This edition was prepared by Barry Johnston — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Delaware
Staff Notation • Sacred, Hymns
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2 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
SATB · Barry Johnston
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Delaware by William Billings — Lyrics
Intellectus Ethan Ezrahitae.
Misericordias Domini in aeternum cantabo;
in generationem et generationem annuntiabo veritatem tuam in ore meo.
Quoniam dixisti: In aeternum misericordia aedificabitur in caelis; praeparabitur veritas tua in eis.
Disposui testamentum electis meis; juravi David servo meo:
Usque in aeternum praeparabo semen tuum, et aedificabo
in generationem et generationem sedem tuam.
Confitebuntur caeli mirabilia tua, Domine; etenim veritatem tuam
in ecclesia sanctorum.
Quoniam quis in nubibus aequabitur Domino;
similis erit Deo in filiis Dei?
Deus, qui glorificatur in consilio sanctorum,
magnus et terribilis super omnes qui in circuitu ejus sunt.
Domine Deus virtutum, quis similis tibi? potens es, Domine, et veritas tua in circuitu tuo.
Tu dominaris potestati maris; motum autem fluctuum ejus tu mitigas.
Tu humiliasti, sicut vulneratum, superbum;
in brachio virtutis tuae dispersisti inimicos tuos.
Tui sunt caeli, et tua est terra:
orbem terrae, et plenitudinem ejus tu fundasti;
aquilonem et mare tu creasti. Thabor et Hermon in nomine tuo exsultabunt:
tuum brachium cum potentia. Firmetur manus tua, et exaltetur dextera tua:
justitia et judicium praeparatio sedis tuae: misericordia et veritas praecedent faciem tuam.
Beatus populus qui scit jubilationem: Domine, in lumine vultus tui ambulabunt,
et in nomine tuo exsultabunt tota die, et in justitia tua exaltabuntur.
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About Delaware
William Billings’ Delaware offers a compelling example of American sacred music from the colonial era. This SATB setting, written in Latin and English, demonstrates a robust and direct musical style characteristic of its time. The composer engages with biblical texts, weaving together themes of divine mercy and eternal truth. The intellectual rigor of the texts, drawing from sources like Psalm 89, is matched by Billings’ energetic choral writing. The piece showcases a skillful interplay of voices, creating a powerful and resonant sound that would have been typical of congregational singing and early American church music. It is a significant work for choirs exploring the roots of American choral tradition.
