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The Reverend Samuel Willard (1776-1859) was an accomplished musician who stressed the importance of sacred music in everyday worship. He compiled this collection of music " from the most approved authors of ancient and modern times," in 1814. The selections Willard included are typical of music sung in churches across New England at that time. Compositions were often named after local towns, as was the case with "Deerfield." "Old Hundred" was a traditional staple of New England Congregational church music in the 1800s. "Old Hundred" refers to the 100th Psalm from the Book of Psalms of the Old Testament of the Bible. Many congregations still sing it today as their doxology.