William Billings: Difference between revisions
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==Life== | ==Life== | ||
'''Born:''' 7 October 1746 | '''Born:''' 7 October 1746 | ||
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'''Died:''' 26 September 1800 | '''Died:''' 26 September 1800 | ||
'''Biography''' | '''Biography''' | ||
William Billings was the best known American composer and musician of the eighteenth century, sometimes called the father of American choral music. He was born in Boston in 1746, and died there in 1800, aged 53. He wrote more than three hundred compositions, almost all of them settings of sacred texts, and almost all of them in four parts for ''a cappella'' singing. He was active as a singing-school master for over thirty years in Boston, and the first American composer to publish a book entirely of his own compositions.<br> | |||
Although influenced by British psalmodists (notably [[William Tans'ur]] and [[Aaron Williams]]), Billings developed his own styles, which ranged from simple settings of standard hymns to long and complex anthems. Many of his compositions are sung today; examples include [[David's Lamentation (William Billings)|''David's Lamentation]], [[Jordan (William Billings)|''Jordan'']], [[Africa (William Billings)|''Africa'']], [[Easter Anthem (William Billings)|''Easter Anthem'']], [[Kittery (William Billings)|''Kittery'']], and [[Rutland (William Billings)|''Rutland'']], to name a few. He wrote several patriotic songs and anthems, including [[Chester (William Billings)|''Chester'']], [[Independence (William Billings)|''Independence'']], and [[Lamentation over Boston (William Billings)|''Lamentation over Boston'']].<br> | |||
In Sacred Harp singings alone, for the 22 years 1995-2016, ''David's Lamentation'' was sung 1,993 times, ''Africa'' 2,417, ''Jordan'' 1,573, and ''Easter Anthem'' 1,395 [http://fasola.org/minutes/stats/?s=c]. | |||
{{WikipediaLink}} | {{WikipediaLink}} | ||
==List of choral works== | ==List of choral works== | ||
{{WorksListBox}} | {{WorksListBox}} | ||
{{DisplayBox|bgcolor=#ddffdd|text=<small>'''NOTE'''. New works added to this page should be automatically placed in the correct position below. Please add ''Listing by first line'' manually. | {{DisplayBox|bgcolor=#ddffdd|text=<small>'''NOTE'''. New works added to this page should be automatically placed in the correct position below. Please add ''Listing by first line'' manually. </small>}} | ||
===LISTING BY TITLE=== | ===LISTING BY TITLE=== | ||
Many of these have two or more editions. | Many of these have two or more editions. See ''Listing by First Line'' below | ||
===1. Psalm-Tunes=== | ===1. Psalm-Tunes=== | ||
{{#dpl:category=William Billings compositions|mode=userformat|notcategory=Anthems|notcategory=Canons|category=Sacred music|notcategory=motets|namespace=|order=ascending|include={ | {{#dpl:category=William Billings compositions|mode=userformat|notcategory=Anthems|notcategory=Canons|category=Sacred music|notcategory=motets|namespace=|order=ascending|include={Pub}:2,{PubRev}:1 |secseparators=, |format=,\n*[[%PAGE%|%TITLE%]] |replaceintitle=/\([^\)]+\)$/; |noresultsheader=:''No results.''|columns=5|ordermethod=sortkey|rowcolformat=width=100%}} | ||
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===2. Anthems=== | ===2. Anthems=== | ||
{{#dpl:category=William Billings compositions|mode=userformat|category=Anthems{{!}}Motets|namespace=|order=ascending | {{#dpl:category=William Billings compositions|mode=userformat|category=Anthems{{!}}Motets|namespace=|order=ascending | ||
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===3. Canons=== | ===3. Canons=== | ||
{{#dpl:category=William Billings compositions|mode=userformat|category=Canons|namespace=|order=ascending | {{#dpl:category=William Billings compositions|mode=userformat|category=Canons|namespace=|order=ascending | ||
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===4. Secular Music=== | ===4. Secular Music=== | ||
{{#dpl:category=William Billings compositions|mode=userformat|category=Secular music|namespace=|order=ascending | {{#dpl:category=William Billings compositions|mode=userformat|category=Secular music|namespace=|order=ascending | ||
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===LISTING BY FIRST LINE=== | ===LISTING BY FIRST LINE=== | ||
{{top}} | {{top}} | ||
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*[[Cumberland (William Billings)|Behold, the glories of the Lamb]] | *[[Cumberland (William Billings)|Behold, the glories of the Lamb]] | ||
*[[St Andrew's (William Billings)|Behold, the glories of the Lamb]] | *[[St Andrew's (William Billings)|Behold, the glories of the Lamb]] | ||
