William Billings

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 20 years 1995-2014, David's Lamentation was sung 1,773 times, Africa 2,124, Jordan 1,442, and Easter Anthem 1,251 [1].

View the Wikipedia article on William Billings.

List of choral works

• For works at CPDL sorted alphabetically by title, see William Billings compositions

LISTING BY TITLE

Many of these have two or more editions. See Listing by First Line below

1. Psalm-tunes published in The New-England Psalm-Singer, 1770

Albany Ashford Attleborough Barre Braintree Brattle Street (1770) Bridgwater Chelsea (1770) Chesterfield Concord

Corsica Cumberland Fairfield Georgia (1770) Hamton Haverhill Hingham Holden Lexington Lynn

Malden Massachusetts Medford Middletown Milton Nantucket New Boston Newport No. 45 North River

Old South Pembrook New Pitt Pleasant Street Plymton Pomfret Providence Queen Street Roxbury (1770) Scituate

Smithfield St Elisha's Stoughton Sudbury (1770) Summer Street Taunton The 18th Psalm Union Unity Uxbridge

Water Town Westfield Wheelers Point (1770) Wilks Williamsburgh

2. Psalm-tunes first published in 1770, revised later

Africa America   Amherst   Boston Brookfield

Brookline   Cambridge   Chester   Dorchester   Duxborough

Europe Hebron   Hollis Street   Lebanon   Marblehead

Marshfield   Medfield   New-Hingham   New North   New South

Princetown   Pumpily   Sappho   Suffolk   Waltham

3. Psalm-tunes first published in The Singing-Master's Assistant, 1778

Ashham   Aurora   Benevolence   Bethlehem Bolton Brunswick

Chocksett   Connection Consolation   Dunstable Emmaus Exeter

Halifax   Heath   Jargon   Judea Majesty Maryland

Medway   North Providence   Philadelphia   Phoebus   Richmond Roxbury (1778)

Savannah   Sharon   Sherburne Spain   Stockbridge   Sullivan

Sunday   Vermont Warren   Washington Worcester   Wrentham

4. Psalm-tunes first published in Music In Miniature, 1779

Amherst Asia Aurora Brest Brookline Chester

Chocksett Creation Crucifixion Danbury Delaware Dublin

Dudley Duxborough Europe Fitchburg Framingham Franklin

Georgia (1779) Hampshire (1779) Jamaica Lebanon Madrid Manchester

Mansfield Morpheus Nazareth New South Oxford Paris

Purchase Street (1779) Revelation Saybrook St. Thomas Sturbridge Trinity New

Waltham Wareham

• Calvary
• Manchester
• Wareham

5. Psalm-tunes first published in The Psalm-Singer's Amusement, 1781

Adoration   Andover

Assurance Berlin

Emanuel Golgotha

Hartford   Mendom

Redemption Resignation

Rutland

6. Psalm-tune first published in Select Harmony, 1783

• Kittery  

7. Psalm-tunes first published in Massachusetts Harmony, 1784

• Effingham  
• Paria  

8. Psalm-tunes first published in The Suffolk Harmony, 1786

Baptism   Beneficence   Brattle Square   Brattle Street   (1786)

Burlington   Camden   Chelsea (1786) Conquest

Eden Election Gloucester Hull

Jerusalem Jordan Northborough   Moravia

Moriah   Petersburgh Philanthropy   Restoration

Shiloh Sinai West Boston Wheelers Point

9. Psalm-tunes first published by the author 1787-1790

Resurrection

The Bird

The Lark

10. Psalm-tunes first published in The Continental Harmony, 1794

Bellingham   Broad Cove Clarimont   Cobham   Cohasset

Cross-Street Dedham East Sudbury   Egypt Gilead

Great-Plain Hopkinton Invocation Lewis-Town Morning Hymn

Norfolk Rochester Rocky-Nook   St Andrew's   St. Enoch

St. John's   St. Thomas Thomas-Town Washington-Street West-Sudbury

Weymouth

11. Anthems

And I saw a mighty angel An Anthem for Christmas As the hart panteth The beauty of Israel is slain Blessed is he that considereth the poor Creation David's Lamentation Deliverance The dying Christian to his soul (Vital spark) The dying Christian's last farewell Easter Anthem

Euroclydon Except the Lord build the house Funeral Anthem Gratitude Hear my prayer, O Lord Hear my prayer, O Lord, my God Hear, hear, O heavens I am come into my garden I am the Rose of Sharon Independence Invocation

