Short Name: | J. Jefferson Cleveland |
Full Name: | Cleveland, J. Jefferson, 1937-1986 |
Birth Year: | 1937 |
Death Year: | 1986 |
Judge Jefferson Cleveland (1937-1986) was one of the most important scholars and editors of African-American congregational song of the 20th century. Along with Verogla Nix, he edited what is arguably the most groundbreaking collection of African-American song in the last half of the 20th century, Songs of Zion (1981/1982).
Lutheran hymnologist Marilyn Stulken provides a biographical sketch of Cleveland’s life and accomplishments. Born in Georgia, Cleveland graduated from Clark College (Atlanta), Illinois Wesleyan University and received his doctorate in education from Boston University.
He served on the faculty of three historically black Christian colleges: Claflin College (South Carolina), Langston University (Oklahoma), and Jarvis Christian College (Texas), before teaching at the University of Massachusetts and Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.
Cleveland’s musical arrangements, historical research and scholarship on the performance practice of African-American song have proven invaluable for the advancement of black gospel song, not only among African Americans, but also in Anglo hymnals to the present day. For example, Cleveland’s essay, “A Historical Account of the Hymn in the Black Worship Experience,” in Songs of Zion is a helpful introduction for laypersons and scholars alike.
In addition to serving as a hymnody consultant for the United Methodist General Board of Discipleship, he toured the United States and Africa in 1981 and Europe in 1984 as a teacher, lecturer and performer.
--www.umportal.org/
Tunes by J. Jefferson Cleveland (59)![]() | As | Instances | Incipit |
---|---|---|---|
NEW BRITAIN | J. Jefferson Cleveland (Arranger) | 2 | 51313 21655 13132 |
AMEN (Spiritual) | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Harmonizer) | 1 | 16513 21354 35432 |
BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Arranger) | 1 | 55554 35123 33211 |
[Beams of heaven, as I go] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Arranger) | 1 | 13565 31123 32155 |
[Before I'd stay in hell one day] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Arranger) | 1 | 11455 43511 17551 |
[Better mind my sister] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937-1988 (Harmonizer) | 5 | 51111 33311 33221 |
BLESSED QUIETNESS (Marshall) | J. Jefferson Cleveland (Arranger) | 7 | 34513 21617 65 |
[Chariot rode on the mountain top] | J. Jefferson Cleveland (1937-1988) (Harmonizer) | 2 | 56111 56553 5633 |
[Remember me, remember me] | J. Jefferson Cleveland (Harmonizer) | 6 | 12321 34553 24342 |
DEEP RIVER | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937-1986 (Arranger) | 2 | 32126 11116 53232 |
[Went to the rocks for to hide my face] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Composer) | 1 | 56535 35565 35321 |
[Did ever you see the like before] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Harmonizer) | 1 | 36533 21653 32122 |
[Enter God's gates with thanks and praise] | J. Jefferson Cleveland (Composer) | 2 | 55531 |
[Glory, glory, hallelujah] (Spiritual) | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Harmonizer) | 1 | 56113 13132 11616 |
[I got a crown up in the Kingdom] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Arranger) | 1 | 11353 21171 11557 |
[I trust in God wherever I may be] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937-1988 (Arranger) | 6 | 56535 17212 34576 |
WHOLE WORLD (Spiritual) | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Harmonizer) | 1 | 55353 13555 55442 |
SHINE ON ME | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937-1986 (Arranger) | 2 | 33116 51111 11123 |
I SHALL NOT BE MOVED | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Arranger) | 1 | 33434 22222 23221 |
[I stood on the river of Jordan] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Harmonizer) | 2 | 51323 35611 32111 |
BE READY | J. Jefferson Cleveland (Arranger) | 2 | 11135 56661 53212 |
[I'm so glad that trouble don't last always] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Harmonizer) | 1 | 11111 65611 33333 |
OLD TIME RELIGION | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Arranger) | 1 | 55611 16511 12232 |
[I've never been to Heaven, but I've been tol'] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Arranger) | 1 | 13131 11121 23131 |
[Jubilee, Jubilee] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Arranger) | 1 | 33533 54433 35335 |
[Keep yo' han' on de plow] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Arranger) | 2 | 12334 56543 13555 |
SOMEBODY'S KNOCKIN' | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Harmonizer) | 1 | 11321 61155 16535 |
[Life is like a mountain railroad] (Tillman) | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Arranger) | 1 | 33312 32111 12165 |
[Lord, I'm bearin' heavy burdens] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Harmonizer) | 1 | 57113 31555 57121 |
[Lord, let me love; let loving be the symbol] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Composer) | 3 | 54123 55412 33343 |
MARTYRDOM (Wilson) | J. Jefferson Cleveland (Arranger) | 4 | 51651 23213 53213 |
NEAR THE CROSS (Doane) | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937-1988 (Harmonizer) | 5 | 34321 66511 33234 |
[O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness] (Cleveland) | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Composer) | 2 | 11326 56776 71217 |
O FREEDOM | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Arranger) | 1 | 56112 13135 61132 |
[One God] (Cleveland and Smith) | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Composer) | 2 | 33212 31176 71123 |
[Our Father who art in heaven] (West Indian) | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Arranger) | 1 | 17511 17511 11223 |
OVER MY HEAD | J. Jefferson Cleveland (Arranger) | 2 | 11131 13322 11112 |
[Po' sinner, do you love Jesus?] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Arranger) | 1 | 66533 33111 66343 |
[Praise God with the sound of trumpet] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937-1986 (Composer) | 15 | 55555 34544 44321 |
[See that sister dressed so fine] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Composer) | 1 | 32111 33332 22233 |
SOJOURNER | J Jefferson Cleveland, 1937-1986 (Arranger) | 11 | 13551 32135 77515 |
[Some say that John the Baptist] (51231) | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Arranger) | 1 | 51231 21611 35123 |
[Sometimes I feel like a moanin' dove] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Arranger) | 1 | 13131 23216 12121 |
STAND BY ME (Tindley) | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1936-1986 (Arranger) | 4 | 12333 21567 11355 |
[Surely been 'buked and surely been scorned] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937-1986 (Arranger) | 3 | 66161 22161 111 |
[Thank you, Lord, Thank you, Lord] (Spiritual) | J. Jefferson Cleveland (Harmonizer) | 4 | 32143 26713 43211 |
[The day is past and gone] (Cleveland) | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Composer) | 2 | 55154 32155 56675 |
[The foxes, they have holes in the ground] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Arranger) | 1 | 55333 33333 54444 |
[This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Arranger) | 1 | 55553 15555 31111 |
TRUST IN THE LORD (Spiritual) | J. Jefferson Cleveland (Arranger) | 5 | 56161 16132 16161 |
[Watch that sun, how steady he runs] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Harmonizer) | 1 | 55112 23213 31157 |
[We shall overcome] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, b. 1937 (Harmonizer) | 7 | 55665 43556 6543 |
[Went to the graveyard the other day] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Harmonizer) | 1 | 51131 33111 11555 |
WERE YOU THERE | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Harmonizer) | 1 | 51333 21321 13555 |
GO DOWN MOSES | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Arranger) | 1 | 53322 33155 771 |
WOKE UP THIS MORNING | J. Jefferson Cleveland (Arranger) | 3 | 33561 16161 56113 |
WOODWORTH | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Arranger) | 1 | 12335 43234 355 |
[Yes, Yes] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Arranger) | 1 | 55566 66653 23555 |
[You'd better min' how you talk] | J. Jefferson Cleveland, 1937- (Harmonizer) | 1 | 11133 21361 13333 |