Fuguing

Fuguing, or a fuguing tune, is a form of polyphonic choral writing used in early American hymnody. In a fuguing tune, an opening section is typically in simple harmony or unison, after which one voice enters at a stated interval and the other voices follow in turn. The successive entrances, often on the same musical material, produce a brisk, fugue-like texture within a four-part or larger setting. The effect is energetic and text-driven, and tunes are commonly sung a cappella.

Historically, fuguing tunes emerged in 18th-century New England among Congregational and other Protestant communities and became a staple of tunebooks used in singing schools and community worship. They are especially associated with early American composers such as William Billings and his contemporaries, and continued in shape-note reformulations in the 19th century.

Musically, the form is defined by a rapid sequence of entrances by the different voice parts—soprano, alto, tenor, and bass—after a short introductory section. The fuguing passage is usually followed by a return to full harmony or to the established hymn texture, often ending with the voices united on the final cadence. The texts are typically biblical or exhortatory in nature and serve as the driving force for the musical energy.

The term derives from the word fugue, but a fuguing tune is not a true Baroque fugue; it adapts fugue-like technique to the hymn-tody context. It remains a distinctive feature of early American hymnody and, through later shape-note traditions, a recognizable facet of American musical heritage.