Appendices

Music in Miniature: Complete List of Psalm Tunes in Their Original Order

Framingham
Fitchburgh
Creation
New-Castle
Brest
Jamaica
Europe
Manchester
Sturbridge
Nazareth
Franklin
Dudley
Purchase Street
Crucifiction
Brookline
Morpheus
St. Hellens*
Duxborough
New South
Lebanon
Chocksett
Waltham
Amherst
Aurora
Sherburne
Chester
Spain
Maryland
Columbia
Hebron
Wrentham
New North
New Hingham
Pumpily
Halifax
Bethlehem
Portsmouth*
Isle White*
Bangor*
Old Hundred*
Putney*
St. Martins*
Cambridge
Philadelphia
America
Africa
Prince Town
Brookfield
Buckingham*
New Colchester*
Marshfield Dunstable
Roxbury
Connection
royalston*
Suffolk
Asia
St. Anns*
Dublin
Oxford
Danbury
Hampshire
Delaware
Newburn
Calvary
Revelation
Emmaus
Mansfield
Saybrook
Paris
Wareham
Georgia
Madrid
Trinity-New

Music in Miniature: List of Psalm Tunes Included in *The Singing Master’s Assistant**

Africa
America
Amherst
Aurora
Bethlehem
Brookfield
Cambridge
Chester
Chocksett
Columbia
Connection
Dunstable
Duxborough
Emmaus
Halifax
Hebron
Lebanon
Marshfield
Maryland
New Hingham
New North
New South
Philadelphia
Prince Town
Pumpily
Roxbury
Sherburne
Spain
Suffolk
Waltham
Wrentham

Publications of Sacred Texts Drawn upon in This Edition

Arnold, Compleat Psalmodist	Arnold, John. The Compleat Psalmodist. 4th ed. London: Robert Brown, 1756.
Bedford, Specimen of Hymns	Bedford, Arthur. The Excellency of Divine Musick. London: W. Pearson, [1733]. Appendix entitled: A Specimen of Hymns for Divine Musick.
Billings, NEPS	Billings, William. The New-England Psalm-Singer. Boston: Edes and Gill, [1770]. Evans 11572.
Brady and Tate, New Version and Appendix	Brady, Nicholas, and Nahum Tate. A New Version of the Psalms of David. Boston: for James Boyles, 1773. Bound at end: Appendix, Containing A Number of Hymns, Taken chiefly from Dr. Watts’s Scriptural Collection. Boston: Mills and Hicks, 1773. Evans 12674
Byles, Pious Remains	[Byles, Samuel] Pious Remains of a Young Gentleman Lately Deceased. Boston: Richard Draper, jun’r, 1764. Evans 9610.
Flatman, Poems	Flatman, Thomas. Poems and Songs. London: for Benjamin Took, 1674.
Lyon, Urania	Lyon, James. Urania. [Philadelphia, 1761.] Reprinted, New York: Da Capo Press, 1974. Evans 8908.
Relly, Christian Hymns	Relly, James and John. Christian Hymns, Poems, And Spiritual Songs. Burlington, [N.J.]: Isaac Collins, 1776. Evans 15042.
Watts, Divine Songs	Watts, Isaac. Divine Songs. Attempted in Easy Language For the Use of Children. 16th ed. Philadelphia: Joseph Crukshank for R. Aitken, [1773]. Evans 13065.
Watts, Horae Lyricae	Watts, Isaac. Horae Lyricae. Poems, Chiefly of the Lyric Kind. 12th ed. Boston: Daniel Kneeland for Thomas Leverett, 1772. Evans 12604.
Watts, Hymns	Watts, Isaac. Hymns and Spiritual Songs. In Three Books. 27th ed. Boston: Thomas and John Fleet, 1772. Evans 12606.
Watts, Psalms	Watts, Isaac. The Psalms of David, Imitated in The Language of the New Testament. Norwich, [Conn.]: Robertsons and Trumbull, 1774. Evans 13152.
Whitefield, Collection	Whitefield, George. A Collection of Hymns for Social Worship. 13th ed. Philadelphia: David Hall, 1768. Evans 41900.

Publications by William Billings Referred To

Anthem for Easter	An Anthem for Easter. [Boston, 1787].
CH	The Continental Harmony. Boston: Thomas and Andrews, 1794.
MM	Music in Miniature. Boston: the author, 1779.
NEPS	The New-England Psalm-Singer. Boston: Edes and Gill, [1770].
PSA	The Psalm-Singer’s Amusement. Boston: the author, 1781.
PSA, n.d.	The Psalm-Singer’s Amusement. N.p., n.d. [Published after Billings’s death, ca. 1804, or later, though not after 1826.]
SH	The Suffolk Harmony. Boston: John Norman, 1786.
SMA	The Singing Master’s Assistant. Boston: Draper and Folsom, 1778.

Other Publications Referred To

Julian

Julian, John. A Dictionary of Hymnology. 2nd rev. ed. London: J. Murray, 1907; reprinted, New York: Dover, 1957.

The Singing Master’s Assistant: Commentary

Note. The collections of texts from which additional stanzas are here supplied have their texts arranged in numbered stanzas, usually of four lines. Brady and Tate’s New Version of the Psalms is an exception. There the psalm verses of the Biblical original are numbered, rather than four-line stanzas. Therefore texts taken here from Brady and Tate are renumbered by the editor when necessary to make up four-line stanzas.

