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'''Died:''' 26 September 1800
'''Died:''' 26 September 1800


'''Biography'''<br>
'''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>
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>
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].
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==
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{{WorksListBox}}
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Many of these have two or more editions.  See ''Listing by First Line'' below
Many of these have two or more editions.  See ''Listing by First Line'' below
===1. Psalm-Tunes===
===1. Psalm-Tunes===
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===2. Anthems===
===2. Anthems===
{{#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
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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. [http://imslp.org/wiki/The_New_England_Psalm-Singer_(Billings,_William)]
*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. [http://imslp.org/wiki/The_Singing_Master%27s_Assistant_(Billings,_William)]
*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. [http://imslp.org/wiki/Music_in_Miniature_(Billings,_William)]
*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. [http://imslp.org/wiki/The_Psalm-Singer%27s_Amusement_(Billings,_William)]
*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. {{NoComp|The Suffolk Harmony|William Billings}}. Boston: J. Norman. 56 pp. (Two eight-page separates bound in back). [http://imslp.org/wiki/The_Suffolk_Harmony_(Billings,_William)]
*Billings, William. 1787. ''An Anthem for Easter''. Boston, 8 pp.
*Billings, William. 1794. {{NoComp|The Continental Harmony|William Billings}}. Boston: Isaiah Thomas and Ebenezer T. Andrews. 199 pp. [http://imslp.org/wiki/The_Continental_Harmony_(Billings,_William)]
*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]
*FindAGrave.com [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6686735]
*[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6686735 FindAGrave.com]
==References==
==References==
*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.

Revision as of 18:46, 8 March 2020

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

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


2. Anthems

3. Canons

4. Secular Music

 

LISTING BY FIRST LINE


Click here to search for this composer on CPDL

Publications

External links

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. [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. 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.

Statistics

Works Composed by William Billings
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