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42:
298:... in general they are best sung together, viz. if a man sings it as a Medius, and a woman as a Treble, it is in effect as two parts; so likewise, if a man sing a Tenor with a masculine and woman with a feminine voice, the Tenor is as full as two parts, and a tune so sung (although it has but four parts) is in effect the same as six. Such a conjunction of masculine and feminine voices is beyond expression, sweet and ravishing, and is esteemed by all good judges to be vastly preferable to any instrument whatever, framed by human invention.
113:, but for the most part he was self-taught. Billings had an unusual appearance and a strong addiction to snuff. His contemporary wrote that Billings "was a singular man, of moderate size, short of one leg, with one eye, without any address & with an uncommon negligence of person. Still, he spake & sung & thought as a man above the common abilities." Billings' wife died on March 26, 1795, leaving him with six children under the age of 18. He died in poverty in Boston on September 26, 1800. His funeral was announced in the
27:
323:: "John Barrey & William Billings Begs Leave to inform the Publick, that they propose to open a Singing School THIS NIGHT ... where any Person inclining to learn to Sing may be attended upon at said School with Fidelity and Dispatch." He taught a singing school in Stoughton, Massachusetts in 1774 and all the pupils names were listed He was listed as "singing master" in the Boston city directory up until 1798. In the preface to the
849:
433:
incorporated chance-derived fragmentations of many of
Billings compositions in his works centered around the bicentennial celebration commissions that he received, including "Apartment House 1776", "44 Harmonies", and "Quartets I-VIII". Cage also employed the music of other Colonial-era composers in
350:
Billings died in poverty at age 53, and for a considerable time after his death, his music was almost completely neglected in the
American musical mainstream. However, his compositions remained popular for a time in the rural areas of New England, which resisted the newer trends in sacred music.
67:
362:
In the latter part of the twentieth century a
Billings revival occurred, and a sumptuous complete scholarly edition of his works was published (see Books, below). Works by Billings are commonly sung by American choral groups today, particularly performers of
327:, Billings included advice for the practical running of a singing school, including topics such as logistics, expectations for manners and attentiveness in students, and the need for the supremacy of the teacher's musical decisions.
339:
at the time. By the time the copyright laws had been strengthened, it was too late for
Billings: the favorites among his tunes had already been widely reprinted in other people's hymnals, permanently copyright-free.
347:, was published as a project of his friends, in an effort to help support the revered but no longer popular composer. His temporary employment as a Boston street sweeper was probably a project of a similar nature.
285:
Billings wrote long prefaces to his works in which he explained (often in an eccentric prose style) the rudiments of music and how his work should be performed. His writings reflect his extensive experience as a
119:: "Died- Mr. William Billings, the celebrated music composer. His funeral will be tomorrow at 4 o'clock, PM from the house of Mrs. Amos Penniman, in Chamber-street, West-Boston."
202:
text, and jarring dissonances that sound more like those of the 20th century than of the 18th. Billings followed up "Jargon" with his address "To the
Goddess of Discord".
384:, formed by former students of Billings, has carried on his tradition for over 200 years, and included twenty-seven Billings tunes in their 1878 music collection,
371:
music has acquainted many more people with
Billings' music: several of his compositions are among the more frequently sung of the works in the Sacred Harp canon.
105:. At the age of 14, the death of his father stopped Billings' formal schooling. In order to help support his family, young Billings trained as a
693:
226:. Other texts were drawn from Universalist poets and local poets, whereas Billings himself wrote the text to about a dozen of his compositions.
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290:. They also provide information on choral performance practice in Billings's day; for instance, a passage from the preface to
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Moreover, a few of
Billings' songs were carried southward and westward through America, as a result of their appearance in
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throughout his life. In 1769, when
Billings was twenty-three years old, the following announcement appeared in the
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premiered a piece entitled "Sweet Fields" using many hymns by
Billings and other early American choral composers.
294:
indicates that
Billings liked to have both men and women sing the treble (top) and tenor lines, an octave apart:
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399:", along with two other of Billings' hymns ("When Jesus Wept" and "Be Glad Then, America"), in his composition
31:
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had the premiere of his choral work in 1980 entitled "The Pleasures of Variety - Homage to William Billings."
