This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1908 Excerpt: ... One of the most important of the early New England singing schools was formed in 1774 by William Billings. This class, a record of whose membership still is preserved, was formed of forty-eight singers, eighteen of whom were women. It met at regular intervals at the home of Robert Capen at Stoughton, Massachusetts. ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1908 Excerpt: ... One of the most important of the early New England singing schools was formed in 1774 by William Billings. This class, a record of whose membership still is preserved, was formed of forty-eight singers, eighteen of whom were women. It met at regular intervals at the home of Robert Capen at Stoughton, Massachusetts. From this class there developed, in 1786, an organization which has become familiar as the "Stoughton Musical Society," and which still is in existence. Singing schools also existed in the neighboring parishes, and naturally a spirit of rivalry regarding the respective merits of individual organizations sprang up. Singing contests were in order, as a matter of course, the earliest of these probably arising from the fact that the clergy were in the habit of exchanging pulpits, and whenever opportunity offered made laudatory comments upon the excellence of the singing in the various churches at which they officiated. One parish no longer could withstand the temptation of being heard in competition with the much-lauded choristers of the adjacent parish, and so it happened that in 1790 Dorchester challenged Stoughton to a contest, the choristers of the latter parish accepting the same. Boston turned out in full force to hear the singing of the rival societies, an event which took place in a large hall in Dorchester. The musical contingent of the latter parish consisted of men and women vocalists assisted by a bass viol; the choristers from Stoughton were made up of selected voices--all male--and no instruments. It is a matter worthy of record that the Stoughton singers selected as their initial piece a composition, "Heavenly Vision," by a fellow townsman Jacob French, who was one of the charter members of the Billings singing cla...
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