Some of the texts from Watts have pauses indicated; some also have stanzas in brackets. Watts explains these in the preface to his Psalms (Boston: Kneeland and Davis, 1773, and various other editions): “If the Psalm be too long for the Time or Custom of singing, there are pauses in many of them, at which you may properly rest; Or you may leave out those Verses which are included in Crotchets [brackets]. . . without disturbing the Sense, or in some Places you may begin to sing at a Pause.” Watts comments further on bracketed stanzas in the preface to Hymns (Boston: Fleet, 1772, and various other editions): “In all the longer Hymns, and in some of the shorter, there are several Stanzas included in Crotchets . . . which Stanzas may be left out in Singing, without disturbing the Sense. Those Parts are also included in such Crotchets, which contain Words too Poetical for meaner Understandings, or too particular for whole Congregations to sing.” Watts’s brackets are replaced in the present edition by the following:〈〉.

The Commentary retains Billings’s designation of the four voice-parts: Treble (soprano), Counter (alto), Tenor, and Bass.

Africa Text att.: DW [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Watts, Hymns I, No. 39. The entire text is supplied from this source. Billings’s textual change of “joys” to “joy” (m. 3) has been retained.

Africa in MM varies as follows: Bass—no lower octaves.

America Text by the composer.

America in MM is the same as here.

Amherst Text att.: T & B [Tate and Brady]. First stanza of Brady and Tate, New Version, Psalm 136. The entire text is supplied from this source.

In SMA, 1778 ed., the tenor in m. 3 has D faintly but unmistakably engraved above G. By the 3rd ed., 1781, D is barely visible. It is omitted here.

Amherst in MM varies as follows: Bass—no lower octaves.

Ashham Text att.: Dr Watts. First stanza of Watts, Hymns i, No. 67. The entire text is supplied from this source.

Aurora Text by the composer, quoted here from the 3rd ed., 1781. The first stanza is underlaid as in the original. The entire text is printed separately on the facing page of the original (p. 32) under the heading: “a morning hymn. To be sung in the Tune called Aurora.”

Aurora in MM varies as follows: Bass—no lower octaves, except in m. 8. All voices—m. 13: whole-note constitutes end of piece; fuging section omitted.

Baltimore Text by the composer.

Benevolence Text att.: T & B [Tate and Brady]. First stanza of Brady and Tate, New Version, Psalm 41. The entire text is supplied from this source.

Bethlehem Text att.: DW [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Brady and Tate, Appendix, Hymn 26. The entire text is supplied from this source. The real author of the text is Nahum Tate. (See Julian, p. 1275.)

Orig., m. 6, Treble: ♮ before A to warn singers not to raise it.

Bethlehem in MM varies as follows: Bass—m. 14: no lower octave. All voices—m. 14: last note constitutes end of piece; fuging section omitted; notes not dotted.

Bolton Text att.: G W. [George Whitefield]. First stanza of Whitefield, Collection, Hymn No. 20. The entire text is supplied from this source. The real author of the text is Charles Wesley. (See Julian, p. 955.)

Boston Text by the composer. Billings used this stanza, together with additional stanzas, for Shiloh in his SH.

Brookfield Text att.: D W [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Watts, Hymns iii, No. 1. The entire text is supplied from this source.

Brookfield in MM varies as follows: Treble—mm. 4 and 12: no ♯ before the second C. Tenor—mm. 5, 7, 13, 15: C-natural. Bass—no lower octaves.

Brunswick Text att.: Dr. W [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Watts, Hymns ii, No. 28.

Orig., m. 23, Bass, and m. 24, Tenor: three F-sharps and three C-sharps respectively, each group under what seems to be a tie (see Introduction, Lesson V) but is actually a slur, calling for separate articulation of the notes. This procedure is clear in mm. 20–22, where repeated notes are part of melismatic phrases, and the slurs cannot be misunderstood. From m. 20 to the end, the melismatic repetition of notes coincides with the image of “panting” in the text. Later stanzas of Watts’s text do not fit the music here.

Cambridge Text att.: T & B [Tate and Brady]. Despite the attribution, the text Billings prints is the same as the first stanza of Watts, Psalms, Psalm 113. Nevertheless, additional stanzas are here supplied from Brady and Tate, New Version, Psalm 113. The texts of the two sources are closely related.

Cambridge in MM varies as follows: Bass—no lower octaves except in m. 15.

Chester Text by the composer.

Orig.: the four additional stanzas, engraved in italics, appear below the tune. Chester in MM varies as follows: Treble—m. 15 thus:

Counter—m. 5, last note G, not A; m. 15, last note E only (G omitted). Bass—no lower octaves.

Chocksett Text att.: D W [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Watts, Psalms, Psalm 84. The entire text is supplied from this source. The meter is actually H.M. (Hallelujah Meter). Billings’s metrical designation of Psalm 84 is “As the 148th Psalm,” which, in turn, is identified as “Proper Metre” (P.M.). Billings’s textual change of “Thy earthly temples” to “Thine earthly temples” (m. 7) has been retained.

Chocksett in MM varies as follows: Counter—m. 4, last note, C-natural. Bass—no lower octaves.

Columbia Text by the composer.

Columbia in MM varies as follows: Bass—no lower octaves.

Connection Text att.: D W [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Watts, Psalms, Psalm 48. The entire text is supplied from this source.

Orig., m. 5, Tenor—A-natural but A-sharp is suggested because it appears in both MM and CH.

Connection in MM varies as follows: Tenor—m. 5, A-sharp. Bass—m. 2, no lower octaves.

Consolation Text att.: Anon. First stanza of Bedford, Specimen of Hymns, Hymn No. 9. The entire text is supplied from this source.

David’s Lamentation See under anthems.