*[[Effingham | *[[Effingham (William Billings)|Behold, the lofty sky]] | ||
*[[Asia (William Billings)|Behold, the lofty sky]] | *[[Asia (William Billings)|Behold, the lofty sky]] | ||
*[[Northborough (William Billings)|Behold the splendor, hear the shout]] | *[[Northborough (William Billings)|Behold the splendor, hear the shout]] | ||
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*[[Here is a song, which doth belong (William Billings)|Here is a song, which doth belong]] | *[[Here is a song, which doth belong (William Billings)|Here is a song, which doth belong]] | ||
*[[Consolation (William Billings)|He's come, let every knee be bent]] | *[[Consolation (William Billings)|He's come, let every knee be bent]] | ||
*[[Water Town | *[[Water Town (William Billings)|High in the heavens, eternal God]] | ||
*[[Nantucket (William Billings)|How beauteous are their feet]] | *[[Nantucket (William Billings)|How beauteous are their feet]] | ||
*[[Madrid (William Billings)|How charmingly sounds the word of the Lord]] | *[[Madrid (William Billings)|How charmingly sounds the word of the Lord]] | ||
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*[[Roxbury (William Billings)|How long, O Lord, shall I complain]] | *[[Roxbury (William Billings)|How long, O Lord, shall I complain]] | ||
*[[Concord (William Billings)|How long wilt Thou conceal Thy face]] | *[[Concord (William Billings)|How long wilt Thou conceal Thy face]] | ||
*[[Albany | *[[Albany (William Billings)|How long wilt Thou forget me, Lord]] | ||
*[[Sherburne (William Billings)|How pleasant 'tis to see]] | *[[Sherburne (William Billings)|How pleasant 'tis to see]] | ||
*[[Spain (William Billings)|How pleased and blest was I]] | *[[Spain (William Billings)|How pleased and blest was I]] | ||
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*[[Norfolk (William Billings)|Let the old heathen tune their song]] | *[[Norfolk (William Billings)|Let the old heathen tune their song]] | ||
*[[Manchester (William Billings)|Let the shrill trumpet’s warlike voice]] | *[[Manchester (William Billings)|Let the shrill trumpet’s warlike voice]] | ||
*[[Chester | *[[Chester (William Billings)|Let tyrants shake their iron rod]] | ||
*[[Cohasset (William Billings)|Life is the time to serve the Lord]] | *[[Cohasset (William Billings)|Life is the time to serve the Lord]] | ||
*[[Lift up your eyes (William Billings)|Lift up your eyes, ye sons of light]] | *[[Lift up your eyes (William Billings)|Lift up your eyes, ye sons of light]] | ||
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*[[Bridgwater (William Billings)|Majestic God, when I descry]] | *[[Bridgwater (William Billings)|Majestic God, when I descry]] | ||
*[[Sunday (William Billings)|Majestic God, when I descry]] | *[[Sunday (William Billings)|Majestic God, when I descry]] | ||
*[[Scituate | *[[Scituate (William Billings)|Man has a soul of vast desires]] | ||
*[[Boston (William Billings)|Methinks I see an heav'nly host]] | *[[Boston (William Billings)|Methinks I see an heav'nly host]] | ||
*[[Shiloh (William Billings)|Methinks I see an heav'nly host]] | *[[Shiloh (William Billings)|Methinks I see an heav'nly host]] | ||
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*[[Rutland (William Billings)|My flesh shall slumber in the ground]] | *[[Rutland (William Billings)|My flesh shall slumber in the ground]] | ||
*[[The dying Christian's last farewell (William Billings)|My friends, I am going a long journey]] | *[[The dying Christian's last farewell (William Billings)|My friends, I am going a long journey]] | ||
*[[Albany | *[[Albany (William Billings)|My God, how many are my fears]] | ||
*[[Nazareth (William Billings)|My God, how many are my fears]] | |||
*[[Hebron (William Billings)|My God, my life, my love]] | *[[Hebron (William Billings)|My God, my life, my love]] | ||
*[[My God, my life, my love (William Billings)|My God, my life, my love]] | *[[My God, my life, my love (William Billings)|My God, my life, my love]] | ||
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*[[Now to the power of God supreme (William Billings)|Now to the power of God supreme]] | *[[Now to the power of God supreme (William Billings)|Now to the power of God supreme]] | ||
*[[Georgia (1770) (William Billings)|Now to the Lord, that makes us know]] | *[[Georgia (1770) (William Billings)|Now to the Lord, that makes us know]] | ||
*[[Trinity New (William Billings)|O all ye nations, praise the Lord]] | |||
*[[Queen Street (William Billings)|O clap your hands and shout for joy]] | *[[Queen Street (William Billings)|O clap your hands and shout for joy]] | ||
