James P. Carrell

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James P. Carrell (1787-1854) of Lebanon, Virginia was a minister, singing teacher, composer and songbook compiler. He compiled two songbooks in the four-shape shape note tradition.

Carrell's Songs of Zion was a small book of 64 pages, printed by Ananias Davisson in Harrisonburg, Virginia in 1820. In 1831, Carrell released The Virginia Harmony with David L. Clayton (1801-1854). This book was printed in Winchester, Virginia by Samuel H. Davis, containing 191 tunes on 167 pages. A second edition of The Virginia Harmony was printed in 1836 with 33 additional pages of music. Seventeen songs in this edition are attributed to Carrell.

James P . Carrell was born February 13, 1787 in Washington County, Virginia. He married Martha George Peery. They had two children, Charles and George. Carrell was a minister of the Methodist Church. In addition to his ministerial and musical activities, Carrell served as county court clerk of Russell County, Virginia. He died October 28, 1854 and is buried in the Old Lebanon Cemetery (aka North Church Street Cemetery).

He's also the co-composer of the famous song "Amazing Grace" (lyric written by John Newton), the other composer is David S. Clayton.