102:
81:(October 7, 1746 – September 26, 1800) was an American composer and is regarded as the first American
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Billings' work was very popular in its heyday, but his career was hampered by the primitive state of
184:
864:
797:
MAJESTY: A discussion of Facts and Fiction about William Billings and The Stoughton Musical Society
495:
409:
176:
Sometimes Billings would revise and improve a song, including the new version in his next volume.
20:
388:. Among the favorite tunes by Billings sung by this choral society are: "Majesty" and "Chester".
198:, shows his wit. Written as an answer to a criticism of his use of harmony, "Jargon" contains a
813:
343:
With changes in the public's musical taste, Billings' fortunes declined. His last tune-book,
768:
135:. His many hymns and anthems were published mostly in book-length collections, as follows:
109:. He possibly received musical instruction from John Barry, one of the choir members at the
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Billings' music can be at times forceful and stirring, as in his patriotic song "
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35:
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Most of the texts that Billings used in his works come from the poetry of
423:
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356:
223:
900:"Wake Ev'ry Breath: Recording by William Appling Singers & Orchestra
352:
238:
132:
899:
644:"Popularity of Tunes in the Dension edition of The Sacred Harp, 2002"
430:
386:
The Stoughton Musical Society's Centennial Collection of Sacred Music
355:
hymnals. They ultimately resided in the rural South, as part of the
904:
48:
by Billings, "printed and sold by the author at his house near the
669:"William Billings (1746-1800) - Father of American Choral Music"
187:"; or elaborate and celebratory, as in his "Easter Anthem" and "
848:
98:
661:
128:
127:
Virtually all of Billings' music was written for four-part
600:
530:
528:
447:
in four volumes, edited by Karl Kroeger and Hans Nathan:
770:
William Billings of Boston: Eighteenth-Century Composer
725:"Colonial Nationalism in the Music of William Billings"
525:
395:
featured Billings' American Revolutionary War anthem "
624:
233:, p. 83 compare Billings' metrical rendering of
612:
241:, thought to be the inspiration for Billings' work:
564:
552:
540:
741:
576:
209:, including "Judea" in 1778 and "Shiloh" in 1781.
588:
461:The Singing Masters Assistant, Music in Miniature
1001:
265:As shepherds in Jewry were guarding their sheep,
767:McKay, David Phares; Crawford, Richard (2019).
273:Dispel all your sorrows, and banish your fears,
870:William Billings and Stoughton Musical Society
686:
920:
766:
606:
249:While shepherds watched their flocks by night
230:
804:Kroeger, Karl (2001), "Billings, William",
787:Gary, Charles & Mark, Michael. (2007).
927:
913:
636:
884:International Music Score Library Project
791:. Rowman & Littlefield Education: UK.
463:. University of Virginia Press (1984).
488:
303:
275:For Jesus our Saviour in Jewry appears.
267:Promiscusly seated estranged from sleep;
55:
40:
25:
814:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.03082
803:
722:
582:
558:
477:. University of Virginia Press (1987).
408:William Billings was inducted into the
269:An Angel from heaven presented to view,
212:
30:William Billings grave memorial at the
1002:
819:
594:
570:
546:
280:
271:And thus he accosted the trembling few
908:
789:A History of American Music Education
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630:
534:
367:. In addition, the recent spread of
934:
823:William Billings, Data and Documents
794:
618:
422:In 1996, modern dance choreographer
875:Art of the States: William Billings
438:
85:composer and leading member of the
13:
1065:People from colonial Massachusetts
826:. Detroit: College Music Society.
445:Complete works of William Billings
315:Billings was involved in teaching
310:
14:
1086:
842:
847:
723:Armenta, Joshua (October 2011).
253:The angel of the Lord came down,
1025:18th-century American musicians
1020:18th-century American composers
890:Free scores by William Billings
880:Free scores by William Billings
773:. Princeton University Press.
