James R. Murray

James R. Murray was an American composer, editor, and music educator who contributed to nineteenth-century gospel song traditions. Born in Andover, Massachusetts, he studied music and became active in teaching singing schools and directing church music. Murray compiled and edited several gospel songbooks used in churches and Sunday schools. He composed hymn tunes and songs that appeared in widely distributed hymn collections. Among the songs associated with his work is the tune MUELLER, used for the Christmas carol “Away in a Manger” in early publications, though scholars note that the carol itself has a complex publication history. Murray's contributions helped shape the repertoire of American gospel hymnody during the late nineteenth century.