*[[O God, my heart is fixed (William Billings)|O God, my heart is fixed]] | *[[O God, my heart is fixed (William Billings)|O God, my heart is fixed]] | ||
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*[[Moravia (William Billings)|O love! What a secret to mortals thou art]] | *[[Moravia (William Billings)|O love! What a secret to mortals thou art]] | ||
*[[Universal Praise (O Praise God) (William Billings)|O praise God, praise him in his holiness]] | *[[Universal Praise (O Praise God) (William Billings)|O praise God, praise him in his holiness]] | ||
*[[O praise the Lord of heaven | *[[O praise the Lord of heaven (William Billings)|O praise the Lord of heaven ]] | ||
*[[New North (William Billings)|O praise the Lord with one consent]] | *[[New North (William Billings)|O praise the Lord with one consent]] | ||
*[[Roxbury (1778) (William Billings)|O praise ye the Lord, prepare your glad voice]] | *[[Roxbury (1778) (William Billings)|O praise ye the Lord, prepare your glad voice]] | ||
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*[[Georgia (1779) (William Billings)|Show pity, Lord, O Lord, forgive]] | *[[Georgia (1779) (William Billings)|Show pity, Lord, O Lord, forgive]] | ||
*[[The Bird (William Billings)|Since I have placed my trust in God]] | *[[The Bird (William Billings)|Since I have placed my trust in God]] | ||
*[[Sing praises to the Lord (William Billings)|Sing praises to the Lord]] | |||
*[[Conquest (William Billings)|Sing the triumphs of your conquering]] | *[[Conquest (William Billings)|Sing the triumphs of your conquering]] | ||
*[[St. Enoch (William Billings)|Sing to the Lord a new-made song]] | *[[St. Enoch (William Billings)|Sing to the Lord a new-made song]] | ||
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*[[Ashford (William Billings)|The Lord Himself, the mighty Lord]] | *[[Ashford (William Billings)|The Lord Himself, the mighty Lord]] | ||
*[[The Lord is king, and is clothed with majesty (William Billings)|The Lord is king, and is clothed with majesty]] | *[[The Lord is king, and is clothed with majesty (William Billings)|The Lord is king, and is clothed with majesty]] | ||
*[[Easter Anthem | *[[Easter Anthem (William Billings)|The Lord is ris'n indeed]] | ||
*[[Cross-Street (William Billings)|The Lord my pasture shall prepare]] | *[[Cross-Street (William Billings)|The Lord my pasture shall prepare]] | ||
*[[Milton (William Billings)|Thee will I laud, my God and King]] | *[[Milton (William Billings)|Thee will I laud, my God and King]] | ||
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*[[Jordan (William Billings)|There is a land of pure delight]] | *[[Jordan (William Billings)|There is a land of pure delight]] | ||
*[[Independence (William Billings)|The states, O Lord, with songs of praise]] | *[[Independence (William Billings)|The states, O Lord, with songs of praise]] | ||
*[[Euroclydon (William Billings)|They that go down | *[[Euroclydon (William Billings)|They that go down to the sea in ships]] | ||
*[[Mansfield (William Billings)|Think, mighty God, on feeble man]] | *[[Mansfield (William Billings)|Think, mighty God, on feeble man]] | ||
*[[Rocky-Nook (William Billings)|Those glorious minds, how bright they shine]] | *[[Rocky-Nook (William Billings)|Those glorious minds, how bright they shine]] | ||
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*[[Haverhill (William Billings)|Through all the changing scenes of life]] | *[[Haverhill (William Billings)|Through all the changing scenes of life]] | ||
*[[Purchase Street (1779) (William Billings)|Thus far the Lord has led me on]] | *[[Purchase Street (1779) (William Billings)|Thus far the Lord has led me on]] | ||
*[[Scituate | *[[Scituate (William Billings)|Thus saith the first, the great command]] | ||
*[[Petersburgh (William Billings)|Thus saith the high, the lofty one]] | *[[Petersburgh (William Billings)|Thus saith the high, the lofty one]] | ||
*[[Resignation (William Billings)|Thus saith the Ruler of the skies]] | *[[Resignation (William Billings)|Thus saith the Ruler of the skies]] | ||
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*[[Chelsea (William Billings)|What beauties divine]] | *[[Chelsea (William Billings)|What beauties divine]] | ||
*[[Sudbury (1794) (William Billings)|What if the saint must die]] | *[[Sudbury (1794) (William Billings)|What if the saint must die]] | ||
*[[Exeter | *[[Exeter (William Billings)|When I my inward guilt suppressed]] | ||
*[[Medfield (William Billings)|When I my various blessings see]] | *[[Medfield (William Billings)|When I my various blessings see]] | ||
