"
The succeeding hymn-books, and the patriotic hymns of Billings in
post-Revolutionary years have no hint of "Britain" in them. The names
"Federal Harmony," "Columbian Harmony," "Continental Harmony," "Columbian
Repository," and "United States Sacred Harmony" show the new nation.
Billings also published the "Psalm Singer's Amusement," and other
singing-books. The shades of Cotton, of Sewall, of Mather must have groaned
aloud at the suggestions, instructions, and actions of this unregenerate,
daring, and "amusing" leader of church-singing.
It seems astonishing that New England communities in those times of anxious
and depressing warfare should have so delightedly seized and adopted this
unusual and comparatively joyous style of singing, but perhaps the new
spirit of liberty demanded more animated and spirited expression; and
Billings' psalm-tunes were played with drum and fife on the battlefield to
inspire the American soldiers. Billings wrote of his fuguing invention, "It
has more than twenty times the power of the old slow tunes. Now the solemn
bass demands their attention, next the manly tenor, now the lofty counter,
now the volatile treble. Now here! Now there! Now here again! Oh ecstatic,
push on, ye sons of harmony!" Dr. Mather Byles wrote thus of fuguing:--
"Down starts the Bass with Grave Majestic Air,
And up the Treble mounts with shrill Career,
With softer Sounds in mild melodious Maze
Warbling between, the Tenor gently plays
And, if th' inspiring Altos joins the Force
See! like the Lark it Wings its towering Course
Thro' Harmony's sublimest Sphere it flies
And to Angelic Accents seems to rise.
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