William Billings
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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
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LISTING BY TITLE
Many of these have two or more editions. See Listing by First Line below
1. Psalm-Tunes
- Adams (William Billings)
- Adoration (William Billings)
- Africa (William Billings)1778
- Albany (William Billings)
- America (1770) (William Billings)
- America (William Billings)1778
- Amherst (William Billings)
- Andover (William Billings)
- Ashford (William Billings)
- Ashham (William Billings)
- Asia (William Billings)
- Assurance (William Billings)
- Attleborough (William Billings)
- Baltimore (William Billings)
- Baptism (William Billings)
- Barre (William Billings)
- Bellingham (William Billings)
- Beneficence (William Billings)
- Benevolence (William Billings)
- Berlin (William Billings)
- Bethlehem (William Billings)
- The Bird (William Billings)
- Bolton (William Billings)
- Boston (William Billings)
- Braintree (William Billings)
- Brattle Square (William Billings)
- Brattle Street (1770) (William Billings)
- Brattle Street (1786) (William Billings)
- Brest (William Billings)
- Bridgwater (William Billings)
- Broad Cove (William Billings)
- Brookfield (William Billings)1778
- Brookline (William Billings)
- Brunswick (William Billings)
- Burlington (William Billings)
- Cambridge (William Billings)1778
- Camden (William Billings)
- Charlston (William Billings)
- Chelsea (1770) (William Billings)
- Chelsea (William Billings)
- Chester (William Billings)
- Chesterfield (William Billings)
- Chocksett (William Billings)
- Clarimont (William Billings)
- Cobham (William Billings)
- Cohasset (William Billings)
- Concord (William Billings)
- Connection (William Billings)
- Conquest (William Billings)
- Consolation (William Billings)
- Corsica (William Billings)
- Cross-Street (William Billings)
- Crucifixion (William Billings)
- Cumberland (William Billings)
- Danbury (William Billings)
- Dartmouth (William Billings)
- Dedham (William Billings)
- Delaware (William Billings)
- Dorchester (William Billings)1778
- Dublin (William Billings)
- Dudley (William Billings)
- Dunstable (William Billings)
- Duxborough (William Billings)
- East Sudbury (William Billings)
- Eden (William Billings)
- Effingham (William Billings)
- Egypt (William Billings)
- Eighteenth Psalm (William Billings)
- Election (William Billings)
- Emanuel (William Billings)
- Emmaus (William Billings)
- Europe (William Billings)
- Exeter (William Billings)
- Fairfield (William Billings)
- Fitchburg (William Billings)
- Framingham (William Billings)
- Franklin (William Billings)
- Friendship (William Billings)
- Georgia (1770) (William Billings)
- Georgia (1779) (William Billings)
- Germantown (William Billings)
- Gilead (William Billings)
- Gloucester (William Billings)
- Golgotha (William Billings)
- Great-Plain (William Billings)
- Hackers Hall (William Billings)
- Halifax (William Billings)
- Hampshire (1779) (William Billings)
- Hamton (William Billings)
- Hartford (William Billings)
- Hatfield (William Billings)
- Haverhill (William Billings)
- Heath (William Billings)
- Hebron (William Billings)
- Hingham (William Billings)
- Holden (William Billings)
- Hollis Street (William Billings)1778
- Hopkinton (William Billings)
- Hull (William Billings)
- Jamaica (William Billings)
- Jerusalem (William Billings)
- Jordan (William Billings)
- Judea (William Billings)
- Kittery (William Billings)
- The Lark (William Billings)
- Lebanon (William Billings)
- Lewis-Town (William Billings)
- Lexington (William Billings)
- Lift up your eyes, ye sons of light (William Billings)
- Lynn (William Billings)
- Madrid (William Billings)
- Majesty (William Billings)
- Malden (William Billings)
- Manchester (William Billings)
- Mansfield (William Billings)
- Marblehead (William Billings)1778
- Marshfield (William Billings)1778
- Maryland (William Billings)
- Massachusetts (William Billings)
- Medfield (William Billings)1778
- Medford (William Billings)
- Medway (William Billings)
- Mendom (William Billings)
- Middletown (William Billings)
- Milton (William Billings)
- Moravia (William Billings)
- Moriah (William Billings)
- Morning Hymn (William Billings)
- Morpheus (William Billings)
- Nantucket (William Billings)
- Nazareth (William Billings)
- New Boston (William Billings)
- New North (William Billings)
- New South (William Billings)
- New-Hingham (William Billings)1778
- Newport (William Billings)
- No. 45 (William Billings)
- Norfolk (William Billings)
- North Providence (William Billings)
- North River (William Billings)
- Northborough (William Billings)
- O Lord, our fathers oft have told (William Billings)
- Old South (William Billings)
