William Billings

Biography

William Billings, born in 1746, was a self-taught composer in Boston whose fervent choral works such as “Chester” became anthems of the Revolution and helped establish a distinctly American musical voice. His tuneful yet bold style energized congregations and singing schools, encouraging broader participation in music across the colonies.

Billings’s influence lived on in the tradition of American hymnody, where his expressive settings continued to inspire communal singing and the sense that a new nation could develop its own artistic identity.