Dorchester Text att.: D W [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Watts, Hymns ii, No. 58. The entire text is supplied from this source.

Dunstable Text att.: D W [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Watts, Psalms, Psalm 42.

Orig., mm. 16–19: each voice sings “So pants the hart,” the second word being set to three eighth-notes repeating the same pitch but linked with what appears to be a tie. The context, however, suggests a slur, with the notes articulated separately. A similar musical illustration of panting is found in Brunswick. (See discussion in Commentary above.) Orig., m. 24, Counter: no text appears, repeat signs only. If taken literally, these would call for a repetition of the previous words, “taste the,” an unlikely possibility. If the repeats are taken to refer to the Treble text, “cooling, cooling,” both declamation and the sense of the passage remain intact. Later stanzas of Watts’s text do not fit the music here. Dunstable in MM varies as follows: Bass—no lower octaves. All voices—m. 15: whole-note constitutes end of piece; fuging section omitted.

Duxborough Text att.: D W [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Watts, Hymns i, No. 24. The entire text is supplied from this source.

Duxborough in MM varies as follows: Tenor—m. 6, m. 16: D-natural. Bass—no lower octaves.

Emmaus Text att.: P.M. [Perez Morton]. The Boston Musical Gazette, April 17, 1839, p. 204, identifies “P.M.” as Perez Morton (1750–1837), a member of the Harvard Class of 1771. The copy of the 1778 ed. in the William Clements Library, University of Michigan, has the text att. “P. Morton” in what appears to be a contemporaneous hand.

Emmaus in MM varies as follows: All voices—last note not dotted. Treble—m. 13: no sharp before second F. Bass—no lower octaves.

Exeter Text att.: D W [Dr. Watts]. First and second stanzas of Watts, Hymns ii, No. 2. The entire text is supplied from this source. Since Billings combines the first two stanzas into one, later stanzas are renumbered accordingly. Billings’s textual change of “with rapid Force” to “of rapid force” (m. 14) has been retained.

Halifax Text att.: D W [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Watts, Psalms, Psalm 115. The entire text is supplied from this source. Billings’s textual change of “Heathen” to “heathens” (m. 24) has been retained.

Halifax in MM varies as follows: All voices—m. 1: no rest. Treble—m. 22 (23 in SMA), no natural sign before second note. Bass—m. 13 (14 in SMA), no lower octaves.

Heath Text att.: Anon. First stanza of Flatman, Poems, “Hymne for the Morning.” The entire text is supplied from this source. The last few lines are metrically unsuited to the music and have been omitted. Billings’s textual changes of “my” instead of “mine” (m. 5) and “sprang” instead of “Spring” (mm. 17ff.) have been retained.

Accent markings (mm. 21ff.) are “marks of distinction.” See Billings’s Introduction, Lesson V, No. ii.

Hebron Text att.: D W [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Watts, Hymns ii, No. 93. The entire text is supplied from this source.

Hebron in MM varies as follows: Tenor—m. 1: C-natural. Bass—no lower octaves.

Hollis Street Text att.: G W [George Whitefield]. First stanza of Whitefield, Collection, Hymn No. 50. The entire text is supplied from this source. The real author of the text is Charles Wesley. (See Julian, p. 1297.)

Jargon Text by the composer. It also forms part of the text of Anthem: Lamentation over Boston. See mm. 114–23. A second stanza is available in the same piece, mm. 124–33.

Judea Text att.: Anon. First stanza of “A Virgin unspotted,” Arnold, Compleat Psalmodist, Book 4, p. 5f. The entire text is supplied from this source. The third and fourth lines of stanza 1 appear identically, and parts of stanza 1, the refrain, and stanzas 2 and 6 appear almost identically in the text of an English Christmas carol published in 1734. See Oxford Book of Carols (London: Oxford University Press, 1931), No. 4, p. 9. Billings’s textual change of “cast” to “put” (m. 9) has been retained. “The” (m. 1) spelled “ye.” Orig., m. 8, beat 6: Treble and Tenor have eighth-notes, Counter and Bass quarter-notes in 6/4. However, since this note is an upbeat to the subsequent faster section in 6/8 it needs to be performed in the new tempo. Therefore, the meter change is here pushed back one beat and the note values halved accordingly.

Lebanon Text by the composer. Billings, NEPS, adds a second stanza to the one underlaid in SMA; it is supplied here from that source.

Lebanon in MM varies as follows: Bass—no lower octaves.

Majesty Text att.: S & H [Sternhold and Hopkins]. Underlaid text is supplied from Lyon, Urania, p. 125–32, where it is set to music as “Two Celebrated Verses by Sternhold & Hopkins.” The text is a combination of stanzas 9 and 10 from Psalm 18 (49 stanzas altogether) in Thomas Sternhold and John Hopkins, The Whole Book of Psalms (London, 1562), quoted in Lyon from a much later edition. Stanzas 2, 3, and 4 of the present edition are supplied from an issue of Sternhold and Hopkins printed at the end of The Book of Common Prayer (Cambridge: Joseph Bentham, 1762), where they appear as stanzas 11–12, 13–14, and 15–16.

Orig., m. 21, second note: Treble and Counter are perhaps to be articulated separately. See Commentary on Brunswick, Dunstable, and Anthem: Retrospect for somewhat similar cases. In these pieces, several notes repeating the same syllable are slurred.

Marblehead Text att.: T & B [Tate and Brady]. First stanza of Brady and Tate, New Version, Psalm 133. The entire text is supplied from this source.

Marshfield Text att.: T & B [Tate and Brady]. First stanza of Brady and Tate, New Version, Psalm 137. The entire text is supplied from this source. Billings’s textual change of “weary” to “weary’d” (m. 2) has been retained.

