George W. Sebren

Sebren, George Washington. (Belmont, Sabine Parish, Louisiana, March 8, 1882--January 26, 1940, Asheville, North Carolina). He was the son of Richard Henry and Sarah Jane Sebren. As a small boy he attended singing schools taught by T.J. Lites. He moved with this family to Sabine County, Texas, before he was twelve years old. He attended two sessions of Southern Development Normal, with F.L. Eiland as principal, also one normal under J.L. Moore and one under J.B. Vaughan. He later attended three sessions of the Southern Development Normal at Waco, Texas, under Dr. J.B. Herbert and his associates, graduating from that school in 1906. He also studied at Landon Conservatory of Music, Dallas, Texas, and under D.A. Clippinger, eminent voice teacher of Chicago.

He was first principal and teacher of the vocal department of the Southern Development Normal College of Music. He wrote hundreds of songs--both words and music--which have been published in many different books and sung throughout the South. His activities as a singer and teacher took him into every state in the South. He trained and led the first Vaughan Quartet, was teacher of voice and other subjects in the first six annual sessions of The Vaughan School of Music (founded 1909), in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. In his teaching work he was associated with Dr. J.B. Herbert, Emmet S. Dean, B.C. Unseld, E.T. Hilderbrand, and others.

Among the songs he written are "My Song of Praise" (better known as "I'm Going Along O'erflowing with Song"), "Be Cheerful All Along," and "I'm on the Right Side Now." He edited and published twelve gospel song books, one quartet book and two books on rudiments of music. He is the author of Ten Lessons in Singing, incorporated in Vaughan's School Songs, used in the public schools in the state of Tennessee.

At the time of his death he was active in broadcasting gospel quartets, teaching singing and continuing his composing of sacred songs while operating a bookstore at the same time. He had a thriving business in school books. He was also tenor soloist and music director at several churches in the area. He is buried at Calvary Church, Fletcher, N.C., near Asheville.

--Knippers, Ottis. (1937). Who's Who Among Southern Singers and Composers. Lawrenceburg, Tenn.: James D. Vaughan; and a letter from Dr. Herbert Sebren (son) to William J. Reynolds, 22 September 1985. DNAH Archives.