The William Billings Singing School
The photo was taken in the early 1900s and shows the Robert Capen house at the corner of Park and Seaver Streets in Stoughton, Massachusetts.
It was later moved and remodeled on Seaver Street where it still stands.
This Capen house was where the famous Boston composer, William Billings,taught his singing school in January of 1774. Billings was the best known New England composer in 18th century America. His Stoughton singing school had pupils consisting of young males and females, and one of them later became a composer himself, Jacob French (1754-1817).
In that singing school, Billings also met his future wife, Lucy Swan, and they lived in Boston where they had a large family.
Now you can read more about the life of Boston composer, William Billings (1746-1800)
and
the singing tradition in Stoughton, which has the oldest choral society in America
organized in 1786, in this illustrated book:
Contents:
PART ONE: William Billings - His Life and Music
1. Family Tree
2. Parents
3. Wife and Children
4. Occupations
5. Revolutionary Patriot
6. Singing Master and Composer
PART TWO: William Billings and Old Stoughton
7. The Singing School
8. The Stoughton Musical Society
9. First Tunebook
10. Second Tunebook
11. Chicago World's Exposition Concerts
12. Billings Tunes in Stoughton Concerts (1876-1986)
Notes
Bibliography
Discography
MUSIC SUPPLEMENT:
THE PLEASURES OF VARIETY (Text: William Billings/Music: Roger Hall)
COME LET US SING (Text: William Billings/ Music: Roger Hall)
MAJESTY (music by William Billings, 1778)
STOUGHTON (music by William Billings, 1770, edited by Roger Hall)
Order your copy of this limited edition PDF book
sent directly to you by email attachment.
Bonus at no additional charge:
You will also receive two examples of music by William Billings
performed by the Old Stoughton Musical Society Chorus.
This offer is only available here and not at any other Web site.
Order your copy here directly from PayPal.
You will receive the book and two audio samples for $17.95 (U.S.A. orders only).
If ordering from countries other than the USA, just click TWO TIMES ($35.90)
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Important!
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PDF book and audio examples sent directly to you.
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