A. M. Cagle

Alfred Marcus Cagle (October 5, 1884 – December 19, 1968) was an American hymnwriter known for his activities with the Sacred Harp movement.

Cagle was born in Cedartown, Georgia, the son of Jesse Martin Cagle and Samaria Duke, and grew up in Cullman County, Alabama. There he took lessons with S. M. Denson; at the same time he worked on the farm belonging to Denson's brother T.J., with whom he also studied music. It was to the latter that he showed his first compositions, the tunes "New Hope" and "Present Joys", which were published in the Union Harp of 1909 and the Original Sacred Harp of 1911. As an adult Cagle lived in Cullman and Birmingham, Alabama, prior to moving to Atlanta. Professionally he was employed as a bookkeeper, bank employee, and traveling salesman. At his retirement he moved to Villa Rica, Georgia. Called "the territory’s preeminent singer, leader, and keyer of music", he would return to Cullman regularly for singings even after having moved from the area in 1937.

Cagle possessed a bass voice, and was known for his skill as a composer of shape note hymns. Of these, two, "Sacred Mount" and "Soar Away", first appeared in the 1936 Denson Revision of the Original Sacred Harp. He also keyed many singings, and may be heard in this role on a recording of the 1959 United Convention which took place in Fyffe, Alabama. For the 1960 revision he chaired the music committee; he was also a member of the music committee for the revision of 1966. and pitching for singings with various writers. He instructed other musicians as well, including Hugh McGraw.