Marshfield in MM varies as follows: Bass—no lower octaves except in the last measure.

Maryland Text att.: D W [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Watts, Hymns ii, No. 110. The entire text is supplied from this source.

Maryland in MM varies as follows: Treble—m. 3: no ♯ before second G; mm. 6 and 9: second note, G-natural. Bass—no lower octaves. All voices—m. 10: whole-note constitutes end of piece; fuging section omitted.

Medfield Text att.: S Byles MD. First stanza of Byles, Pious Remains, “An Hymn of Thanksgiving,” p. [6]. The entire text is supplied from this source. Billings’s textual changes of “should” to “shall” (m. 11) and “I’ll love” to “I love” (mm. 12–13) are retained.

Medway Text att.: D W [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Watts, Psalms, Psalm 95.

Orig., mm. 24–26, Bass: these measures covered by a slur, which must also have been intended as a tie between the two G’s. Later stanzas of Watts’s text do not fit the melismatic treatment of “exalted” (mm. 13ff., mm. 3off.).

New-Hingham Text by the composer.

New-Hingham in MM varies as follows: Treble—m. 3: no ♯ before the second G. Bass—no lower octaves.

New North Text att.: T & B [Tate and Brady]. First stanza of Brady and Tate, New Version, Psalm 135. The entire text is supplied from this source.

New North in MM varies as follows: Counter—m. 17: C-sharp omitted. Tenor—m. 8: G-natural. Bass—last measure: no lower octave.

New South Text att.: T & B [Tate and Brady]. First stanza of Brady and Tate, New Version, Psalm 67. The entire text is supplied from this source. Original text engraved in italics. New South in MM varies as follows: Bass—no lower octaves; mm. 10 and 13, beat 3: C omitted.

North Providence Text att.: D W [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Watts, Hymns i, No. 62.

The entire text is supplied from this source.

Philadelphia Text att.: T & B [Tate and Brady]. Third stanza of Brady and Tate, New Version, Psalm 67. The entire text, from stanza 3 on, is supplied from this source, with stanzas renumbered. Billings’s textual change of “Let all the world” to “And all the world” (mm. 6–8) has been retained.

Philadelphia in MM varies as follows: Bass—no lower octaves. All voices—m. 13: whole-note constitutes end of piece; fuging section omitted.

Phoebus Text att.: D W [Dr. Watts]. First and second stanzas of Watts, Psalms, Psalm 5. The entire text is supplied from this source. Since Billings combines the first two stanzas into one, later stanzas are renumbered accordingly. Watts recommends a pause between the original fifth and sixth stanzas, but the setup in this edition prohibits it.

Princetown Text att.: T & B [Tate and Brady]. First stanza of Brady and Tate, New Version, Psalm 64. The entire text is supplied from this source.

Orig., m. 11, Treble: no ♯ before the second C, but it appears in m. 7 (the notes in mm. 6–7 and 10–11, all voices, are practically identical).

Prince Town in MM varies as follows: Treble—mm. 7 and 11: no ♯ before the second C. Bass—no lower octaves.

Pumpily Text att.: T & B [Tate and Brady]. First stanza of Brady and Tate, New Version, Psalm 148. The entire text is supplied from this source.

Pumpily in MM varies as follows: Counter—m. 8: no ♯ before the second F. Bass—no lower octaves.

Richmond Text att.: Relly. First stanza of Relly, Christian Hymns, No. 55. The entire text is supplied from this source.

Orig., m. 3, beat 6, Bass: a C is faint but unmistakable above the A. It appears to be an engraving mistake and is here omitted.

Roxbury Text att.: T & B [Tate and Brady] 149th Psalm. First stanza of Brady and Tate, New Version, Psalm 149. The entire text is supplied from this source.

Orig., m. 11, Treble: ♮ before G to warn singers not to raise it.

Roxbury in MM varies as follows: Bass—no lower octaves.

Sappho Text att.: Dr. W [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Watts, Horae Lyricae, “The Day of Judgement. An Ode Attempted in English Sapphick,” p. 60. The entire text is supplied from this source.

Savannah Text att.: GW [George Whitefield]. First stanza of Whitefield, Collection, Hymn No. 48. The entire text is supplied from this source. The real author of the text is Charles Wesley. (See Julian, p. 32.) Each stanza consists of eight lines, but Billings set only the initial four lines of the first stanza. Hence, stanzas are here considered four lines and renumbered accordingly.

Sharon Text att.: D W [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Watts, Divine Songs, No. 1. The entire text is supplied from this source.

Sherburne Text att.: D W [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Watts, Psalms, Psalm 133. The entire text is supplied from this source.

Sherburne in MM varies as follows: Treble—m. 15: A omitted. Counter—m. 1: C omitted; m. 5: F omitted; mm. 7–8: E omitted. Bass—no lower octaves.

Spain Text att.: D W [Dr. Watts], First stanza of Watts, Psalms, Psalm 122. The entire text is supplied from this source.

Spain in MM varies as follows: Counter—mm. 7 and 15: E omitted. Bass—m. 5, 2nd note: E (C omitted); no lower octaves.

Stockbridge Text att.: D W [Dr. Watts]. The text is a composite of Watts, Psalms, Psalm 117, and Brady and Tate, New Version, Psalm 95, as follows:

lines 1–4 (mm. 1–18) are Watts, stanza 1
lines 5–8 (mm. 19–28) are Brady and Tate, verse 1
lines 9–10 (mm. 29–33) are Brady and Tate, verse 2, lines 1–2
lines 11–12 (mm. 33–38) are Brady and Tate, verse 6, lines 3–4

Suffolk Text att.: D W [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Watts, Hymns ii, No. 51. The entire text is supplied from this source.

