Jarvis Brothers

The Jarvis Brothers of Orangeburg County are the living continuation of the Jubilee style of a cappella gospel singing that was immensely popular before World War II. Organized and arranged by their mother, Anna Gadsden Jarvis, her five sons - Ulysses, Reginald, Donald, Anthony, and Rogers - began singing spirituals over thirty years ago. They excel in the tight harmonies and careful intonation of the Jubilee style.

Each brother has held leadership positions in the Orangeburg area that demand much of their attention but they continue to sing as a group, practicing each week under the watchful gaze of their parents and singing on weekends for churches and meetings across South Carolina and the Southeast. The Jarvis Brothers are models for young singers in gospel music and provide a window of quality through their virtuosity and excitement in the performance of African-American religious music in the 20th century. The Jarvis Brothers received the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award in 1989.

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