150:
105:
63:
122:
42:
The name of the song reflects a common practice of
Billings's day, in which tunes were labeled with (often arbitrarily chosen) place names. Billings's song evidently has little more to do with any particular town named
121:
51:" has to do with Africa. The idea behind this practice was that by labeling the tunes independently, one could sing them to different words without creating confusion (indeed, this later did happen; see below).
81:
79:
123:
80:
114:
370:, which contains a version with the later text and was published in Boston in 1878; reprint by DaCapo Press, 1980, with New Introduction by Roger L. Hall.
356:, in which the final version of "Chester" was published, is in print today in a scholarly edition by Hans Nathan (University Press of Virginia, 1977,
526:
195:
201:
433:
536:
149:
400:
478:
311:
516:
361:
187:
426:
169:
Although this cannot be established with certainty, it appears that these lyrics are by
Billings himself.
471:
521:
28:
457:
419:
279:
48:
44:
328:
278:
A slightly altered version of this text and the music by
Billings was recorded in 1975 by the
306:
320:
291:
8:
531:
406:
495:
357:
442:
341:
302:
246:
72:
24:
161:
four-voice choir. However, the melody is in the tenor part, not the treble part.
286:
179:
129:
387:
Chester
Variations by Elliot Del Borgo| J.W. Pepper Sheet Music (jwpepper.com)
245:
The song was later provided with religious (as opposed to patriotic) words by
510:
191:
318:
An instrumental version of the song was used as background music for CBS's
157:
Parts labeled "Treble, Counter, Tenor, and Bass" correspond to the modern
132:'s 1956 arrangement of "Chester" being performed by the USMC Band in 2014.
250:
333:
has a scene in episode 1 where a group of men sing this song together.
141:
93:
368:
The
Stoughton Musical Society's Centennial Collection of Sacred Music
31:. Billings wrote the first version of the song for his 1770 songbook
411:
39:(1778). It is the latter version that is best known today.
158:
305:quoted the tune prominently in his score for the
508:
213:Their ranks were broke, their lines were forc'd,
35:, and made improvements for the version in his
253:singers. The Doddridge words are as follows:
427:
282:for their LP album, "An Appeal to Heaven".
434:
420:
54:
260:These spacious fields of brilliant light,
215:Their ships were Shatter'd in our sight,
527:Songs of the American Revolutionary War
269:'Round the whole earth and never stand,
267:Sun, moon, and stars convey Thy praise,
258:Let the high heav'ns your songs invite,
509:
295:(1956) and later expanded it into his
273:It touched and glanced on ev'ry hand.
264:And stars that glow from pole to pole.
229:What grateful Off'ring shall we bring?
222:Our troops advance with martial noise,
153:The notes and first verse of "Chester"
415:
336:There is a concert band piece called
226:And Gen'rals yield to beardless Boys.
224:Their Vet'rans flee before our Youth,
220:The Foe comes on with haughty Stride;
176:And Slav'ry clank her galling chains,
441:
312:Williamsburg: the Story of a Patriot
262:Where sun and moon and planets roll,
249:, and in this form is a favorite of
235:And praise his name on ev'ry Chord.
23:" is a patriotic anthem composed by
211:When God inspir'd us for the fight,
115:USMC Band playing "Chester" in 2014
13:
148:
103:
61:
14:
548:
401:Let Tyrants Shake Their Iron Rods
394:
271:So when Thy truth began its race,
231:What shall we render to the Lord?
217:Or swiftly driven from our Coast.
184:New England's God forever reigns.
174:Let tyrants shake their iron rod,
537:Compositions by William Billings
208:In one Infernal league combin'd.
