Benjamin Franklin White on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Benjamin Franklin White (September 20, 1800 – December 5, 1879) was a
White and Elisha J. King published ''The Sacred Harp'' in 1844, using the four-shape shape note notation. King died in 1844. In 1845, White led in the establishment of the ''
B. F. White died in 1879 and was buried in the Oakland Cemetery in
''A Chronological History of the Life of Benjamin Franklin White''
(unpublished), by Donald Stephen Clarke * Barfield, Louise C (1961) ''History of Harris County, Georgia 1827-1961'', Columbus Office Supply Company. * Bealle, John (1997) ''Public Worship, Private Faith: Sacred Harp and American Folksong''. Athens: University of Georgia Press. * Cobb, Buell E. (1978, 1989) ''The Sacred Harp: A Tradition and Its Music'', by Buell E. Cobb, Jr., University of Georgia Press. * Jackson, George Pullen (1933) ''White Spirituals in the Southern Uplands''. University of North Carolina Press. * James, Joe S. (1904) ''A Brief History of the Sacred Harp and Its Author, B. F. White, Sr., and Contributors'', privately printed. * Landrum, J. B. O. (1900) ''History of Spartanburg County'', Franklin Printing and Publishing Co.. * Miller, Kiri (2002) ''The Chattahoochee Musical Convention, 1852-2002: A Sacred Harp Historical Sourcebook''. Carrollton, Georgia: The Sacred Harp Museum.
by William J. Reynolds, from the Web site "Sacred Harp Singing in Texas".
at the Cyber Hymnal *
B. F. White
historical marker {{DEFAULTSORT:White, Benjamin Franklin 1800 births 1879 deaths American male composers American composers American music publishers (people) Burials at Oakland Cemetery (Atlanta) American Christian hymnwriters Mayors of places in Georgia (U.S. state) Musicians from South Carolina Musicians from Columbus, Georgia People from Harris County, Georgia People from Spartanburg County, South Carolina People from Union County, South Carolina Sacred Harp Shape note Southern Baptists 19th-century Baptists 19th-century American musicians 19th-century American politicians Songwriters from South Carolina Songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state) 19th-century American male musicians 19th-century American businesspeople American male songwriters
Benjamin Franklin White (September 20, 1800 – December 5, 1879) was a shape note
Shape notes are a musical notation designed to facilitate congregational and social singing. The notation, introduced in late 18th century England, became a popular teaching device in American singing schools. Shapes were added to the noteh ...
" singing master", and compiler of the shape note tunebook known as ''The Sacred Harp
Sacred Harp singing is a tradition of sacred choral music that originated in New England and was later perpetuated and carried on in the American South. The name is derived from ''The Sacred Harp'', a ubiquitous and historically important tune ...
''. He was born near Cross Keys in Union County, South Carolina
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,244. Its county seat is Union. The county was created in 1785.
Union County is coterminous with the Union, SC, Micropolitan Sta ...
, the twelfth child of Robert and Mildred White.
Musical career
White and Elisha J. King published ''The Sacred Harp'' in 1844, using the four-shape shape note notation. King died in 1844. In 1845, White led in the establishment of the ''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.
From its founding until 1867, White's ''The Sacred Harp'' was ...
''. In 1850, he issued a second edition of ''The Sacred Harp'', adding 97 songs and 103 pages. With the 1850 and future editions, White was assisted by a musical committee appointed by the 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.
From its founding until 1867, White's ''The Sacred Harp'' was ...
. In 1859, a third edition of ''The Sacred Harp'' was released, adding 74 more songs on 63 pages. A fourth edition came out in 1869. For the first time, in this revision White replaced old songs with new ones, rather than simply adding the new songs to the back of the book. A year later, he released a copyright of the same book signed only by himself and his son, D. P. White, perhaps clarifying ownership. In 1911, White's youngest son, James Landrum White
James Landrum White (January 22, 1847 – March 8, 1925) was a shape note singing teacher, composer, and a reviser of his father's shape note tunebook known as ''The Sacred Harp''.
Musical career
In 1844, three years before J. L. White's birth, ...
, reissued this fourth edition with a supplement of newer gospel songs. White also taught music; among his pupils was Sarah Lancaster
Sarah Lancaster (born February 12, 1980) is an American actress. She is known for her long-running roles as Rachel Meyers in the NBC series '' Saved by the Bell: The New Class'' and Ellie Bartowski in the NBC comedy-spy series ''Chuck'', as w ...
.
