Massachusetts Historical Society Ms. S-290
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General information
Title: Shepard Fish Manuscript, Massachusetts Historical Society Ms. S-290
Compiler – Transcriber: Shepard Fish
Composer: William Billings
Publication date and place: ca. 1790 – currently at Massachusetts Historical Society Ms. S-290. – Manuscript
Description: A small manuscript, consisting entirely of works composed by William Billings. Transcribed after singing-school copies by Shepard Fish.
External websites:
References
- Kroeger, Karl. 1982. William Billings's Music in Manuscript Copy and Some Notes on Variant Versions of his Pieces. Notes 39(2):316-345.
List of works
| No. | Title | Text | Vo | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Funeral Anthem | I Heard A Great Voice | 4 | Small changes from 1778 |
| 2 | Calvary | When Jesus wept a falling tear | 4 | Small changes from 1778 and 1779, as "Emmaus"; different from "Calvary" in 1770 |
| 3 | Dunstable | Methinks I see my Savior dear | 4 | Considerably altered in notes and tempo from 1779, as "Saybrook". Different from "Dunstable" 1770 ff. |
| 4 | Deerfield | Great God, how frail a thing is man | 4 | Published 1794, as Thomastown. Also as Deerfield in Northampton Collection 1802 |
| 5 | Germantown | Why do we mourn departing friends | 3 | Bass part missing. In Waterhouse Manuscript for TB. Not published |
| 6 | Weymouth | Shall we go on to sin | 4 | Accidentals omitted compared with 1794 publication. Also in Waterhouse Manuscript for TB |
| 7 | Is any afflicted? | Is any afflicted, let him pray | 4 | Anthem. Many differences from 1778. Kroeger 1982: “gives the impression of being earlier than the print” |
| 8 | Anthem | Have pity on me, O ye my friends | 4 | Significant changes from a portion of 1786's anthem "Samuel the priest". This version published in French 1802 |
| 9 | Kettery | Our father who in heaven art | 4 | Changes from Suffolk Harmony (1786), p. 12. This version similar to O. Brownson's Select Harmony (1783) |
Works at CPDL
| Title | Composer | No. | Lyricist | Genre | Subgenre | Vo. | Voices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emmaus | William Billings | 2 | William Billings | Sacred | Psalm-tunes | 4 | SATB |
| Funeral Anthem | William Billings | 1 | Sacred | Anthems | 4 | SATB | |
| Germantown | William Billings | 5 | Isaac Watts | Sacred | Psalm-tunes | 4 | SATB |
| Is any afflicted? | William Billings | 7 | Sacred | Anthems | 4 | SATB | |
| Kittery | William Billings | 9 | Tate and Brady | Sacred | 4 | SATB | |
| Samuel the priest gave up the ghost | William Billings | 8 | Sacred | Anthems | 4 | SATB | |
| Saybrook | William Billings | 3 | Anonymous | Sacred | Psalm-tunes | 4 | SATB |
| Thomas-Town | William Billings | 4 | Mather Byles | Sacred | Psalm-tunes | 4 | SATB |
| Weymouth | William Billings | 6 | Isaac Watts | Sacred | Set pieces | 4 | TB |