by W. M. Cooper
Wilson Marion Cooper
Wilson Marion Cooper of Dothan, Alabama, was a notable musician and music teacher within the Sacred Harp tradition. Marion Cooper was born in Henry County, Alabama, the son of W. S. and Elizabeth Ann Cooper. He was a cousin of Alabama governor William C. Oates.- Overview :W. M. Cooper prepared a...
for plagiarism of the alto parts as written by Cooper. James brought a suit against J. L. White
James Landrum White
James Landrum White was a shape note singing teacher, composer, and a reviser of his father's shape note tunebook known as The Sacred Harp.-Musical career:...
for White's revision of The Sacred Harp, claiming infringement of copyright and seeking $3000 in damages.
Joe S. James was born March 20, 1849, in Campbell County
Campbell County, Georgia
Campbell County, Georgia was a county of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1828 to 1931. It was created by the state legislature on December 20, 1828 from land taken from Fayette, Coweta, and Carroll counties, and from the half of DeKalb County which became Fulton County soon afterward. Georgia's...
(now in Douglas County
Douglas County, Georgia
Douglas County, Georgia has been experiencing numerous natural disasters over the most recent decades. Being located in the South Eastern United States the county experiences strong storms and tornadoes often because of its location in Dixie Alley....
), the son of Stephen and Martha (Shipleigh) James. He was an attorney and was active in local civic and political life. He was the first mayor of Douglasville, was instrumental in the establishment of Douglasville College, in obtaining the city's first water and phone systems, and in bringing several industries to the city. James held membership in the Methodist Church and the Masonic Lodge. He was owner and editor of The New South, newspaper of the city of Douglasville. He led in organizing the United Sacred Harp Musical Association in 1904, which he hoped would function as a sort of "National Association" of Sacred Harp singings and conventions.
J. S. James married Margaret Elizabeth Maxwell in 1869, and they had seven children: Margaret Odessa, Stephen Edwin, Infant twin sons, Eunice Lettitia, Lois Cleveland, and Joe S., Jr. He died in 1931 and is buried in Douglasville, Georgia
Douglasville, Georgia
The city of Douglasville is the county seat of Douglas County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 30,961...
.
Sources
- A Brief History of the Sacred Harp and Its Author, B. F. White, Sr., and Contributors, by Joe S. James, privately printed, 1904.
- Introduction and History of the Original Sacred Harp, by Ruth Denson Edwards, (in the 1971 Edition, Original Sacred Harp).
- Newspaper Accounts from the Atlanta Constitution and Atlanta Journal of the United Sacred Harp Musical Association, 1904-1956, compiled by John Plunkett.
- The Sacred Harp: A Tradition and Its Music, by Buell E. Cobb, Jr., University of Georgia Press, 1978, 1989.
- White Spirituals in the Southern Uplands, by George Pullen Jackson, University of North Carolina Press, 1933.
- Steel, David Warren with Richard Hulan (2010) The Makers of the Sacred Harp. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.
External links
- Cooper v. James, a report from the Music Copyright Infringement Resource.
- Union Harp and History of Songs
- Sacred Tunes and Hymns