HATFIELD (Billings)

Composer (attributed to): 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 >

Arranger: Amzi Chapin

Amzi Chapin USA 1768-1835. Born in Springfield. MA, into a family of cabinetmakers, jewelers, and watchmakers, he followed in the same trade in Hartford, CT. for several years, then moved to New Haven, CT. He embarked on a career as an itinerant singing teacher, composer, and cabinetmaker in the South and Midwest. He married Hannah Power and they had eight children. They lived in Mount Pleasant, PA, where he taught singing and farmed for the next 30 years. He also founded a mill. He co-founded the Presbyterian congregation in Northfield Township. Chapin taught singing schools in VA, NC, KY, and PA. In 1831, he and his family moved to Northfield, OH. His older brother, Lucius, was also a singing teacher, and they were among the fi… Go to person page >

Hymn Tune Index #6444. Printed in Nehemiah Shumway, The American Harmony (Philadelphia: John M’Culloch, 1793). Attributed to William Billings in Solomon Howe, The Psalm-Singer’s Amusement (ca. 1804).