Elisha J. King
Encyclopedia
Elisha James King was, with B. F. White, the compiler of The Sacred Harp
, a shape note
hymnbook that came to be used widely in the rural South. In revised form, the book continues to be popular among singers to this day.
Little is known about King's short life. Steel (2010) suggests that he mostly likely was born in Wilkinson County, Georgia
; his parents were named John King and Elizabeth Dubose. The family moved in 1828 to Talbot County
.
E. J. King worked as a farmer and also taught singing to others.
It is clear that King was the junior member of the partnership with White (born 1800), who had already had an extensive career as a shape note composer and teacher. The early 20th century Sacred Harp editor Joseph Summerlin James
suggested that King was in fact White's pupil. Yet King's musical contribution to the volume was substantial; in the present-day 1991 edition of the Sacred Harp, his name appears on 22 of the tunes as composer, arranger, or co-arranger. Steel describes King as having a distinctive musical style, and describes three of his songs, "Bound for Canaan," "Sweet Canaan," and "Fulfilment" as "classics".
Steel conjectures that King may also have provided the initial financing that would have been needed to persuade the printer (in Philadelphia) to take on the job of producing the book. At the time White was "still establishing himself" as a farmer, but King came from a wealthy family with a large plantation.
The Sacred Harp was first published in 1844; King died 31 August of the same year.
His younger brother Elias Lafayette King (1828-1876) was an important member of the early Sacred Harp community. He served on the committee that prepared the augmented second edition (1850). He contributed six songs to this edition, of which one (308, Parting Friends) remains in the 1991 edition today.
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 :...
, a 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...
hymnbook that came to be used widely in the rural South. In revised form, the book continues to be popular among singers to this day.
Little is known about King's short life. Steel (2010) suggests that he mostly likely was born in Wilkinson County, Georgia
Wilkinson County, Georgia
Wilkinson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on May 11, 1803. As of 2000, the population was 10,220. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 10,064...
; his parents were named John King and Elizabeth Dubose. The family moved in 1828 to Talbot County
Talbot County, Georgia
Talbot County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The 2000 Census showed a population of 6,498. The 2009 Census Estimate showed a population of 6,355. The county seat is Talbotton.-History:...
.
E. J. King worked as a farmer and also taught singing to others.
It is clear that King was the junior member of the partnership with White (born 1800), who had already had an extensive career as a shape note composer and teacher. The early 20th century Sacred Harp editor Joseph Summerlin James
Joseph Summerlin James
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...
suggested that King was in fact White's pupil. Yet King's musical contribution to the volume was substantial; in the present-day 1991 edition of the Sacred Harp, his name appears on 22 of the tunes as composer, arranger, or co-arranger. Steel describes King as having a distinctive musical style, and describes three of his songs, "Bound for Canaan," "Sweet Canaan," and "Fulfilment" as "classics".
Steel conjectures that King may also have provided the initial financing that would have been needed to persuade the printer (in Philadelphia) to take on the job of producing the book. At the time White was "still establishing himself" as a farmer, but King came from a wealthy family with a large plantation.
The Sacred Harp was first published in 1844; King died 31 August of the same year.
His younger brother Elias Lafayette King (1828-1876) was an important member of the early Sacred Harp community. He served on the committee that prepared the augmented second edition (1850). He contributed six songs to this edition, of which one (308, Parting Friends) remains in the 1991 edition today.