Chester (song) - Later Uses

Later Uses

The song was later provided with religious (as opposed to patriotic) words by Philip Doddridge, and in this form is a favorite of Sacred Harp singers. The Doddridge words are as follows:

Let the high heav'ns your songs invite,

These spacious fields of brilliant light,

Where sun and moon and planets roll,

And stars that glow from pole to pole.

Sun, moon, and stars convey Thy praise,

'Round the whole earth and never stand,

So when Thy truth began its race,

It touched and glanced on ev'ry hand.

A slightly altered version of this text and the music by Billings was recorded in 1975 by the Old Stoughton Musical Society for their LP album, "An Appeal to Heaven".

The modern American composer William Schuman employed the tune of "Chester" in his New England Triptych.