Suffolk in MM varies as follows: Treble—m. 2: ♪𝅭 𝅘𝅥(instead of 𝅘𝅥𝅭 ♪); m. 13, beat 1: dot missing. Bass—no lower octaves.

Sullivan Text att.: D. Watts [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Watts, Hymns i, No. 58. The entire text is supplied from this source.

Sunday Text by the composer.

Vermont Text att.: D W [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Watts, Hymns i, No. 9. The entire text is supplied from this source. Since Billings combines the first two stanzas into one, later stanzas are renumbered accordingly. Billings’s textual change of “a hungry mind” to “an hungry mind” (m. 8) has been retained.

Waltham Text att.: D W [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Watts, Psalms, Psalm 45. The entire text is supplied from this source.

Waltham in MM varies as follows: Bass—no lower octaves.

Warren Text att.: G W [George Whitefield]. First stanza of Whitefield, Collection, Hymn 38. The entire text is supplied from this source. The real author of the text is John Cennick. (See Julian, p. 216.)

Washington Text att.: D.W. [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Watts, Psalms, Psalm 68. Billings’s spelling of “around the wait like Char’ots” (mm. 11–13ff.) has not been retained. Later stanzas of Watts’s text do not fit the melismatic treatment of “Char’ots” (mm. 16ff.).

Worcester Text att.: D W [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Watts, Hymns ii, No. 32. The entire text is supplied from this source. Since into one, the original stanzas 3 and 4 are here renumbered as 2, and the original 5th stanza is omitted. Billings’s textual change of “is our life” to “are our lives” (m. 3) has been retained.

Wrentham Text att.: D W [Dr. Watts]. First stanza of Watts, Psalms, Psalm 50. The entire text is supplied from this source.

Wrentham in MM varies as follows: Treble—m. 6, second note: F; m. 14: rhythm is 𝅗𝅥𝅗𝅥𝅭 Bass—no lower octaves.

ANTHEMS

Anthem: A Funeral Anthem, I heard a great voice

Orig. heading: A Funeral Anthem Rev. Chap. 14th. Text from Bible, Authorized Version, Revelation 14:13.

Orig., printed above mm. 34–35: “Minim Beating,” instructing performers to beat half-notes, not quarter-notes. (See Introduction, Lesson VI.)

Anthem: David’s Lamentation, David the King was grieved

Text from Bible, Authorized Version, ii Samuel 18:33.

Orig., mm. 25–26, text “for the.”

Piece listed in index as psalm tune, but prose text and textural variety mark it as an anthem.

Anthem: Gratitude, I love the Lord

Orig. heading: Gratitude, an Anthem, Psalm 116^tḥ Text from Bible, Authorized Version, Psalm 116:1–3; Psalm 54:7; ii Chronicles 30:9; Exodus 34:6–7; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 89:52; Psalm 106:48.

Anthem: Hear my Pray’r

Orig. heading: An Anthem. Psalm 39^tḥ Text from Bible, Authorized Version, Psalm 39:12–13. Accent markings (mm. 32ff.) are “marks of distinction.” See Billings’s Introduction, Lesson V, No. ii.

Anthem: I Am the Rose of Sharon

Orig. heading: An Anthem, Solomon’s Songs, Chap. 2^ḍ Text from Bible, Authorized Version, Song of Solomon i:1–5, 7–8, 10–11. Billings’s spelling of “skiping” (mm. 105f.) not retained.

Orig., m. 37, Tenor, last note is eighth-note. Accent markings (m. 108) are “marks of distinction.” See Billings’s Introduction, Lesson V, No. ii.

Anthem: Independence, The States O Lord

Text by the composer but lines in mm. 1–30 and 41–45 are paraphrases of Watts and Tate & Brady respectively (Psalms, Ps. 21, stanza 1; New Version: Ps. 21, v. 3). Accent markings (mm. 122ff.) are “marks of distinction.” See Billings’s Introduction, Lesson V, No. ii.

Orig., m. 171: performance instruction “slow” modifies the tempo implicit in the time signature. In NEPS, p. 15, Billings writes that adding “Adagio, Slow, Grave, &c” requires the music “to be performed somewhat Slower than the Mood it is set to.”

Anthem: Is any afflicted

Orig. heading: An Anthem taken from Sundry Scriptures. Text from Bible, Authorized Version, James 5:13; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16.

Orig., m. 6, “Sharp Key” engraved over measure, doubtless as a reminder that singers heed the change from G minor to G major. Mm. 34–35: “Spiritual” has apostrophe over second “i,” indicating the contraction used in this edition.

Anthem: Lamentation over Boston, By the Rivers of Watertown

Orig. heading: Lamentation over Boston, an Anthem. Text from Bible, Authorized Version, Psalm 137:1; Jeremiah 3:21 and 31:20, paraphrased and expanded. Four lines of text (mm. 114–23) appear also in the mock psalm tune Jargon.

Anthem: Retrospect, Was not the Day

Orig. heading: Retrospect an Anthem, from sundry Scriptures. Text from Bible, Authorized Version, Psalm 124:7; Jeremiah 48:10, 4:19, and 47:6; Psalm 51:8; Isaiah 2 4, 52:7; Luke 2:14; Revelation 19:6.