*[[Creation (William Billings)|When I with pleasing wonder stand]] | *[[Creation (William Billings)|When I with pleasing wonder stand]] | ||
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*[[Providence (William Billings)|Who shall the Lord's elect condemn]] | *[[Providence (William Billings)|Who shall the Lord's elect condemn]] | ||
*[[St Elisha's (William Billings)|Who shall the Lord's elect condemn]] | *[[St Elisha's (William Billings)|Who shall the Lord's elect condemn]] | ||
*[[Brunswick | *[[Brunswick (William Billings)|Why did the nations join to slay]] | ||
*[[Dunstable (William Billings)|With earnest longings of the mind]] | *[[Dunstable (William Billings)|With earnest longings of the mind]] | ||
*[[Paria (William Billings)|Ye boundless realms of joy]] | *[[Paria (William Billings)|Ye boundless realms of joy]] | ||
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{{Whatlinkshere}} | {{Whatlinkshere}} | ||
==Publications== | ==Publications== | ||
*Billings, William. 1770. [[The New-England Psalm-Singer (William Billings)|''The New-England Psalm-Singer: Or, American Chorister'']]. Boston: Edes and Gill. Preface, 10 pp.; Introduction, 22 pp.; Music and Index, 111 pp. | |||
*Billings, William. 1770. ''The New-England Psalm-Singer: Or, American Chorister''. Boston: Edes and Gill. Preface, 10 pp.; Introduction, 22 pp.; Music and Index, 111 pp. | *Billings, William. 1778. [[The Singing Master's Assistant (William Billings)|''The Singing Master's Assistant, Or Key to Practical Music'']]. Boston: Drafer and Folsom. Introduction and Index, 22 pp.; Music, 104 pp. | ||
*Billings, William. 1778. ''The Singing Master's Assistant, Or Key to Practical Music''. Boston: Drafer and Folsom. Introduction and Index, 22 pp.; Music, 104 pp. | *Billings, William. 1779. [[Music in Miniature (William Billings)|''Music in Miniature, Containing a Collection of Psalm-Tunes of Various Metres'']]. Boston: Author. 32 pp. | ||
*Billings, William. 1779. ''Music in Miniature, Containing a Collection of Psalm-Tunes of Various Metres''. Boston: Author. 32 pp. | *Billings, William. 1781. [[The Psalm-Singer's Amusement (William Billings)|''The Psalm-Singer's Amusement'']]. Boston: Author. 104 pp. | ||
*Billings, William. 1781. ''The Psalm-Singer's Amusement''. Boston: Author. 104 pp. | *Billings, William. 1786. [[The Suffolk Harmony (William Billings)|''The Suffolk Harmony'']]. Boston: J. Norman. 56 pp. (Two eight-page separates bound in back). | ||
*Billings, William. 1786. | *Billings, William. 1787. ''An Anthem for Easter''. Boston, 8 pp. | ||
*Billings, William. 1794. | *Billings, William. 1790. ''The Bird'' and ''The Lark''. Boston, 8 pp. | ||
*Billings, William. 1794. [[The Continental Harmony (William Billings)|''The Continental Harmony'']]. Boston: Isaiah Thomas and Ebenezer T. Andrews. 199 pp. | |||
*Howe, Solomon. ca. 1804. ''[[The Psalm-Singer's Amusement (1804)|The Psalm-Singer's Amusement]]''. Boston, Solomon Howe. This posthumous publication contains some new arrangements, apparently by Billings. | |||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
*Facsimile: [http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Billings,_William Original publications from IMSLP] | *Facsimile: [http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Billings,_William Original publications from IMSLP] | ||
* | *[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6686735 FindAGrave.com] | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
*Anderson, Gillian B. 1975. ''"Samuel the Priest Gave Up the Ghost" and the Temple of Minerva: Two Broadsides''. Notes 31(3):493-516. | |||
*Barbour, J. Murray. 1960. ''The Church Music of William Billings''. 167 pp. East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan State University Press. | *Barbour, J. Murray. 1960. ''The Church Music of William Billings''. 167 pp. East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan State University Press. | ||
*Brownson, Oliver, Editor. 1783. ''Select Harmony, Containing the Necessary Rules of Psalmody, Together With a Collection of Approved Psalm Tunes, Hymns and Anthems''. Hartford, Connecticut, 100 pp. | *Brownson, Oliver, Editor. 1783. ''Select Harmony, Containing the Necessary Rules of Psalmody, Together With a Collection of Approved Psalm Tunes, Hymns and Anthems''. Hartford, Connecticut, 100 pp. Further editions in 1784, 1785, and 1790. The 1784 edition contains the first publication of ''Kittery'' by William Billings. | ||
