William Walker
Life
Born: 06 May 1809, Union County, South Carolina
Died: 24 September 1875, Spartanburg, South Carolina
Biography William Walker was a teacher, singing school master, composer, arranger, and tunebook compiler. He lived most of his life in Spartansburg. His four books were exceptionally influential and are still cited as sources for many early American psalm-tunes and hymn-tunes. His first book, Southern Harmony (1835), was in four-shape "fa-sol-la" notation, and contained many songs for three part a cappella harmony; it became a principal basis for The Sacred Harp (1844). Many of the songs that he wrote or transcribed from oral sources are still sung today in churches, Sacred Harp singings, concerts, and in recordings. His later book, The Christian Harmony, was in seven-shape "do-re-mi" notation, and has seen a resurgence lately, with reprinted editions and singings devoted to that book.
View the Wikipedia article on William Walker.
List of choral works
A. LISTED BY TITLE
- 1. Compositions of William Walker
- 2. Arrangements by William Walker
B. LISTED BY FIRST LINE
Click here to search for this composer on CPDL
Publications
- Walker, William. 1835. The Southern Harmony, and Musical Companion. Second edition, 1837; Third Edition, 1838, Fourth Edition, 1840, Fifth Edition, 1847a, Sixth Edition, 1847b, Seventh Edition, 1854.
- Walker, William. 1846a. Southern and Western Pocket Harmonist, Intended as an Appendix to the Southern Harmony. Philadelphia: Charles Desilver and G. G. Evans. 160 pp. Second Edition, 1846b, 176 pp., reprinted 1860.
- Walker, William. 1867. The Christian Harmony. Philadelphia: E. W. Miller and William Walker. 383 pp.
External links
Works composed or arranged by William Walker in his publications, 1835–1867
Title | Role | Year | Pg. | K | First line | T | Pt. | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
An Address for All | Composer | 1846a | 147 | B♭ | I sing a song which doth belong | 4:4 | 3 | |
The Babe of Bethlehem | Composer | 1835 | 78 | a | Ye nations all, on you I call | 6:4 | 3 | |
Believer and His Soul | 1846a | 148 | A | Come, my soul, and let us try | 2:4 | 3 | ||
Bound to Die in His Army | 1846b | 159 | F | Tis my desire with God to walk | 4:4 | 3 | ||
Bruce's Address | Arranger | 1835 | 132 | C | Soldiers of the cross, arise | 6:4 | 3 | |
Christian Prospect | 1846a | 132 | G | We have our trials here below | 4:4 | 3 | ||
The Christian's Conflicts | Composer | 1835 | 131 | A | See how the wicked kingdom | 4:4 | 3 | |
The Christian's Hope | Composer | 1835 | 74 | A | A few more days on earth to spend | 6:8 | 3 | |
Chrystler's Field | 1846a | 120 | B♭ | My brethren all, on you I call | 6:8 | 3 | ||
Come and Taste with Me | 1846a | 112 | F | Come and taste along with me | 4:4 | 3 | ||
Complainer | Composer | 1835 | 18 | G | I am a great complainer | 4:4 | 3 | |
Contented Soldier | 1846b | 167 | C | I've listed in the holy war | 2:4 | 3 | ||
The Converted Thief | Arranger | 1835 | 9 | C | As on the cross the Savior hung | 6:4 | 3 | Alto added by Walker in 1867 |
Dudley | Composer | 1840 | 218 | G | When I can read my title clear | 6:4 | 3 | |
Experience | Composer | 1846a | 84 | a | Come all ye people of my nation | 4:4 | 3 | |
Faithful Soldier | Arranger | 1835 | 122 | B♭ | O when shall I see Jesus | 4:4 | 3 | |
French Broad | Composer | 1847 | 265 | e | High o'er the hills the mountains rise | 4:4 | 3 | |
The Good Old Way | Composer | 1835 | 156 | F | Lift up your heads, Immanuel's friends | 6:4 | 3 | With hallelujahs |
The Good Physician | Arranger | 1835 | 49 | e | How lost was my condition | 4:4 | 3 | |
Hallelujah | Composer | 1835 | 107 | B♭ | And let this feeble body fail | 6:4 | 3 | |
Happy Time | 1846a | 94 | a | Oh! happy time, long waited for | 6:4 | 3 | ||
Harmony | 1835 | 54 | G | Away, my doubts, begone, my fears | 2:4 | 3 | ||
Heavenly Armor | Composer | 1835 | 93 | C | And if you meet with troubles | 4:4 | 3 | |