Orig., m. 24, Treble: D-natural is no doubt correct, since it is unlikely that Billings would have allowed so unusual a clash to stand if he had not intended it; moreover, in the context of the passage D-natural makes more melodic sense than D-sharp would. Mm. 137–43: all voices except Counter have repeated pitches on one syllable covered by a slur; as part of a motivically distinct melodic pattern they should be articulated separately. (See commentary on Brunswick and Dunstable, where similar passages are discussed.) Mm. 182–85 are marked “Maistuso, Choro Grando,” implying increased volume and a broadening of the tempo.

Anthem: Sing ye merrily

Orig. heading: An Anthem Psalm 81^sṭ’ Text from Book of Common Prayer, Psalm 81:1–4, concluding with Lesser Doxology.

Mm. 17, 21. The speed of 𝅘𝅥 = M.M. 80, which implies no acceleration, seems more appropriate here than 𝅘𝅥 = M.M. 120. It seems likely that in m. 23, where a new section begins, Billings intended the usual 𝅘𝅥 = M.M. 120.

Accent markings (mm. 38ff.) are “marks of distinction.” See Billings’s Introduction, Lesson V, No. ii. Orig., last measure: repeat sign missing.

New North This psalm-tune is found in the Clements manuscript. Its text is the first stanza of Watts, Hymns i, No. 7. Although the music is unattributed, there are several reasons for assuming that it was composed by Billings. First, its notes are practically like those of New North in SMA, but the duple time of the printed version has been changed to triple time and a fuging section has been added. Second, it is unlikely that, at that time, anyone but Billings himself could or would have transformed the piece. Third, exactly the same kind of metrical change occurs in Billings’s Europe, first published in NEPS and then modified in MM.

Orig., m. 21, Tenor: the last note has a fermata.

Music in Miniature: Commentary

Asia Text supplied from Watts, Psalms, Psalm 55.

Orig., m. 1, all voices: initial rest added.

Brest Text supplied from Watts, Psalms, Psalm 101.

Brookline Text supplied from Brady and Tate, New Version, Psalm 19.

Brookline in NEPS, though textless, is headed “CM. Ps. 19.” This must refer to Brady and Tate since Watts includes no version of Psalm 19 in Common Meter.

Calvary Text supplied from St. Thomas in CH, a through-composed setting of three stanzas, whose first section is identical to Calvary. The source of the text has not been found. (Watts is named as author in CH, but only the second and third stanzas can be traced to him.)

Orig., m. 5, Bass: the first two notes are F E-flat (changed to E-flat D in CH).

Creation Text supplied from Watts, Psalms, Psalm 139. The first stanza appears in Creation in CH.

Crucifiction Text supplied from Crucifiction in Anthem for Easter, where it is called “anonymous,” and in PSA, n.d.

Orig., m. 16, Counter: 𝅗𝅥𝅭𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥𝅗𝅥| The last note in this measure is E-natural in the F-minor setting of Crucifiction in Anthem for Easter.

Danbury Text supplied from Watts, Psalms, Psalm 90. The first stanza appears in Danbury in PSA, n.d.

Delaware Text supplied from Watts, Psalms, Psalm 89. The first stanza appears in Delaware in PSA, n.d.

Dublin Text supplied from Watts, Hymns i, No. 142.

Dudley Text supplied from Watts, Psalms, Psalm 13.

Europe Text supplied from Watts, Hymns i, No. 7. The first stanza appears in Europe in PSA, n.d.

Fitchburg Text supplied from Watts, Psalms, Psalm 69. The first stanza appears in Fitchburg in PSA, n.d.

Framingham Text supplied from Watts, Hymns i, No. 92. The first stanza appears in Framingham in PSA. Billings made two textual changes which have been retained in the present version: “her Voice” instead of “her Speech” and “Son” instead of “Word.” Orig., m. 12, beat 1, Tenor: note printed almost like G.

Franklin Text supplied from Watts, Hymns ii, No. 57.

Georgia Text supplied from Watts, Psalms, Psalm 51.

Orig., m. 15, Treble: the F may have been raised in performance. See the identical notes, with F-sharp, in Nazareth, m. 14.

Hampshire Text supplied from Watts, Psalms, Psalm 90. The first stanza appears in Hampshire in PSA, n.d.

Jamaica Text supplied from Watts, Psalms, Psalm 98. The first stanza appears in Jamaica in PSA, n.d.

Madrid Orig.: meter indicated “as 149^tḥ T B” [Brady and Tate, New Version, Psalm 149]. Text supplied from Relly, Christian Hymns, No. 87, the first stanza of which appears in Madrid in SH. (Madrid in PSA, n.d., was published after Billings’s death with the first stanza of Brady and Tate’s Psalm 149.) Orig., m. 9, All voices: a half-note rest after the first note (omitted in SH and PSA, n.d.).

Manchester Text supplied from Brady and Tate, New Version, Psalm 150, beginning with stanza 3 (now counting as stanza 1, with the additional stanzas renumbered). Stanza 3 appears as stanza 1 in Manchester in PSA.

Mansfield Text supplied from Watts, Psalms, Psalm 89. The first stanza appears in Mansfield in PSA, n.d.

Morpheus Text supplied from “Anthem for the Evening” in Flatman, Poems. It is originally not divided into separate stanzas. Since its last quatrain does not completely fit the music, it is omitted here. The first stanza appears in Morpheus in The Federal Harmony (Boston, 1792) [Evans 24831]. For another setting of Morpheus see p. 337. Orig., mm. 12–13, Counter: the unusual progression G-sharp G also appears in The Federal Harmony.

Nazareth Text supplied from Watts, Psalms, Psalm 3.

Newburn Text supplied from Watts, Psalms, Psalm 18.

