DAVID'S LAMENTATION

DAVID'S LAMENTATION

Composer: William Billings
Published in 6 hymnals


Audio files: MIDI, Recording

Composer: William Billings

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 Go to person page >

Tune Information

Title: DAVID'S LAMENTATION
Composer: William Billings
Incipit: 11232 32342 77112
Key: a minor
Copyright: Public Domain

Timeline

Arrangements

Organ Solo

  • Eight Preludes on Old Southern Hymns: From "The Sacred Harp"
    Composer/Editor Gardner Read
    Published By: The H. W. Gray Company, Inc. (1952) pp. 10

Instances

Instances (1 - 2 of 2)

The Sacred Harp #268

Text

Worship in Song #173

Include 4 pre-1979 instances
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