William Billings

He possibly received musical instruction from John Barry, one of the choir members at the New South Church, but for the most part he was self-taught.

[3] 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.

Billings' music can be at times forceful and stirring, as in his patriotic song "Chester"; ecstatic, as in his hymn "Africa"; or elaborate and celebratory, as in his "Easter Anthem" and "Rose of Sharon".

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.Billings was involved in teaching singing schools throughout his life.

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.

His last tune-book, The Continental Harmony, was published as a project of his friends, in an effort to help support the revered but no longer popular composer.

However, his compositions remained popular for a time in the rural areas of New England, which resisted the newer trends in sacred music.

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).