Sappho (William Billings)
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- Editor: Tim Henderson (submitted 2007-11-04). Score information: A4, 1 page, 253 kB Copyright: CPDL
- Edition notes: This edition taken from Wyeth's Repository of Sacred Music, 2nd ed, 1820
General Information
Title: Sappho
First Line: When the fierce north wind with his airy forces
Composer: William Billings
Lyricist: Isaac Watts
Number of voices: 4vv Voicing: SATB
Genre: Sacred
Language: English
Instruments: A cappella
{{Published}} is obsolete (code commented out), replaced with {{Pub}} for works and {{PubDatePlace}} for publications. –1778
Description: This setting of Isaac Watts' Sapphick Ode 'When the fierce north wind with his airy forces' was first published in William Billings' The New-England Psalm-Singer, Boston: (1770). Hymn Tune Index tune number 3453.
External websites:
Original text and translations
English text
When the fierce North-wind with his airy forces
Rears up the Baltic to a foaming fury;
And the red lightning with a storm of hail comes
Rushing amain down;
How the poor sailors stand amazed and tremble,
While the hoarse thunder, like a bloody trumpet,
Roars a loud onset to the gaping waters
Quick to devour them.
Such shall the noise be, and the wild disorder
(If things eternal may be like these earthly),
Such the dire terror when the great Archangel
Shakes the creation;
Stop here, my fancy: (all away, ye horrid
Doleful ideas!) come, arise to Jesus,
How He sits God-like! and the saints around Him
Throned, yet adoring!
O may I sit there when He comes triumphant,
Dooming the nations! then ascend to glory,
While our Hosannas all along the passage
Shout the Redeemer!