WINDHAM
Daniel Read (b. Rehoboth [nowAtdeboro], MA, 1757; d. New Haven, CT, 1836) composed WINDHAM and published it in his collection The American Singing Book (1785). The tune, named after a village and a county in Connecticut, was also pub lished in many shape-note books of the nineteenth century. Originally WINDHAM was in long meter with a half note beginning each phrase; the rhythmic pattern of its first three phrases is subtly altered in the final phrase. Erik Routley composed the harmony in 1982. Sing this with three beats to the bar. Although Read was one of the most significant American composers of psalmody of his time, he had a varied career. During the Revolutionary War he served in the Governor’s Guards and after the war worked in engraving, publishing, and book selling. He also manufactured ivory combs, taught singing schools, edited hymnals, and served as a stockbroker and librarian in New Haven. His publications include The American Singing Book (1785), which included forty-seven of his tunes, The Columbian Harmonist (1793), and The New Haven Collection of Sacred Music (1817). From 1786 to 1836 he published the American Musical Magazine, the earliest magazine of its kind. Liturgical Use: Expressions of confidence in God’s saving power in the face of persecution or slander; expressions of solidarity with those who are persecuted.
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: From God's eternal constancy (past/present) through human temporal brevity to renewed trust in divine protection (future)