Unfortunate news...

By Times & Democrat STAFF
Orangeburg
Monday, March 26, 2007

Reginald Jarvis, the second of five brothers who blended their voices to form a renowned a capella quintet, died Sunday, Bythewood Funeral Home announced Monday.

Jarvis, 71, of Orangeburg, was joined by brothers Ulysses, Donald, Anthony and Rogers in performing as the Jarvis Brothers. They have been regulars at Orangeburg events for years, recently writing and performing a song in honor of The Times and Democrat's 125th anniversary.

But the group's fame extends far beyond Orangeburg. They have performed their spirituals in Washington at the Smithsonian and in New York at the Apollo Theater, also before Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. They represented the state of South Carolina in the Millennium Stage series at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. And they have received South Carolina's highest honor for the arts, the Verner Award.

For most of his career as an English and/or choral music teacher, Reginald Jarvis also performed with his siblings. The baritone performed for one year with the Emmanuel Middleton Chorus in Manhattan, N.Y., and for three years with the Hall Johnson Choir, which provided music for the motion picture "Green Pastures." He lent his talents to the Savannah (Ga.) Symphonic Chorale for several years when he resided there. In his last performance with the group, he played the role of the Page, in "Amahl and the Night Visitors."

After Claflin University, Jarvis did studies in vocal music at Northeastern University in Boston, Mass.; Savannah State College and Armstrong State College in Savannah, Ga., and Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Ga.

The Jarvis Brothers received the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award in 1989.