*Crawford, Richard. 1993. ''William Billings (1746-1800) and American Psalmody: a Study of Musical Dissemination''. Chapter 4, pp. 111-151 in ''The American Musical Landscape'' by Richard Crawford. | *Crawford, Richard. 1993. ''William Billings (1746-1800) and American Psalmody: a Study of Musical Dissemination''. Chapter 4, pp. 111-151 in ''The American Musical Landscape'' by Richard Crawford. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. | ||
*Fawcett-Yeske, Maxine. 1996. ''Stylistic Development in the Fuging Tunes of William Billings''. The Quarterly Journal of Music Teaching and Learning 7(1):32-46. | *Fawcett-Yeske, Maxine. 1996. ''Stylistic Development in the Fuging Tunes of William Billings''. The Quarterly Journal of Music Teaching and Learning 7(1):32-46. | ||
*Howe, Sondra W. 1996. ''William Billings: A Biographical Overview''. The Quarterly Journal of Music Teaching and Learning 7(1): 6-9. http://www-usr.rider.edu/~vrme/ | *Howe, Sondra W. 1996. ''William Billings: A Biographical Overview''. The Quarterly Journal of Music Teaching and Learning 7(1): 6-9. http://www-usr.rider.edu/~vrme/ | ||
*Kroeger, Karl. 1978. Letter to the Editor. Journal of the American Musicological Society 31(1):176-177. | |||
*Kroeger, Karl, Editor. 1981. ''The complete works of William Billings'', Volume I. Brunswick, Maine: American Musicological Society, 383 pp. [http://www.ams-net.org/billings/] | *Kroeger, Karl, Editor. 1981. ''The complete works of William Billings'', Volume I. Brunswick, Maine: American Musicological Society, 383 pp. [http://www.ams-net.org/billings/] | ||
*Kroeger, Karl, Editor. 1986. ''The complete works of William Billings'', Volume III. Brunswick, Maine: American Musicological Society, 399 pp. [http://www.ams-net.org/billings/] | *Kroeger, Karl, Editor. 1986. ''The complete works of William Billings'', Volume III. Brunswick, Maine: American Musicological Society, 399 pp. [http://www.ams-net.org/billings/] | ||
*Kroeger, Karl. 1987. ''William Billings's 'Anthem for Easter': The Persistence of an Early American 'Hit'''. Journal of the American Antiquarian Society, 105-128. | *Kroeger, Karl. 1987. ''William Billings's 'Anthem for Easter': The Persistence of an Early American 'Hit'''. Journal of the American Antiquarian Society, 105-128. | ||
*Kroeger, Karl, Editor. 1990. ''The complete works of William Billings'', Volume IV. Brunswick, Maine: American Musicological Society, 332 pp. [http://www.ams-net.org/billings/] | *Kroeger, Karl, Editor. 1990. ''The complete works of William Billings'', Volume IV. Brunswick, Maine: American Musicological Society, 332 pp. [http://www.ams-net.org/billings/] | ||
*Kroeger, Karl. 1991. ''Catalog of the Musical Works of William Billings''. New York: Greenwood Press. 160 pp. | |||
*Kroeger, Karl. 1996. ''Two Unknown Billings Compositions in John Norman's "The Massachusetts Harmony" (1784)''. The Hymn 47(3):44-49. | *Kroeger, Karl. 1996. ''Two Unknown Billings Compositions in John Norman's "The Massachusetts Harmony" (1784)''. The Hymn 47(3):44-49. | ||
*Nathan, Hans, Editor. 1977. ''The complete works of William Billings'', Volume II. Brunswick, Maine: American Musicological Society, 362 pp. [http://www.ams-net.org/billings/] | *Nathan, Hans, Editor. 1977. ''The complete works of William Billings'', Volume II. Brunswick, Maine: American Musicological Society, 362 pp. [http://www.ams-net.org/billings/] | ||
*Norman, John, Editor. 1784. ''The Massachusetts Harmony, Being a New Collection of Psalm Tunes, Fuges and Anthems''. Boston, 101 pp. | *Norman, John, Editor. 1784. ''The Massachusetts Harmony, Being a New Collection of Psalm Tunes, Fuges and Anthems''. Boston, 101 pp. | ||
*Stickney, John. 1774. ''{{NoComp|The Gentleman and Lady’s Musical Companion|John Stickney}}.'' Newburyport, Massachusetts: Daniel Bayley. Further editions in 1777 and 1783. The 1774 edition contains the first publication of ''Exeter'' by William Billings. | |||
==Statistics== | ==Statistics== | ||
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[[Category:Music facsimiles]] | [[Category:Music facsimiles]] | ||
[[Category:Psalm-tune composers]] | [[Category:Psalm-tune composers]] | ||
[[Category:Composer pages automated using dpl]] |
Revision as of 02:09, 3 November 2021
Life
Born: 7 October 1746
Died: 26 September 1800
Biography
William Billings was the best known American composer and musician of the eighteenth century, sometimes called the father of American choral music. He was born in Boston in 1746, and died there in 1800, aged 53. He wrote more than three hundred compositions, almost all of them settings of sacred texts, and almost all of them in four parts for a cappella singing. He was active as a singing-school master for over thirty years in Boston, and the first American composer to publish a book entirely of his own compositions.
