Seaborn McDaniel Denson (1854 – April 18, 1936) was a notable

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

musician and singing school teacher within the

Sacred Harp Sacred Harp singing is a tradition of sacred choral music which developed in New England and perpetuated in the American South. The name is derived from ''The Sacred Harp'', a historically important shape notes, shape-note tunebook printed in ...

tradition. He was a son of The Rev. Levi Phillips Denson, a Methodist minister, and Julia Ann Jones Denson. Seaborn Denson was born April 9, 1854, in Arbacoochee, Alabama. He married Sidney Burdette. S. M. Denson wrote most of the alto lines that were added to the 1911 J. S. James ''Original Sacred Harp''. Along with his brother

Thomas Jackson Denson Thomas Jackson Denson (January 20, 1863 – September 14, 1935) was a notable Alabama musician and singing school teacher within the Sacred Harp tradition. Family and marriage He was the youngest of the four sons of the Levi Phillip Denson, a fa ...

, Seaborn Denson formed the Sacred Harp Publishing Co. In 1933 they purchased the rights to James' ''Sacred Harp'' and began a revision. This revision, known as the ''Original Sacred Harp (Denson Revision)'', was published in 1936. Both died before its publication and Paine Denson, Thomas J.'s son, saw the "Denson" edition of the Sacred Harp through to completion. 2009-12-30- Seaborn M Denson Double Springs stone

2009-12-30- Seaborn M Denson Double Springs stone

A granite monument to the memory of Thomas J. and Seaborn M. Denson was erected on the courthouse square in

Double Springs, Alabama Double Springs is a town in Winston County, Alabama, United States. The city is the county seat of Winston County. The county seat was initially located at Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous ...

. This was done in 1944, the centennial year of the Sacred Harp. Part of the inscription reads "By the loving hands of their families, pupils of their singing schools, and legions of singers and friends." A. M. Cagle, himself later to become an important figure in the Sacred Harp movement, studied music under Seaborn Denson.

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