James Abbington, a leading scholar of church sacred music, passed away on September 27 following complications after a medical procedure. He was 65 years old.
Just months before his passing, Dr. Abbington was named the inaugural Joseph B. Bethea Professor of the Practice of Sacred Music and Black Church Studies at Duke University’s Divinity School. He was slated to arrive on campus this semester. Earlier, he was an associate professor of church music and worship at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta and an associate visiting professor of Christian hymnody at Yale University’s Institute of Sacred Music and Yale Divinity School.
As a scholar, Dr. Abbington was interested in music and worship in the Christian church, African American sacred folk music, organ music, choral music, and ethnomusicology. He was the author of several books, executive editor of the African American Church Music Series by GIA Publications, and co-director of music for historically Black Hampton University’s Ministers’ and Musicians’ Conference.
A graduate of historically Black Morehouse College in Atlanta, Dr. Abbington earned his master of music degree and his doctor of musical arts degree from the University of Michigan.