Although influenced by British psalmodists (notably William Tans'ur and Aaron Williams), Billings developed his own styles, which ranged from simple settings of standard hymns to long and complex anthems. Many of his compositions are sung today; examples include David's Lamentation, Jordan, Africa, Easter Anthem, Kittery, and Rutland, to name a few. He wrote several patriotic songs and anthems, including Chester, Independence, and Lamentation over Boston.
In Sacred Harp singings alone, for the 22 years 1995-2016, David's Lamentation was sung 1,993 times, Africa 2,417, Jordan 1,573, and Easter Anthem 1,395 [1].
View the Wikipedia article on William Billings.
List of choral works
- For works at CPDL sorted alphabetically by title, see William Billings compositions
NOTE. New works added to this page should be automatically placed in the correct position below. Please add Listing by first line manually.
LISTING BY TITLE
Many of these have two or more editions. See Listing by First Line below
1. Psalm-Tunes
- Adams 1794
- Adoration 1781
- Africa 1770 1778
- Albany 1770 1780
- America (1770) 1770
- America 1770 1778
- Amherst 1770 1778 1779
- Andover 1781
- Ashford 1770
- Ashham 1778
- Asia 1779
- Assurance 1781
- Attleborough 1770
- Baltimore 1778
- Baptism 1786
- Barre 1770
- Bellingham 1794
- Beneficence 1786
- Benevolence 1778
- Berlin 1781
- Bethlehem 1778
- The Bird 1790
- Bolton 1778 1780
- Boston 1778
- Braintree 1770
- Brattle Square 1786
- Brattle Street (1770) 1770 1780
- Brattle Street (1786) 1786
- Brest 1779
- Bridgwater 1770
- Broad Cove 1794
- Brookfield 1770 17781778 17781803 1778
- Brookline 1770 1779
- Brunswick 1778
- Burlington 1786
- Cambridge 1770 1778
- Camden 1786
- Charlston 1770
- Chelsea (1770) 1770
- Chelsea 1786
- Chester 1770 1778 1779
- Chesterfield 1770
- Chocksett 1778 1779
- Clarimont 1794
- Cobham 1780 1794
- Cohasset 1794
- Concord 1770
- Connection 1778 1794
- Conquest 1786
- Consolation 1778 1780
- Corsica 1770
- Cross-Street 1794
- Crucifixion 1779 1787
- Cumberland 1770
- Danbury 1779
- Dartmouth 1780
- Dedham 1794
- Delaware 1779
- Dorchester 1770 1778
- Dublin 1779
- Dudley 1779
- Dunstable 1778
- Duxborough 1770 1778 1779 1780
- East Sudbury 1794
- Eden 1786
- Effingham 1784
- Egypt 1794
- Eighteenth Psalm 1770
- Election 1786
- Emanuel 1781
- Emmaus 1778 ca. 1790
- Europe 1770 1779 1780 1804
- Exeter 1774 1778
- Fairfield 1770
- Fitchburg 1779
- Framingham 1779
- Franklin 1779
- Friendship 1770 1780
- Georgia (1770) 1770
- Georgia (1779) 1779
- Germantown 1780 ca. 1790
- Gilead 1794
- Gloucester 1786
- Golgotha 1781
- Great-Plain 1794
- Hackers Hall 1780
- Halifax 1778
- Hampshire (1779) 1779
- Hamton 1770
- Hartford 1781 1786
- Hatfield 1780 1793 1804 1805
- Haverhill 1770
- Heath 1778
- Hebron 1778
- Hingham 1770
- Holden 1770
- Hollis Street 1770 1778
- Hopkinton 1794
- Hull 1786
- Jamaica 1779 1804
- Jerusalem 1786
- Jordan 1786
- Judea 1778
- Kittery 1783 1786 ca. 1790
- The Lark 1790
- Lebanon 1770 1778 1779
- Lewis-Town 1794
- Lexington 1770
- Lift up your eyes, ye sons of light 1786
- Lynn 1770
- Madrid 1779 1781 1786
- Majesty 1778
- Malden 1770
- Manchester 1779 1781
- Mansfield 1779 1804
- Marblehead 1770 1778
- Marshfield 1770 1778
- Maryland 1778
- Massachusetts 1770
- Medfield 1770 1778
- Medford 1770
- Medway 1778
- Mendom 1781 1786
- Middletown 1770
- Milton 1770
- Moravia 1786
- Moriah 1786
- Morning Hymn 1794
- Morpheus 1779 1780
- Nantucket 1770
- Nazareth 1779
