The dominating characteristics in the works of William Billings are: (1) a hard, driving, heavily accented beat; (2) a remarkable sensitivity to the text; and (3) an indifference to the so-called 'rules of composition' in vogue during his time. This edition preserves the music as written by Billings except for the use off modern notation and a line of text for each voice; however, the piano reduction reverses the positions of the tenor and soprano parts, and should the conductor elect, the pieces may be performed in this manner.