140:Problems playing this file? See
119:
92:Problems playing this file? See
77:
285:20th century American composer
381:
354:The Singing Master's Assistant
37:The Singing Master's Assistant
1:
374:
280:Old Stoughton Musical Society
240:
233:Loud Halleluiahs let us Sing,
206:Together plot our Overthrow,
73:Piano reduction of "Chester"
33:The New England Psalm Singer
7:
10:
553:
29:American Revolutionary War
488:
449:
289:employed the tune in his
164:
517:American patriotic songs
496:First New England School
16:Song by William Billings
347:
55:Tune in version of 1778
276:
238:
154:
108:
66:
47:than his famous hymn "
307:Colonial Williamsburg
255:
171:
152:
107:
65:
321:Bicentennial Minutes
292:New England Triptych
27:and sung during the
403:at the Cyber Hymnal
327:The HBO miniseries
338:Chester Variations
309:orientation film,
178:We fear them not,
155:
109:
67:
522:1770 compositions
504:
503:
200:With Prescot and
124:
82:
544:
443:William Billings
436:
429:
422:
413:
412:
388:
385:
342:Elliot Del Borgo
303:Bernard Herrmann
297:Chester Overture
247:Philip Doddridge
126:
125:
106:
84:
83:
64:
25:William Billings
552:
551:
547:
546:
545:
543:
542:
541:
507:
506:
505:
500:
484:
445:
440:
397:
392:
391:
386:
382:
377:
350:
340:, arranged by
287:William Schuman
275:
272:
270:
268:
266:
265:
263:
261:
259:
243:
237:
234:
232:
230:
228:
227:
225:
223:
221:
219:
218:
216:
214:
212:
210:
209:
207:
205:
199:
186:
185:
183:
180:we trust in God
177:
175:
167:
147:
146:
138:
136:
135:
134:
133:
130:William Schuman
127:
120:
117:
110:
104:
99:
98:
90:
88:
87:
86:
85:
78:
75:
68:
62:
57:
17:
12:
11:
5:
550:
540:
539:
534:
529:
524:
519:
502:
501:
499:
498:
492:
490:
486:
485:
483:
482:
479:Rose of Sharon
475:
468:
461:
453:
451:
447:
446:
439:
438:
431:
424:
416:
410:
409:
404:
396:
395:External links
393:
390:
389:
379:
378:
376:
373:
372:
371:
365:
349:
346:
256:
242:
239:
172:
166:
163:
137:
128:
118:
113:
112:
111:
102:
101:
100:
89:
76:
71:
70:
69:
60:
59:
58:
56:
53:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
549:
538:
535:
533:
530:
528:
525:
523:
520:
518:
515:
514:
512:
497:
494:
493:
491:
487:
480:
476:
473:
469:
466:
462:
459:
455:
454:
452:
448:
444:
437:
432:
430:
425:
423:
418:
417:
414:
408:
405:
402:
399:
398:
384:
380:
369:
366:
363:
362:0-8139-0839-6
359:
355:
352:
351:
345:
343:
339:
334:
332:
331:
325:
323:
322:
316:
315:
313:
308:
304:
300:
298:
294:
293:
288:
283:
281:
274:
254:
252:
248:
236:
203:
197:
193:
189:
181:
170:
162:
160:
151:
145:
143:
131:
116:
97:
95:
74:
52:
50:
46:
40:
38:
34:
30:
26:
22:
464:
383:
367:
353:
337:
335:
329:
326:
319:
317:
310:
301:
296:
290:
284:
277:
257:
244:
173:
168:
156:
139:
91:
41:
36:
32:
20:
18:
251:Sacred Harp
532:Hymn tunes
511:Categories
450:Hymn tunes
375:References
330:John Adams
324:segments.
241:Later uses
202:Cornwallis
142:media help
94:media help
472:Creation
192:Burgoyne
489:Related
465:Chester
407:Chester
204:join'd,
196:Clinton
45:Chester
21:Chester
458:Africa
360:
165:Lyrics
49:Africa
358:ISBN
348:Book
198:too,
194:and
190:and
188:Howe
159:SATB
513::
364:).
344:.
299:.
481:"
477:"
474:"
470:"
467:"
463:"
460:"
456:"
435:e
428:t
421:v
314:.
182:,
144:.
96:.
19:"
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
