Complete Encyclopaedia of Music/B/Billings, William

Billings, William. For one hundred and fifty years after the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, no native son of New England had attempted musical composition. This distinction was reserved for William Billings, a native of Boston, whose works were so much admired in his day, and so much neglected afterwards. He was born October 7, 1746, and died in Boston, September 26, 1800, aged fifty-four. He was the author of six distinct publications, namely : I. "The New England Psalm Singer," 108 pager, published October 7, 1770 ; 2. "The Singing Master's Assistant," 102 pages, published 1778, being an abridgment of the former work ; 3 "Music in Miniature," 32 pages, 12mo., published 1779 - this is principally a collection, containing seventy-four tunes, thirty-one new and original, and thirty-two from his former books, and eleven old standard European tunes ; 4, "The Psalm Singer's Amusement," 103 pages, published 1781; 5. "The Suffolk Harmony," 56 pages, published 1786 ; 6. "The Continental Harmony," 199 pages, published 1794. These, with a few separate anthems, viz., "Except the Lord build the house," Sze.; "Mourn, mourn, ye Saints," &c. ; "The Lord is risen from the dead," &c. ; "Jesus Christ is risen from the dead," &c., comprise all his published compositions ; and, excepting the eleven European tunes above mentioned, the whole were his own. Billings was of humble origin, and by occupation a tanner. His opportunities for education of any kind were small, and his literary acquirements of course scant. He had little knowledge of counterpoint, having seen probably no work on the science or rules of harmony, except, perhaps, Tansur's Grammar, a very meagre and imperfect treatise ; but his love of music and skill in the art of singing were early manifested, and even in youth he became a popular singing master, and began to compose, and commenced his first publication while quite young. The English publications by W. Tansur, A. Williams, J. Arnold, W. Knapp, and J. Stephenson, had found their way across the Atlantic about the time he came on the stage. The lovers of psalmody here, who had from their youth heard nothing but the slow, isochronous notes of the very few old church tunes introduced in their day in the country, very gladly accepted the more lively and spirited airs which these authors offered them. Billings was foremost in adopting the new style, and formed his taste and took his cue in his compositions from such tunes as the third psalm, thirty-fourth psalm, Milford, Christmas Hymn, and many other similar fuguing and lively compositions, then just becoming popular. His works were of course eagerly adopted, and all the old sacred melodies, however before approved and established, were entirely laid aside for many years. Those who succeeded and imitated him carried this style and taste to a still greater extreme. This music, therefore, so much ridiculed by some, and called, in derision, the American or Yankee style, had not its origin, as has been already suggested, on this side the water. England abounded at that time with the same flashy composition. Volumes were there published, and are still extant, in which not a single solid tune can be found, not c e, of any description, which has found its way into any respectable collection of music there or here. Though their harmony may be more correct, the melodies bear no comparison with those of Billings, who therefore, in this respect at least, far exceeded his models. His first publication was exceedingly deficient in all the constituent requisites of good melody, as well as good harmony, and particularly as to accent. It will not bear criticism, and it may amuse the reader to see the remarks of the author himself on his own work. In the preface to his second publication, he said, "Kind reader, no doubt you remember that about ten years ago I published a book, entitled 'The New England Psalm Singer ;' and truly a most masterly performance I then thought it to be. How lavish was I of encomiums on this my infant production ! Said I, Thou art my Reuben, my first born, the beginning of my strength ; but to my great mortification I soon discovered it was Reuben in the sequel, and Reuben all over. I have discovered that many pieces were never worth my printing or your inspection." Of course, in his second work, which at length obtained the name of "Billings's Best," and which professed to be an abridgment of the first, he omitted altogether a great proportion of the tunes, and amended very much those he retained, particularly in the point of accent. This work, as well as his fourth, called the " Psalm Singer's Amusement," became very popular, and no other music for many years was heard throughout New England. Many of the New England soldiers, who, during the revolutionary war, were en-camped in the Southern States, had many of his popular tunes by heart, and frequently amused themselves by singing them in camp, to the delight of all who heard them. A gentleman in Philadelphia, distinguished for his great literary attainments, as well as for his musical taste, often spoke of the great pleasure he enjoyed from this source during that period, and said that the name of Billings had been dear to him, and associated with the happiest recollections ever since. Billings possessed something also of the spirit of poetry, as well as of music, and was the author of many of the words, as well as the tunes, he published. The following words set to "Chester" were his own : -

"Let tyrants shake their iron rod,

And Slavery clank her galling chains; We'll fear them not; we trust in God - New England's God forever reigns."

