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William Billings

1746 - 1800 Person Name: Billings Hymnal Number: 6a Composer of "BROOKFIELD" in Philadelphia harmony William Billings (b. 1746; d. 1800) was an American choral composer, thought by some to be the father of American choral music. His father died when William was 14, and he was forced to drop all formal education and take up tanning to get by. With no formal musical training he began to compose, and his songs were well-loved and traveled quickly. However, due to unsubstantial copyright laws, Billings received hardly a penny from the publication of his music. After a period of fame and prosperity, his music was forgotten, and his last decade was one of decline. Married with six children, he died in poverty, though his music would be resurrected after his death and sung to this day. Laura de Jong

Thomas Williams

1700 - 1800 Person Name: Williams Hymnal Number: 2a Composer of "LITTLE MARLBORO" in Philadelphia harmony Compiler of "Psalmodia Evangelica" in 1789

C. M. Strong

Hymnal Number: 11 Composer of "WORTHINGTON" in Philadelphia harmony

Oliver Brownson

Person Name: Bronson Hymnal Number: 9a Composer of "VIRGINIA" in Philadelphia harmony

A. Williams

1731 - 1776 Person Name: Williams Hymnal Number: 2b Composer of "ST. THOMAS'S" in Philadelphia harmony Aaron Williams (b. London, England, 1731; d. London, 1776) was a singing teacher, music engraver, and clerk at the Scottish Church, London Wall. He published various church music collections, some intended for rural church choirs. Representative of his compilations are The Universal Psalmodist (1763)— published in the United States as The American Harmony (1769)—The Royal Harmony (1766), The New Universal Psalmodist (1770), and Psalmody in Miniature (1778). His Harmonia Coelestis (1775) included anthems by noted composers. Bert Polman

Oliver King

1748 - 1818 Person Name: King Hymnal Number: 3a Composer of "SUFFIELD" in Philadelphia harmony Oliver King, born in Bolton, CT in 1748. He was a singing teacher. Dianne Shapiro

Andrew Adgate

1762 - 1793 Person Name: Adgate Editor of "" in Philadelphia harmony Andrew Adgate was one of the earliest of the musical company in Philadelphia whose influence was exerted for the improvement of sacred music. We know from the title page of his Philadelphia Harmony that in 1790 he was in company with Westcott conducting a card factory on Front Street, seven doors below Arch Street, and opposite the Bunch of Grapes Tavern. The earliest reference to his Institute for Vocal Music appeared on a sheet dated Philadelphia, June 1, 1785. He proposed for diffusing more generally a knowledge of vocal music to teach music to persons of every denomination gratis. He died of yellow fever in 1793. From American writers and compilers of sacred music by Frank J. Metcalf (New York; Cincinnati: Abingdon Press, 1925)