Is any afflicted? Lamentation over Boston Let every mortal ear attend The Lord descended from above The Lord is king, and is clothed with majesty Modern musick O God, my heart is fixed O praise God, praise him in his holiness O praise the Lord of heaven O thou to whom all creatures bow Retrospect

Rutland Samuel the priest gave up the ghost Sanctify a fast Sing praises to the Lord Sing ye merrily Sublimity Thou, O God, art praised in Zion Union (1786) Variety, without method When the Lord turned again Who is this that cometh from Edom

12. Canons

Now to the power of God supreme

Wake every breath

When Jesus wept

LISTING BY FIRST LINE

A virgin unspotted Ah! Lovely appearance of death All is hush, the battle's o'er All over lovely is my Lord and God All you who make the law your choice Almighty God, eternal King Almighty God, whose boundless sway And I saw a mighty angel And must this body die Anthem for charity meetings Arise and hail the sacred day As pants the hart for cooling streams As shepherds in darkness were guarding their sheep As the hart panteth At Thy command, our dearest Lord Awake my soul, awake my eyes Awake, my heart; arise, my tongue Awake, my soul, awake Awake, our souls; away, our fears Begin, my tongue, some heavenly theme Behold, how good and joyful a thing Behold, the glories of the Lamb Behold, the glories of the Lamb Behold, the lofty sky Behold, the lofty sky Behold the splendor, hear the shout Behold what wondrous grace Blest be the everlasting God Bright King of glory, dreadful God By the rivers of Watertown Canaan promised is before Children of the heavenly King Come see the wonders, see the wonders Come, let us join our cheerful songs Come, let us join our cheerful songs Come, let us sing unto the Lord Come ye lovers of the Lamb David, the king, was grieved and moved Death cannot make our souls afraid Death, O the awful sound Death, with his warrant in his hand Dear Lord! Behold our sore distress Death may dissolve my body now Deep in our hearts let us record Except the Lord build the house From all that dwell below the skies From lowest depths of woe Glorious Jesus, Thy dear name to praise: Great God, how frail a thing is man Great is the Lord God, the thunder's His voice Greatly beloved, of God approved Hail! Sacred Music hail Happy the man whose tender care Hark! From the tombs, a doleful sound Hark! Hark! Hear you not He dies, the heavenly lover dies Hear my prayer, O Lord Hear my prayer, O Lord, my God Hear, hear, O heavens He reigns! The Lord, the Savior reigns Here is a song, which doth belong He's come, let every knee be bent High in the heavens, eternal God

How beauteous are their feet How charmingly sounds the word of the Lord How glorious is our heavenly King How glorious is our heavenly King How good and pleasant must it be How long, O Lord, shall I complain How long wilt Thou conceal Thy face How long wilt Thou forget me, Lord How pleasant 'tis to see How pleased and blest was I How short and hasty are our lives How vast must their advantage be How vast must their advantage be I am come into my garden I am the Rose of Sharon I lift my soul to God I'll praise my Maker with my breath I love the Lord because He hath heard the voice of my prayer In anger, Lord, rebuke me not In deep distress I oft have cried In vain the wealthy mortals toil In vain we lavish out our lives Is any afflicted, let him pray I will love Thee, I will love Thee Jesus Christ is risen today Jesus, the Savior from above Jesus, Thy name we praise Just are Thy ways, and true Thy word Let all the heathen Writers join Let angels above, and saints here below Let diff'ring nations join to celebrate Let every mortal ear attend Let every mortal ear attend Let horrid jargon fill the air Let mortal tongues attempt to sing Let mortal tongues attempt to sing Let sinners take their course Let the old heathen tune their song Let the shrill trumpet’s warlike voice Let tyrants shake their iron rod Life is the time to serve the Lord Lift up your eyes, ye sons of light Like sheep we went astray Lo, he cometh; countless trumpets Look up and see the unwearied sun Lord, hear the voice of my complaint Lord, in the morning Thou shalt hear Lord of the worlds above Lord, what a feeble piece Lord, when thou didst ascend on high Lord, who's the happy man that may Majestic God, our muse inspire Majestic God, when I descry Majestic God, when I descry Man has a soul of vast desires Methinks I see an heav'nly host Methinks I see an heav'nly host Methinks I see my Saviour dear Mourn, mourn, mourn, mourn Mourn, mourn, ye saints My beloved haste away My flesh shall slumber in the ground My friends, I am going a long journey My God, how many are my fears My God, my life, my love My God, my life, my love My God, what inward grief I feel