White served as Clerk of the Inferior Court of Harris County, and mayor of Whitesville, Georgia Whitesville is an unincorporated community in Harris County, Georgia, United States.
History
A post office called Whitesville was established in 1837, and remained in operation until 1905. The community was named after the White family of first set ...
.
As journalist
In 1852, B. F. White was named as Superintendent of the first newspaper published in Harris County, ''The Organ'', which was "published by authority of theSouthern 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.
From its founding until 1867, White's ''The Sacred Harp'' was ...
". This newspaper, published in Hamilton, Georgia
Hamilton is a city in, and the county seat of Harris County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Columbus, Georgia-Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,680 at the 2020 census, up from 307 at the 2000 census. As of 20 ...
, served a double purpose: it printed various local and national news stories, taken from major newspapers or off the telegraph
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...
, but was also meant as a musical publication. Among the musical materials it included were "songs, minutes of singing conventions, musical debates, letters from singers, and advertisements for books."Beale, 133 White participated with gusto in a number of debates about music in the pages of this paper.
A few songs appear in the W. M. Cooper edition of ''The Sacred Harp'' with the mysterious notation "For the Organ". This notation, otherwise baffling in a tradition that is firmly a cappella
''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
, apparently indicates their original publication in the newspaper.
Family life and descendants
Benjamin F. White married Thurza Melvina Golightly on December 30, 1825 in Spartanburg District, SC. William Walker, publisher of the ''Southern Harmony
The ''Southern Harmony, and Musical Companion'' is a shape note hymn and tune book compiled by William Walker, first published in 1835. The book is notable for having originated or popularized several hymn tunes found in modern hymnals and sha ...
'', married Thurza's sister, Amy. The Whites moved from Spartanburg District, SC to Harris County, Georgia
Harris County is a County (United States), county located in the west-central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia; its western border with the state of Alabama is formed by the Chattahoochee River. As of the 2020 United St ...
in 1842.
To B. F. and Thurza were born nine children: William Decatur, David Patillo, Robert H., Mary Caroline, Nancy Ogburn, Thurza Melvina, Benjamin Franklin, Jr., James Landrum, and Martha America. Of these, David Patillo, James Landrum, and Benjamin Franklin, Jr. grew up to be prominent figures in Sacred Harp singing.
Death and eulogy
B. F. White died in 1879 and was buried in the Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
. The following year, members of the Chattahoochee Musical Convention eulogized him thus:
White is the namesake of the shape note tune "White" by Edmund Dumas
Edmund Dumas (February 15, 1810 – October 22, 1882) was an American Primitive Baptist minister, politician, and musician today remembered for his association with the Sacred Harp movement.
Dumas was the son of Benjamin F. Dumas and Martha Usse ...
.
Notes
References
''A Chronological History of the Life of Benjamin Franklin White''
(unpublished), by Donald Stephen Clarke * Barfield, Louise C (1961) ''History of Harris County, Georgia 1827-1961'', Columbus Office Supply Company. * Bealle, John (1997) ''Public Worship, Private Faith: Sacred Harp and American Folksong''. Athens: University of Georgia Press. * Cobb, Buell E. (1978, 1989) ''The Sacred Harp: A Tradition and Its Music'', by Buell E. Cobb, Jr., University of Georgia Press. * Jackson, George Pullen (1933) ''White Spirituals in the Southern Uplands''. University of North Carolina Press. * James, Joe S. (1904) ''A Brief History of the Sacred Harp and Its Author, B. F. White, Sr., and Contributors'', privately printed. * Landrum, J. B. O. (1900) ''History of Spartanburg County'', Franklin Printing and Publishing Co.. * Miller, Kiri (2002) ''The Chattahoochee Musical Convention, 1852-2002: A Sacred Harp Historical Sourcebook''. Carrollton, Georgia: The Sacred Harp Museum.
External links
by William J. Reynolds, from the Web site "Sacred Harp Singing in Texas".
at the Cyber Hymnal *
B. F. White
historical marker {{DEFAULTSORT:White, Benjamin Franklin 1800 births 1879 deaths American male composers American composers American music publishers (people) Burials at Oakland Cemetery (Atlanta) American Christian hymnwriters Mayors of places in Georgia (U.S. state) Musicians from South Carolina Musicians from Columbus, Georgia People from Harris County, Georgia People from Spartanburg County, South Carolina People from Union County, South Carolina Sacred Harp Shape note Southern Baptists 19th-century Baptists 19th-century American musicians 19th-century American politicians Songwriters from South Carolina Songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state) 19th-century American male musicians 19th-century American businesspeople American male songwriters