Chester (song)
Encyclopedia
Among the patriotic anthems sung during the American Revolutionary War
, only Yankee Doodle
was more popular than William Billings
's Chester. Billings wrote the first version of the song for his 1770 songbook The New England Psalm Singer, and made improvements for the version in his The Singing Master's Assistant (1778). It is the latter version that is best known today.
The curious title of the song reflects a common practice of Billings's day, in which tunes were labeled with (often arbitrarily chosen) place names. Billings's song evidently has little more to do with any particular town named Chester
than his hymn tune Africa has to do with Africa. With identifiable names for compositions, performers could select different lyrics to sing with the music without creating confusion.
, and in this form is a favorite of Sacred Harp
singers. The Doddridge words are as follows:
A slightly altered version of this text and the music by Billings was recorded in 1975 by the Old Stoughton Musical Society
for their LP album, "An Appeal to Heaven".
The modern American composer William Schuman
employed the tune of "Chester" in his New England Triptych
.
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, only Yankee Doodle
Yankee Doodle
"Yankee Doodle" is a well-known Anglo-American song, the origin of which dates back to the Seven Years' War. It is often sung patriotically in the United States today and is the state anthem of Connecticut...
was more popular than William Billings
William Billings
William Billings was an American choral composer, and is widely regarded as the father of American choral music...
's Chester. Billings wrote the first version of the song for his 1770 songbook The New England Psalm Singer, and made improvements for the version in his The Singing Master's Assistant (1778). It is the latter version that is best known today.
The curious title of the song reflects a common practice of Billings's day, in which tunes were labeled with (often arbitrarily chosen) place names. Billings's song evidently has little more to do with any particular town named Chester
Chester (disambiguation)
Chester is a city and is also the county town of Cheshire, England. The name comes from Old English ceastre, city, ultimately from Latin castra, camp.Chester may also mean the following places:-United States of America:*Chester, Arkansas...
than his hymn tune Africa has to do with Africa. With identifiable names for compositions, performers could select different lyrics to sing with the music without creating confusion.
Tune in Version of 1778
Parts labeled "Treble, Counter, Tenor, and Bass" correspond to the modern SATB four-voice choir. However, the melody is in the Tenor part, not the Treble (Soprano) part.- Click to hear piano reduction (OggOggOgg is a free, open container format maintained by the Xiph.Org Foundation. The creators of the Ogg format state that it is unrestricted by software patents and is designed to provide for efficient streaming and manipulation of high quality digital multimedia.The Ogg container format can multiplex...
format, 234K)
Lyrics
Although this cannot be established with certainty, it appears that these lyrics are by Billings himself.- Let tyrants shake their iron rod,
- And Slav'ry clank her galling chains,
- We fear them not, we trust in God,
- New England's God forever reigns.
- HoweWilliam Howe, 5th Viscount HoweWilliam Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, KB, PC was a British army officer who rose to become Commander-in-Chief of British forces during the American War of Independence...
and BurgoyneJohn BurgoyneGeneral John Burgoyne was a British army officer, politician and dramatist. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several battles, mostly notably during the Portugal Campaign of 1762....
and ClintonHenry Clinton (American War of Independence)General Sir Henry Clinton KB was a British army officer and politician, best known for his service as a general during the American War of Independence. First arriving in Boston in May 1775, from 1778 to 1782 he was the British Commander-in-Chief in North America...
too, - With Prescot and CornwallisCharles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess CornwallisCharles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
join'd, - Together plot our Overthrow,
- In one Infernal league combin'd.
- When God inspir'd us for the fight,
- Their ranks were broke, their lines were forc'd,
- Their ships were Shatter'd in our sight,
- Or swiftly driven from our Coast.
- The Foe comes on with haughty Stride;
- Our troops advance with martial noise,
- Their Vet'rans flee before our Youth,
- And Gen'rals yield to beardless Boys.
- What grateful Off'ring shall we bring?
- What shall we render to the Lord?
- Loud Halleluiahs let us Sing,
- And praise his name on ev'ry Chord.
Later uses
The song was later provided with religious (as opposed to patriotic) words by Philip DoddridgePhilip Doddridge
Philip Doddridge DD was an English Nonconformist leader, educator, and hymnwriter.-Early life:...
, and in this form is a favorite of Sacred Harp
Sacred Harp
Sacred Harp singing is a tradition of sacred choral music that took root in the Southern region of the United States. It is part of the larger tradition of shape note music.- The music and its notation :...
singers. The Doddridge words are as follows:
- Let the high heav'ns your songs invite,
- These spacious fields of brilliant light,
- Where sun and moon and planets roll,
- And stars that glow from pole to pole.
- Sun, moon, and stars convey Thy praise,
- 'Round the whole earth and never stand,
- So when Thy truth began its race,
- It touched and glanced on ev'ry hand.
A slightly altered version of this text and the music by Billings was recorded in 1975 by the Old Stoughton Musical Society
Stoughton Musical Society
Organized in 1786, this is currently America's oldest choral society. Over the past two centuries it has had many distinguished accomplishments. In 1908, when incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the name was changed to Old Stoughton Musical Society...
for their LP album, "An Appeal to Heaven".
The modern American composer William Schuman
William Schuman
William Howard Schuman was an American composer and music administrator.-Life:Born in Manhattan in New York City to Samuel and Rachel Schuman, Schuman was named after the twenty-seventh U.S. president, William Howard Taft, although his family preferred to call him Bill...
employed the tune of "Chester" in his New England Triptych
New England Triptych
New England Triptych is a symphonic composition by William Schuman. The work lasts about 16 minutes, and is written for an orchestra of 3 flutes , 2 oboes, English horn, E-flat clarinet, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion , and...
.
Book
- The Singing Master's Assistant, in which the final version of Chester was published, is in print today in a scholarly edition by Hans Nathan (University Press of Virginia, 1977, ISBN 0-8139-0839-6).
- The Stoughton Musical Society's Centennial Collection of Sacred Music, contains a version with the later text and was published in Boston in 1878; reprint by DaCapo Press, 1980, with New Introduction by Roger L. Hall.
See also
- Africa (William Billings), hymn tune with music score
- Creation (William Billings)Creation (William Billings)-History:Billings included Creation in his final collection, The Continental Harmony . The words are by Isaac Watts: the first stanza is from Psalm 139 and the second from hymn 19, book 2, of his Hymns...
, hymn tune
External links
- Let Tyrants Shake Their Iron Rods at the Cyber Hymnal