New-Castle Text supplied from Watts, Psalms, Psalm 18.

Orig., m. 2, Bass: C-sharp—surprising in this context—is so faint that it might be considered a misprint. Yet doubling of this kind does occur a few times in MM and SMA.

Oxford Text supplied from Brady and Tate, New Version, Psalm 113.

Orig., m. 6, Bass: the first note is dotted.

Paris Text supplied from Watts, Psalms, Psalm 147. The first stanza appears in Paris in The Worcester Collection of Sacred Harmony (Worcester, 1786) [Evans 19752].

Purchase Street Text supplied from Watts, Hymns i, No. 80.

Revelation Text supplied from Watts, Psalms, Psalm 119. The first stanza appears in Revelation in CH.

Saybrook Text supplied from Watts, Psalms, Psalm 139.

Sturbridge Text supplied from Watts, Psalms, Psalm 103.

Trinity-New Text supplied from Watts, Psalms, Psalm 117.

Wareham Text supplied from Watts, Hymns ii, No. 93. The first stanza appears in Wareham in PSA.

APPENDIX

Morpheus The setting for tenor and bass reproduced here is from the Waterhouse Manuscript. It stands between pieces copied March 10 and March 12, 1781.

Orig., m. 17: “Cho^ṛ,” an abbreviation for “chorus,” is written here. Rather than a performance direction (i.e., suggesting that the beginning section be sung by soloists and mm. 17ff. by a chorus), it is more likely a label which marks the beginning of the subsequent fuging chorus. No pieces in MM have fuging choruses, but several had been published with fuging choruses in earlier Billings collections: Aurora, Bethlehem, Dunstable, Europe, Maryland, and Philadelphia.

Orig., mm. 21–23: no ties.

Orig., mm. 24–25: only the Tenor is slurred, but since it moves together with the Bass in thirds, the slur is applicable to the Bass as well.

The same version of Morpheus appears also in the Clements Manuscript. Here the Bass in m. 11 has lower octaves and, in mm. 21–23 (first note), ties.

1 See The New-England Psalm-Singer, p. 15; The Continental Harmony, p. xx–xxi.

2 For more on tempo see David P. McKay and Richard Crawford, William Billings of Boston (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1975), p. 241–45.

3 See The Singing Master’s Assistant, Lesson X, p. 16.

4 The introductory matter in Billings’s publications, however, appears with original spelling and punctuation.

1 For the Notes, Rests, and other Characters, see page 103. [In the original the examples using musical notation are engraved on p. 103–04; in the present edition they are interpolated into the text.]

2 And here it may not be amiss to inform you, how the length of Pendulums are calculated; take this instance, suppose a Pendulum, of thirty-nine inches and two tenths, will vibrate in the time of a second, then divide 39²/₁₀ by 4, and it will give you the length of a Pendulum, that will vibrate twice as quick; and, multiply 39²/₁₀ by 4, and it will give the length of a Pendulum, that will vibrate twice as slow. Make a Pendulum of common thread well waxed and instead of a bullet take a piece of heavy wood turned perfectly round, about the bigness of a pullet’s egg, and rub them over, either with chalk, paint, or whitewash, so that they may be plainly seen by candle light.

3 [4th edition: “twenty-two inches and one twentieth.” In the later Continental Harmony (1794) Billings reiterates the measurement of 22 ¹/₂₀ inches, making the figure in the 4th edition appear to be his last thought.]

4 [4th edition: “almost out of use in Vocal Musick.”]

5 [4th edition: “by even Numbers.”]

6 [Billings seems to have meant: “could be perswaded to leave the practice of music to such as have.”]

7 In fuging Music you must be very distinct and emphatic, not only in the Tune, but in the pronounciation; for if there happens to be a Number of greater Voices in the Concert than your own, they will swallow you up; therefore in such a case, I would recommend to you the resolution (tho’ not the impudence) of a discarded Actor, who after he had been twice hissed off the Stage, mounted again, and with great Assurance he thundered out these words “I will be heard.”

8 I have heard it remarked that “Order was the first thing which took place in Heaven.”

9 It is recorded in sacred writ, that while I was in Embryo “The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” And that Miriam and the children of Israel sang praises to God; but I suppose it was by immediate inspiration, or some supernatural assistance; for I frankly confess they had no assistance from me.

10 The wise man says, that “to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the sun.” And the Royal Psalmist says, “I will sing of mercy and of judgment,” surely, this holy example is wortky [worthy] our imitation, and if we are authorised to sing both of mercy and of judgment, we may sing day and night without ceasing; for the prophet Jeremiah tells us, that his mercies are new every morning; and in another place, he says “righteous art thou O Lord, yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments.” It remains then, that we “Bless the Lord at all times, and let his praise be continually in our mouths.”

11 This Dominant Tone, is typical of a strong faith of which David seems to avail himself, and upon this strength he (in the language of a Christian hero) most emphatically expresses himself, in the following words, “The Lord is on my side, I will not fear what man can do unto me.” And again, “Though an host should encompass me about, yet I will not be affraid; for I will go on in the strength of the Lord my God.”

12 A Canon is a sort of musical composition variously composed and performed.

13 The Tone which was chosen by King Jehoshaphat’s army was this, viz. “Praise the Lord, for his mercy endureth forever.” It is worthy of notice, that the canon was pointed towards heaven, and not towards the enemy. And farther it has been observed, that whenever the Israelites were not furnished with this kind of artillery, they were easily vanquished by their enemies.