- New Boston 1770
- New North 1770 1778
- New South 1770 1778 1779
- New-Hingham 1770 1778
- Newport 1770
- No. 45 1770
- Norfolk 1794
- North Providence 1778
- North River 1770
- Northborough 1786
- O Lord, our fathers oft have told 1794
- Old South 1770
- Oxford 1779
- Paria 1784
- Paris 1779
- Pembrook New 1770
- Petersburgh 1786
- Philadelphia 1778
- Philanthropy 1786
- Phoebus 1778
- Pitt 1770
- Pleasant Street 1770
- Plymouth New 1780 1802
- Plymton 1770
- Pomfret 1770
- Princetown 1770 1778
- Providence 1770
- Pumpily 1770 1778
- Purchase Street (1779) 1779
- Queen Street 1770
- Redemption 1781
- Resignation 1781
- Restoration 1786
- Resurrection 1787
- Revelation 1779
- Richmond 1778 1786
- Rochester 1794
- Rocky-Nook 1794
- Roxbury (1778) 1778
- Roxbury 1770
- Sappho 1770 1778
- Savannah 1778
- Saybrook 1779 ca. 1790
- Scituate 1770
- Sharon 1778
- Sherburne 1778
- Shiloh 1786
- Sinai 1786
- Smithfield 1770
- South Boston 1794
- Spain 1778
- St Andrew's 1794
- St Elisha's 1770
- St. Enoch 1794
- St. John's 1794
- St. Thomas 1779 1794
- Stockbridge 1778
- Stoughton 1770
- Sturbridge 1779
- Sudbury (1770) 1770
- Sudbury (1794) 1794
- Suffolk 1770 1778
- Sullivan 1778
- Summer Street 1770
- Sunday 1778
- Taunton 1770
- Thomas-Town ca. 1790 1794
- Trinity New 1779
- Union 1770 1786
- Unity 1770
- Uxbridge 1770
- Vermont 1778
- Victory 1780 1794
- Waltham 1770 1778 1779
- Wareham 1779 1781
- Warren 1778
- Washington 1778 1781
- Washington-Street 1794
- Water Town 1770
- West Boston 1786
- West-Sudbury 1794
- Westfield 1770
- Weymouth 1780 ca. 1790 1794
- Wheelers Point (1770) 1770
- Wheelers Point 1786
- Wilks 1770
- Williamsburgh 1770
- Worcester 1778
- Wrentham 1778
2. Anthems
- And I saw a mighty angel 1781
- An Anthem for Christmas 1794
- As the hart panteth 1770
- The beauty of Israel is slain 1781
- Blessed is he that considereth the poor 1770 1781
- Creation 1779 1794
- David's Lamentation 1778
- Deliverance 1794
- The dying Christian to his soul (Vital spark) 1781
- The dying Christian's last farewell 1794
- Easter Anthem 1787
- Euroclydon 1781
- Except the Lord build the house 1786
- Funeral Anthem 1778 ca. 1790
- Gratitude 1778
- Hear my prayer, O Lord 1770
- Hear my prayer, O Lord, my God 1778
- Hear, hear, O heavens 1794
- I am come into my garden 1794
- I am the Rose of Sharon 1778
- Independence 1778
- Invocation 1794
- Is any afflicted? 1778 ca. 1790
- Lamentation over Boston 1778
- Let every mortal ear attend 1781
- The Lord descended from above 1770
- The Lord is king, and is clothed with majesty 1770
- Modern musick 1781
- Mourn, mourn 1794
- O God, my heart is fixed 1794
- O praise God, praise him in his holiness 1794
- O praise the Lord of heaven 1794
- O thou to whom all creatures bow 1794
- Retrospect 1778
- Rutland 1781
- Samuel the priest gave up the ghost 1786 ca. 1790 1802
- Sanctify a fast 1794
- Sing praises to the Lord 1794
- Sing ye merrily 1778
- Sublimity 1794
- Thou, O God, art praised in Zion 1781
- Union (1786) 1786
- Variety, without method 1794
- When the Lord turned again 1794
- Who is this that cometh from Edom 1781
3. Canons
- Now to the power of God supreme 1770
- Wake every breath 1770
- When Jesus wept 1770
4. Secular Music
LISTING BY FIRST LINE
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Publications
- Billings, William. 1770. The New-England Psalm-Singer: Or, American Chorister. Boston: Edes and Gill. Preface, 10 pp.; Introduction, 22 pp.; Music and Index, 111 pp.