146:The Singing Master's Assistant
1:
673:americanmusicpreservation.com
513:
391:The modern American composer
183:"; ecstatic, as in his hymn "
103:Province of Massachusetts Bay
97:William Billings was born in
894:Choral Public Domain Library
518:
475:The Psalm-Singer's Amusement
455:University of Virginia Press
451:The New England psalm-singer
330:
158:The Psalm-Singer's Amusement
140:The New-England Psalm-Singer
19:For the American judge, see
7:
1060:People from colonial Boston
1035:18th-century male musicians
10:
1091:
750:Princeton University Press
744:William Billings of Boston
715:
325:Singing Master's Assistant
196:Singing Master's Assistant
18:
981:
942:
861:Billings William Billings
607:McKay & Crawford 2019
382:Stoughton Musical Society
251:All seated on the ground,
231:McKay & Crawford 2019
989:First New England School
865:Songwriters Hall of Fame
748:. Princeton and London:
740:McKay, David P. (1975).
496:Harvard University Press
410:Songwriters Hall of Fame
374:
337:copyright law in America
255:And glory shone around.
217:
122:
87:First New England School
61:Psalm-Singer's Amusement
46:Psalm-Singer's Amusement
16:American choral composer
1045:American male composers
491:The Continental Harmony
345:The Continental Harmony
292:The Continental Harmony
170:The Continental Harmony
92:
21:William Howard Billings
1030:18th century in Boston
795:Hall, Roger L (2000).
308:
278:
258:
205:He also wrote several
75:
53:
38:
32:Central Burying Ground
1055:Musicians from Boston
856:at Wikimedia Commons
820:Nathan, Hans (1976).
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262:
246:
59:
44:
29:
434:these works as well.
402:New England Triptych
237:2:8–11 with that of
213:Billings as a writer
359:singing tradition.
281:Pedagogical writing
164:The Suffolk Harmony
1040:American composers
806:Grove Music Online
537:, pp. 82, 85.
429:American composer
415:American composer
152:Music in Miniature
116:Columbian Centinel
76:
63:by Billings, 1781
54:
39:
1050:Burials in Boston
997:
996:
852:Media related to
833:978-0-911772-67-8
799:. PineTree Press.
780:978-0-691-65718-9
633:, pp. 36–40.
621:, pp. 22–23.
505:978-0-674-18830-3
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936:William Billings
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854:William Billings
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696:. Archived from
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111:New South Church
79:William Billings
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393:William Schuman
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317:singing schools
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311:Singing schools
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229:As an example,
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200:tongue-in-cheek
194:"Jargon," from
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52:, Boston," 1781
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972:Rose of Sharon
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843:External links
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729:Choral Journal
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321:Boston Gazette
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759:0-691-09118-8
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700:on 2012-12-22
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36:Boston Common
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896:(ChoralWiki)
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788:
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702:. Retrieved
698:the original
688:
676:. Retrieved
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663:
651:. Retrieved
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602:
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583:Kroeger 2001
578:
566:
561:, p. 8.
559:Armenta 2011
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77:
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45:
1015:1800 deaths
1010:1746 births
653:18 December
595:Nathan 1976
571:Nathan 1976
547:Nathan 1976
424:Twyla Tharp
369:Sacred Harp
365:early music
357:Sacred Harp
224:Isaac Watts
50:White Horse
1070:Shape note
1004:Categories
943:Hymn tunes
735:(3): 6–14.
704:2013-03-06
631:McKay 1975
535:McKay 1975
514:References
353:shape note
260:Billings:
239:Nahum Tate
133:a cappella
131:, singing
678:8 October
619:Hall 2000
519:Citations
431:John Cage
331:Reception
965:Creation
498:. 2013.
412:in 1970.
301:—
1075:Tanners
982:Related
958:Chester
892:in the
886:(IMSLP)
882:at the
863:at the
716:Sources
457:(1981).
405:(1956).
397:Chester
181:Chester
951:Africa
830:
777:
756:
502:
481:
467:
244:Tate:
185:Africa
172:(1794)
166:(1786)
160:(1781)
154:(1779)
148:(1778)
142:(1770)
129:chorus
107:tanner
99:Boston
83:choral
375:Other
218:Verse
123:Music
828:ISBN
775:ISBN
754:ISBN
680:2020
655:2018
500:ISBN
479:ISBN
465:ISBN
380:The
235:Luke
93:Life
69:Play
810:doi
191:".
34:on
1006::
808:,
752:.
733:52
731:.
727:.
671:.
646:.
527:^
494:.
453:.
101:,
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967:"
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960:"
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836:.
812::
783:.
762:.
707:.
682:.
657:.
597:.
585:.
508:.
485:.
471:.
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
