William Billings's 'Anthem for Easter': The Persistence of an Early American 'Hit.'.

American church choirs of the 18th and 19th centuries rarely performed anthems, an extended choral work in public worship. Composer William Billings, however, extensively cultivated the anthem, writing 49 of them. The most popular American anthem was Billings's 'Anthem for Easter: The Lord Is Ris'n Indeed' (1787). It remained popular in the South and West into the 20th century. Includes a sampling of the anthem's publication history, 1787 to 1986.