This edition was prepared by Rafael Ornes — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Chesterfield
Staff Notation • Sacred
Preview
0
0
Subscribed as
Want Sunday picks sent to another address too?
Free weekly email
Your choir should not be left out in what's trending
Sunday mass selections, psalms, and trending songs in your area — straight to your inbox.
Chesterfield by William Billings — Lyrics
Death may disolve my body now,
And bear my spirit home;
Why do my minutes move so slow,
Nor my salvation come?
With heav'nly weapons I have fought
The Battles of the Lord
Finished my course, and kept the Faith
And wait the sure Reward.
God hath laid up in Heav'n for me
A Crown which cannot fade;
The righteous Judge at that great Day
Shall place it on my head.
Read full lyrics
About Chesterfield
William Billings's Chesterfield expresses the fervent anticipation of a soul ready to meet its maker. The text speaks of steadfast faith, the struggle against earthly trials, and the eager awaiting of heavenly reward. The singer imagines themselves having fought the good fight, kept the faith, and now longing for the crown that awaits. It is a deeply personal reflection on mortality and the promise of eternal peace, a theme common in sacred music of the colonial American period. This SATB setting in English allows the choir to fully embody the text's profound spiritual yearning and ultimate hope for salvation.