The Heavenly March | Composer | 1840 | 221 | B♭ | On Jordan's stormy banks I stand | 4:4 | 3 | |
Hicks' Farewell | Arranger | 1835 | 19a | a | The time is swiftly rolling on | 6:4 | 3 | |
Humble Penitent | 1846b | 162 | B♭ | Show pity, Lord,, O Lord, forgive | 2:4 | 3 | ||
I Love to Serve the Lord | 1846a | 158 | F | Jesus, my all, to heaven is gone | 4:4 | 3 | ||
I Want to Go to Glory | Arranger | 1846b | 168 | g | Jesus, my all, to heaven is gone | 4:4 | 3 | "As sung by Rev. L. M. Little" |
In That Morning | Arranger | 1846b | 173 | f♯ | Jesus, my all, to heaven is gone | 4:4 | 3 | |
Indian's Farewell | Composer | 1835 | 25b | e | When shall we all meet again | 6:4 | 3 | |
Invitation | Composer | 1835 | 2 | B♭ | Come ye sinners, poor and wretched | 4:4 | 3 | |
Jerusalem | Arranger | 1835 | 11 | A | Jesus, my all, to heaven has gone | 4:4 | 3 | Wesley by William Moore, 1810. |
Land of Pleasure | Co-Composer | 1835 | 63 | A | There is a land of pleasure | 4:4 | 3 | Ananias Davisson and Walker |
The Lone Pilgrim | Composer | 1854 | 256 | E♭ | I came to the place where the lone pilgrim lay | 4:4 | 4 | |
Louisiana | Composer | 1835 | 62 | B♭ | Come little children, now we may | 4:4 | 3 | |
Lovest Thou Me | 1846b | 164 | b | Hark, my soul, it is the Lord | 6:4 | 3 | ||
Midsummer | 1835 | 56 | A | How tedious and tasteless the hours | 4:4 | 3 | ||
Millennium | Composer | 1835 | 75 | F | The time is soon coming, by the prophets foretold | 2:4 | 3 | |
Missionary Farewell | 1846b | 169 | B♭ | Yes, my native land, I love thee | 4:4 | 3 | ||
Mourner's Lamentation | 1846a | 103 | C | Pour mourning soul! in deep distress | 4:4 | 3 | ||
Mutual Love | Composer | 1835 | 53a | G | O when shall I see Jesus | 4:4 | 3 | |
Not Too Late | 1846a | 108 | B♭ | Come, ye sinners, poor and wretched | 4:4 | 3 | ||
Oh, How Charming | 1846b | 160 | D | O when shall I see Jesus | 4:4 | 3 | ||
Pardoning Love | Composer | 1847 | 268 | C | In evil long I took delight | 3:4 | 3 | |
Parting Hand | Arranger | 1835 | 113 | G | My Christian friends, in bonds of love | 6:4 | 3 | |
Pleading Savior | Arranger | 1846a | 110 | A | Now the Savior stands a pleading | 2:4 | 3 | Published by Joshua Leavitt, 1830 |
Resignation | Arranger | 1846a | 54 | F | My shepherd will supply my need | 3:2 | 3 | |
Returning Prodigal | 1846a | 140 | B♭ | Afflictions though they seem severe | 4:4 | 3 | ||
Restoration | Arranger | 1835 | 5 | a | Mercy, O thou Son of David | 4:4 | 3 | Tune by James P. Carrell, 1821 |
Shall I Ever Get to Heaven | 1846a | 119 | G | When I can read my title clear | 4:4 | 3 | ||
Sons of War | 1846a | 152 | a | Ye sons of war, I pray draw near | 4:3 | 3 | ||
Spartanburg | Composer | 1835 | 86 | F | Ye simple souls that stray | 4:4 | 3 | |
Star in the East | Arranger | 1835 | 16 | a | Hail the blest morn,see the great Mediator | 4-4 | 3 | Rearranged by Walker for four parts in 1867 |
The Sufferings of Christ | 1846a | 105 | A | A story most lovely I'll tell | 6:4 | 3 | ||
Sweet Harmony | 1835 | 59 | G | O tell me no more of this world's vain store | 3:8 | 3 | ||
Sweet Moments | 1846a | 165 | E♭ | The time draws nigh, I must go home | 6:4 | 3 | ||
Sweet Prospect | Arranger | 1835 | 137 | e | On Jordan's stormy banks I stand | 6:4 | 4 | |
Sweet Flowers | 1846a | 134 | F | How tedious and tasteless the hours | 4:4 | 3 | ||
Sweet Rivers | Arranger | 1835 | 166 | F | Sweet rivers of redeeming love | 4:4 | 3 | |
Tender-Hearted Christian | 1846a | 78 | e | Come all ye tender-hearted Christians | 4:4 | 3 | ||
Thorny Desert | 1835 | 83 | G | Dark and thorny is the desert | 6:8 | 3 | ||
The Trumpeters | Arranger | 1847 | 301 | A | Hark! listen to the trumpeters | 4:4 | 3 | "Melody by Rev. Mr. McCloud" |
True Happiness | Arranger | 1835 | 127 | B♭ | O, how happy are they | 4:4 | 3 | "A very popular revival tune" (Walker 1867) |
The Watchman's Call | Composer | 1835 | 65 | A | The watchmen blow the trumpet round | 4:4 | 3 | |
Zion's Soldier | 1846a | 118 | a | Christ is set on Zion's hill | 4:4 | 3 |