My Redeemer, let me be My righteous judge, my gracious God My Savior and my King My Savior, my almighty Friend My soul the great Creator Praise No more, my God, I boast no more Not to condemn the sons of men Not to our names, Thou only just and true Now shall my head be lifted high Now shall my inward joy arise Now shall my inward joys arise Now to the power of God supreme Now to the Lord, that makes us know O clap your hands and shout for joy O God, Thou hast been displeased O happy nation, where the Lord O how doth God our souls surprise O Lord, our fathers oft have told O love! What a secret to mortals thou art O praise God, praise him in his holiness O praise the Lord of heaven O praise the Lord with one consent O praise ye the Lord, prepare your glad voice Once more, my soul, the rising day On Thee who dwells above the skies Our Father who in heaven art Our Father who in heaven art Praise ye the Lord, 'tis good to raise Rejoice, the Lord is king Rejoice, ye shining worlds on high Remember, Lord, our mortal state Return, O God of love, return Salvation! O, the joyful sound Samuel the priest gave up the ghost Sanctify a fast Shall we go on to sin Shall we go on to sin Shall wisdom cry aloud Show pity, Lord, O Lord, forgive Since I have placed my trust in God Sing the triumphs of your conquering Sing to the Lord a new-made song Sing to the Lord Jehovah's name Sing ye merrily Sweet is the memory of Thy grace Sweet is the work, my God, my King Teach me the measure of my days That man is blest who stands in awe The beauty of Israel is slain The God of glory sends His summons forth The heavens declare the glory of God The heavens declare Thy glory, Lord The Lord almighty is a God The Lord descended from above The Lord Himself, the mighty Lord The Lord is king, and is clothed with majesty The Lord is ris'n indeed The Lord my pasture shall prepare Thee will I laud, my God and King The Eternal speaks, all heaven attends There is a land of pure delight The states, O Lord, with songs of praise They that go down to the sea in ships Think, mighty God, on feeble man

Those glorious minds, how bright they shine Those glorious minds, how bright they shine Thou art my blest portion, Thou dear Nazarene Thou, O God, art praised in Zion Thou whom my soul admires above Through all the changing scenes of life Thus far the Lord has led me on Thus saith the first, the great command Thus saith the high, the lofty one Thus saith the Ruler of the skies Time, what an empty vapor ’tis Time, what an empty vapor 'tis Tis by the faith of joys to come To bless Thy chosen race To God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit To God the mighty Lord, your joyful thanks repeat To God, the great, the ever-blessed To God the only wise To Him who chose us first To Thee I made my cry To Thee the tuneful anthem soars Twas on that dark, that doleful night Vain are the hopes the sons of men Vital spark of heav’nly flame Wake ev'ry breath and every string Was not the day dark and gloomy We are met for a concert of modern invention We celebrate the praise today We love Thee, Lord, and we adore What beauties divine When I my inward guilt suppressed When I my various blessings see When I with pleasing wonder stand When Jesus wept, a falling tear When Jesus wept, a falling tear When the fierce north wind with his airy forces When we, our wearied limbs to rest Where are the mourners While shepherds watched their flocks by night While shepherds watched their flocks by night Who is this that cometh from Edom Who shall the Lord's elect condemn Who shall the Lord's elect condemn Why did the nations join to slay With earnest longings of the mind Ye boundless realms of joy Ye boundless realms of joy Ye boundless realms of joy Ye holy souls, in God rejoice Ye holy souls, in God rejoice Ye servants of God, your Master proclaim Ye servants of God, your Master proclaim Ye slumb'ring saints, a heav'nly host Ye that delight to serve the Lord Ye tribes of Adam, join

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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. [2]
• 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. [3]
• Billings, William. 1779. Music in Miniature, Containing a Collection of Psalm-Tunes of Various Metres. Boston: Author. 32 pp. [4]
• Billings, William. 1781. The Psalm-Singer's Amusement. Boston: Author. 104 pp. [5]
• Billings, William. 1786. The Suffolk Harmony. Boston: J. Norman. 56 pp. (Two eight-page separates bound in back). [6]
• Billings, William. 1794. The Continental Harmony. Boston: Isaiah Thomas and Ebenezer T. Andrews. 199 pp. [7]

External links

• Facsimile: Original publications from IMSLP
• FindAGrave.com [8]

References

• 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.
• 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, Editor. 1981. The complete works of William Billings, Volume I. Brunswick, Maine: American Musicological Society, 383 pp. [9]
• Kroeger, Karl, Editor. 1986. The complete works of William Billings, Volume III. Brunswick, Maine: American Musicological Society, 399 pp. [10]
• 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. [11]
• 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. [12]
• Norman, John, Editor. 1784. The Massachusetts Harmony, Being a New Collection of Psalm Tunes, Fuges and Anthems. Boston, 101 pp.