This edition was prepared by Barry Johnston — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Framingham
Staff Notation • Sacred
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Framingham by William Billings — Lyrics
Shall wisdom cry aloud,
And not her speech be heard?
The voice of God's eternal Word,
Deserves it no regard?
"I was his chief delight,
His everlasting Son,
Before the first of all his works,
Creation, was begun.
"Before the flying clouds,
Before the solid land,
Before the fields, before the floods,
I dwelt at his right hand.
"When he adorned the skies,
And built them, I was there,
To order where the sun should rise,
And marshal every star.
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About Framingham
William Billings, a self-taught American composer of the late 18th century, stands as a distinctive voice in the history of early American sacred music. This setting of English text, for SATB choir, draws on the tradition of New England psalmody. The lyrics explore the concept of divine wisdom, personified as God's eternal Word, questioning its potential neglect while asserting its pre-existence and role in creation. Billings's characteristic directness and harmonic vigour are evident in his treatment of this profound theological text. The music aims to give full expression to the rhetorical force of the words, creating a powerful statement of faith and devotion appropriate for congregational or choral contexts.
