Page 512
FUNERAL
ANTHEM.
Rev.
14:13.
Key
of
F.
Sharp.
Minor.
Wm.
Billings.
I
heard
a
great
voice
from
heav'n
saying
un-to
me,
"Write
from
henceforth,
write
from
henceforth,
write
from
henceforth,
Blessed
are
the
dead
that
I
heard
a
great
voice
from
heav'n
saying
un-to
me,
"Write
from
henceforth,
write
from
henceforth,
write
from
henceforth,
Blessed
are
the
dead
that
die
in
the
Lord:
Yea,
saith
the
spirit,
for
they
rest,
for
they
rest,
for
they
rest,
for
they
rest,
From
their
labors,
die
in
the
Lord:
Yea,
saith
the
spirit,
for
they
rest,
for
they
rest,
for
they
rest,
for
they
rest,
From
their
labors,
The
words
in
the
above
piece
of
music
are
taken
from
Rev.
14:
13.
Wm.
Billings
was
born
in
Boston
in
1746
and
died
there
in
1800.
He
is
buried
in
the
old
Granary
burying
ground
in
the
city
of
his
birth.
He
was
self-taught
in
music.
He
was
criticised
by
many
musicians
and
music
writers,
and
while
he
did
not
believe
so
much
in
rules,
he
wrote
some
very
fine
music.
His
first
book
was,
"New
England
Psalm
Singer,"
the
next
was
called
"Billing's
Best."
He
published
several oth-
er
books
and
wrote
and
composed
many
national
tunes
that
stirred
the
people
of
the
United
States.
Many
of
his
tunes
still
remain
in
the
note
and
hymn
books
of
the
different
churches.
Easter
Anthem,
Heavenly
Vision,
Rose
of
Sharon,
and
many
other
anthems,
known
to
many
people
of
the
South,
were
composed
by
him.
Copyright,
1909,
by
J.
S.
James.