14 Philosophers agree, that there is a natural propensity in every sonorous body to reply (by way of echo) to any sounding body in unison with itself; and it is well known that the deeper the tone, the greater the tremor. Hence it is, that cannon[s] by reason of their extream depth, affect the air so sensibly.

15 Historians relate, that “Pythagoras, in passing by a Smith’s shop, found that the sounds proceeding from the hammers, were either more grave, or accute, according to the different weights of the hammers. The Philosopher, to improve this hint, suspends different weights by strings of the same bigness, and found in like manner, that the sounds answered to the weights. This being discovered, he found out those numbers which produced sounds, that were consonant: as that two strings of the same substance and tension, the one being double to the other in length gave that interval, which is called a Diapason. The same was also effected from two strings of the same length and size, the one having four times the tension of the other. By these steps from so mean a beginning did this great man reduce what was only noise before, to one of the most delightful sciences, by marrying it to the Mathematicks.” Note, that Pythagoras was born in Samos, 524 years before Christ.

16 Guido lived about 710 years ago. He was a great improver of the Musical Scale: He caused it to be called Gamut, that it might begin with the first letter of his name. Historians relate, that he was born in Tuscany.

17 The sharp Keys are ranked in the Masculine Gender; therefore, Dame Gamut calls them her sons.

18 By this, is understood the Fife and Drum, and other martial instruments of music.

19 The flat Keys (by way of contrast to the Sharp) are ranked in the Feminine Gender. N.B. These Genders admit no neuter.

20 I had almost forgot to inform you, that some of my sons are wholly employed in making pills, to purge melancholly; and as I have no desire to keep this salutary preparation a secret, I here present you with the receipt, verbatim. “Take of Bass, Tenor, Counter, and Treble, each an equal proportion; mix them in a Vehicle of Consonance, with as great a number of Vibrations, as will amount to a Coincidence. Let this be conveyed into the ears, through the medium of vociforation and articulation; and it will not fail of having the desired effect.” Approved.

21 By these remarks, the absurdity of adapting a sharp keyed tune, to a Psalm of Penitence and Prayer, and a flat keyed tune, to a Psalm of Praise and Thanksgiving, is strikingly set forth. Suppose a preacher, on a fast day morning, for his discourse, should speak from these words, viz. “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise.” And for the afternoon, “Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared; neither be ye sorry, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” We will carry this supposition yet farther, and suppose, that in his great wisdom, he should on a thanksgiving day morning, speak from these words, viz. “A day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness.” And in the afternoon, “Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock taste any thing; let them not feed nor drink water; but let man and beast be covered with sack cloth.” But says the impartial reader, “this is ridiculous, this would be intolerable; but is the simile just, is it not exaggerated”? “I answer, it is just, and without exaggeration.”

22 Note, that every piece of music is called an Air.

23 History informs us, that Dr. De Maris, a Frenchman, was the first that invented and ascertained the length of the notes, and their proportion from each other, viz. “That the Semibreve is twice as long as the Minim; the Minim twice as long as the Crotchet, &c.[”] N.B. He lived about the year 1330.

24 Alluding to Revelations, Chapter 6, “There shall be time no longer.”

25 As penitence and prayer, are not mentioned as the business of Heaven; but are supposed to be swallowed up in praise and thanksgiving; so Dame Gammut may with propriety say, that “her daughters will be extinct, and her sons rise and shine, &c.”

26 See page 102 [p. 263].

27 [After “To the goddess of discord” comes “An Alphabetical list of tunes and anthems, contained in this Book.” This is followed, in all except the fourth edition, by “An Encomium on Music” and, preceding the musical section, six stanzas of “A morning hymn. To be sung in the Tune called Aurora.”]

28 Job 38 chap, verse 7.

29 Exod. 15, verse 1.

30 2 Chron. 5 chap, verse 13.

31 2 Chron. 20 chap, verse 21–22.

32 Acts 16, verse 25–26.

33 Luke 2, verse 13–14.

34 Matth. 26–30.

35 i. Sam. 16 chap. verse 23.

36 To illustrate this I shall I [sic] take this opportunity to inform the reader, that I am intimately acquainted with several singers, who are not able to speak one short sentence in common conversation, without stuttering and stammering to such a degree, as to excite great pain in the audience, and are often-times so confused and abashed at their own unintelligable jargon, that they are obliged to leave the meaning of the half uttered sentence to the sagacity of the hearers: When to great admiration, these same people will perform n [a] lengthy piece of music, and they will not only sing musically and delightfully, but they will pronounce with the accuracy of a scholar, without the least hesitation whatever: Upon the strength of such conviction, who can forbear breaking out into the following exclamation “Great art thou O music, and with thee there is no Competitor—Thy powers are far beyond the powers of—utterance.”

1 [Footnote 2 below gives Billings’s characterization of this essay as a “burlesque.” It appears at the end of the introduction to The Singing Master’s Assistant, fourth edition, where it is preceded by a short version of the Introduction to the earlier editions. The item of which this is Billings’s parody is printed on p. 141–43 of The Heidelbergh Catechism, bound with The Psalms of David . . . for the use of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of the city of New York (New York: James Parker, 1767), Evans 10561, under the title: “The Creed, of Saint Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, Written in the Year of our Lord, 333.”]

2 ☞ I hope no pious Episcopalian will so far misconstrue my intention, as to suppose this is intended as a burlesque upon their form of Devotion: I was pleased with the stile, and wrote this by way of Imitation.

3 Composers of Musick say,

“Could you erect a thousand parts or more,

“They, in effect, will prove the same as four.”

*Titles with an asterisk (*) are not by Billings and are not included in this edition. Royalston is “by Wood.”