He was a zealous patriot also, and much attached to Governor Samuel Adams, of Massachusetts, who was also a great lover and performer of psalmody ; and it is within the recollection of many now living, that that venerable statesman uniformly was seated. at church in the singing choir. One secret, no doubt, of the vast popularity Billings's works obtained, was the patriotic ardor they breathed. The words above quoted are an example, and "Chester," it is said, was frequently heard from every fife in the New England ranks. The spirit of the revolution was also manifest in his "Lamentation over Boston," his "Retrospect," his "Independence," his "Columbia," as well as his "Chester," and many other pieces. Finally, whatever may be said of Billings's music, and however deficient it may now be thought to be in good taste as well as in many other respects, it certainly gave great delight in its day, and many now living, who were accustomed to hear it in their youth, are much inclined to prefer it to the more elaborate and learned music of the present time.

And who can wonder that, after an age of slow, dull, monotonous singing in our churches, con-fined at the same time to half a dozen thread-bare tunes, our congregations should have been electrified and delighted with the chanting, song-like, spirited style which Billings introduced ? Besides, the manner of performance should be considered. In the old way, tunes were set and struck up by the chorister at random; without tuning fork or pitch pipe, and performed by rote, and of course often without tune or time ; while the new could be performed only by those who had been instructed in schools and in the art of singing. Billings, therefore, may justly be considered in the light of a reformer, and as having given a new impulse to music generally in our country. Had he lived at the present day, with the superior advantages for obtaining musical skill and science now enjoyed, or had he lived in any other period, there is no reason to doubt he would have been as much distinguished as he was in his own ; and though his name and music (as improvement in knowledge and taste in the art advanced) soon declined, and were almost entirely out of date, yet we now begin to see both his name and his melodies making their way again into respectable notice and the best collections. There is fashion even in music. The style and taste of one period have no charms at another. So we look in vain into the music of the earliest antiquity for the wonderful effects ascribed to it. So is it also with the tastes of the different nations at the same period ; what prevails in one is without interest in another. The fugues and divisions, once so common and prevalent, and which abounded even to disgust and satiety in former days, particularly in our American composition, and which served finally, no less than their violation of the rules of harmony, to cast them into the shade of neglect and derision, are now much disused and out of fashion. In this respect we have gone to the other extreme. Very few fugues or divisions are admitted, into church music at least, and sparingly into any other. Within the last twenty years much has been done to restore a better taste, and introduce a better kind of music among us. The struggle has been to banish the fuguing and frivolous airs which deluged the country, and in doing it we have returned too far, perhaps, towards the exclusive use of the old tunes with notes of equal length, and to the plain chant. This cannot last, and the want of more exciting and animating melodies in our churches begins to be manifested, and must and will be gratified. Besides, they want a more distinctive character. To the great majority of every audience all tunes seem too much alike. Modern harmony being restricted to a few simple rules, which also re-strain the freedom of the melodies themselves, and the time and measure of our sacred music having settled down into a slow and solemn uniformity, it requires some practical acquaintance with music to distinguish one tune from another. A greater variety and more characteristic difference seems to be called for. Billings's melodies were certainly many of' them very good, and he generally gave something of an air to the bass and intermediate parts. This led him often into errors in his harmony, such as the unnecessary omission of the third, consecutive eighths and fifths, and permitting the inner and interim parts to transgress their proper limits. These and other rules of harmony and progression were not, however, much known or promulgated with as in his time. Correct musical grammars were then unknown in New England. But it cannot be denied that he had genius and talent, which would in any age, probably, have distinguished him, and raised him above his contemporaries ; and he must be allowed the merit of exciting a musical spirit, which gave to New England an impulse that is felt even to this day.