- Billings, William. 1778. The Singing Master's Assistant, Or Key to Practical Music. Boston: Drafer and Folsom. Introduction and Index, 22 pp.; Music, 104 pp.
- Billings, William. 1779. Music in Miniature, Containing a Collection of Psalm-Tunes of Various Metres. Boston: Author. 32 pp.
- Billings, William. 1781. The Psalm-Singer's Amusement. Boston: Author. 104 pp.
- Billings, William. 1786. The Suffolk Harmony. Boston: J. Norman. 56 pp. (Two eight-page separates bound in back).
- Billings, William. 1787. An Anthem for Easter. Boston, 8 pp.
- Billings, William. 1790. The Bird and The Lark. Boston, 8 pp.
- Billings, William. 1794. The Continental Harmony. Boston: Isaiah Thomas and Ebenezer T. Andrews. 199 pp.
- Howe, Solomon. ca. 1804. The Psalm-Singer's Amusement. Boston, Solomon Howe. This posthumous publication contains some new arrangements, apparently by Billings.
External links
- Facsimile: Original publications from IMSLP
- FindAGrave.com
References
- Anderson, Gillian B. 1975. "Samuel the Priest Gave Up the Ghost" and the Temple of Minerva: Two Broadsides. Notes 31(3):493-516.
- Barbour, J. Murray. 1960. The Church Music of William Billings. 167 pp. East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan State University Press.
- Brownson, Oliver, Editor. 1783. Select Harmony, Containing the Necessary Rules of Psalmody, Together With a Collection of Approved Psalm Tunes, Hymns and Anthems. Hartford, Connecticut, 100 pp. Further editions in 1784, 1785, and 1790. The 1784 edition contains the first publication of Kittery by William Billings.
- Crawford, Richard. 1993. William Billings (1746-1800) and American Psalmody: a Study of Musical Dissemination. Chapter 4, pp. 111-151 in The American Musical Landscape by Richard Crawford. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
- Fawcett-Yeske, Maxine. 1996. Stylistic Development in the Fuging Tunes of William Billings. The Quarterly Journal of Music Teaching and Learning 7(1):32-46.
- Howe, Sondra W. 1996. William Billings: A Biographical Overview. The Quarterly Journal of Music Teaching and Learning 7(1): 6-9. http://www-usr.rider.edu/~vrme/
- Kroeger, Karl. 1978. Letter to the Editor. Journal of the American Musicological Society 31(1):176-177.
- Kroeger, Karl, Editor. 1981. The complete works of William Billings, Volume I. Brunswick, Maine: American Musicological Society, 383 pp. [2]
- Kroeger, Karl, Editor. 1986. The complete works of William Billings, Volume III. Brunswick, Maine: American Musicological Society, 399 pp. [3]
- Kroeger, Karl. 1987. William Billings's 'Anthem for Easter': The Persistence of an Early American 'Hit'. Journal of the American Antiquarian Society, 105-128.
- Kroeger, Karl, Editor. 1990. The complete works of William Billings, Volume IV. Brunswick, Maine: American Musicological Society, 332 pp. [4]
- Kroeger, Karl. 1991. Catalog of the Musical Works of William Billings. New York: Greenwood Press. 160 pp.
- Kroeger, Karl. 1996. Two Unknown Billings Compositions in John Norman's "The Massachusetts Harmony" (1784). The Hymn 47(3):44-49.
- Nathan, Hans, Editor. 1977. The complete works of William Billings, Volume II. Brunswick, Maine: American Musicological Society, 362 pp. [5]
- Norman, John, Editor. 1784. The Massachusetts Harmony, Being a New Collection of Psalm Tunes, Fuges and Anthems. Boston, 101 pp.
- Stickney, John. 1774. The Gentleman and Lady’s Musical Companion. Newburyport, Massachusetts: Daniel Bayley. Further editions in 1777 and 1783. The 1774 edition contains the first publication of Exeter by William Billings.
Statistics
Class | 1770 | 1774 | 1778 | 1779 | 1781 | 1783 | 1786 | 1787 | 1790 | 1794 | Total | No. Here |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Psalm-Tunes | 116 | 1 | 36 | 30 | 10 | 1 | 24 | 1 | 2 | 30 | 251 | 211 |
Anthems | 5 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 19 | 50 | 47 | |||
Canons | 3 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||
Secular Songs | 2 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
Total | 124 | 1 | 48 | 31 | 19 | 1 | 29 | 2 | 2 | 49 | 306 | |
No. Here | 88 | 1 | 47 | 29 | 19 | 1 | 28 | 2 | 2 | 46 | 263 |