- Oxford (William Billings)
- Paria (William Billings)
- Paris (William Billings)
- Pembrook New (William Billings)
- Petersburgh (William Billings)
- Philadelphia (William Billings)
- Philanthropy (William Billings)
- Phoebus (William Billings)
- Pitt (William Billings)
- Pleasant Street (William Billings)
- Plymouth New (William Billings)
- Plymton (William Billings)
- Pomfret (William Billings)
- Princetown (William Billings)1778
- Providence (William Billings)
- Pumpily (William Billings)1778
- Purchase Street (1779) (William Billings)
- Queen Street (William Billings)
- Redemption (William Billings)
- Resignation (William Billings)
- Restoration (William Billings)
- Resurrection (William Billings)
- Revelation (William Billings)
- Richmond (William Billings)
- Rochester (William Billings)
- Rocky-Nook (William Billings)
- Roxbury (1778) (William Billings)
- Roxbury (William Billings)
- Sappho (William Billings)1778
- Savannah (William Billings)
- Saybrook (William Billings)
- Scituate (William Billings)
- Sharon (William Billings)
- Sherburne (William Billings)
- Shiloh (William Billings)
- Sinai (William Billings)
- Smithfield (William Billings)
- South Boston (William Billings)
- Spain (William Billings)
- St Andrew's (William Billings)
- St Elisha's (William Billings)
- St. Enoch (William Billings)
- St. John's (William Billings)
- St. Thomas (William Billings)
- Stockbridge (William Billings)
- Stoughton (William Billings)
- Sturbridge (William Billings)
- Sudbury (1770) (William Billings)
- Sudbury (1794) (William Billings)
- Suffolk (William Billings)1778
- Sullivan (William Billings)
- Summer Street (William Billings)
- Sunday (William Billings)
- Taunton (William Billings)
- Thomas-Town (William Billings)
- Trinity New (William Billings)
- Union (William Billings)
- Unity (William Billings)
- Uxbridge (William Billings)
- Vermont (William Billings)
- Victory (William Billings)
- Waltham (William Billings)
- Wareham (William Billings)
- Warren (William Billings)
- Washington (William Billings)
- Washington-Street (William Billings)
- Water Town (William Billings)
- West Boston (William Billings)
- West-Sudbury (William Billings)
- Westfield (William Billings)
- Weymouth (William Billings)
- Wheelers Point (1770) (William Billings)
- Wheelers Point (William Billings)
- Wilks (William Billings)
- Williamsburgh (William Billings)
- Worcester (William Billings)
- Wrentham (William Billings)
2. Anthems
- And I saw a mighty angel (William Billings)
- An Anthem for Christmas (William Billings)
- As the hart panteth (William Billings)
- The beauty of Israel is slain (William Billings)
- Blessed is he that considereth the poor (William Billings)
- Creation (William Billings)
- David's Lamentation (William Billings)
- Deliverance (William Billings)
- The dying Christian to his soul (Vital spark) (William Billings)
- The dying Christian's last farewell (William Billings)
- Easter Anthem (William Billings)
- Euroclydon (William Billings)
- Except the Lord build the house (William Billings)
- Funeral Anthem (William Billings)
- Gratitude (William Billings)
- Hear my prayer, O Lord (William Billings)
- Hear my prayer, O Lord, my God (William Billings)
- Hear, hear, O heavens (William Billings)
- I am come into my garden (William Billings)
- I am the Rose of Sharon (William Billings)
- Independence (William Billings)
- Invocation (William Billings)
- Is any afflicted? (William Billings)
- Lamentation over Boston (William Billings)
- Let every mortal ear attend (William Billings)
- The Lord descended from above (William Billings)
- The Lord is king, and is clothed with majesty (William Billings)
- Modern musick (William Billings)
- Mourn, mourn (William Billings)
- O God, my heart is fixed (William Billings)
- O praise God, praise him in his holiness (William Billings)
- O praise the Lord of heaven (William Billings)
- O thou to whom all creatures bow (William Billings)
- Retrospect (William Billings)
- Rutland (William Billings)
- Samuel the priest gave up the ghost (William Billings)
- Sanctify a fast (William Billings)
- Sing praises to the Lord (William Billings)
- Sing ye merrily (William Billings)
- Sublimity (William Billings)
- Thou, O God, art praised in Zion (William Billings)
- Union (1786) (William Billings)
- Variety, without method (William Billings)
- When the Lord turned again (William Billings)
- Who is this that cometh from Edom (William Billings)
3. Canons
- Now to the power of God supreme (William Billings)
- Wake every breath (William Billings)
- When Jesus wept (William Billings)
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. [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.
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 |