sweet singern.
Historical.
1. The phrase sweet singer (see sweet adj. 4), more fully sweet singer of Israel (apparently with allusion to 2 Sam. xxiii. 1, where David is called ‘the sweet psalmist of Israel’), designating a sect or sects which flourished in the latter years of the 17th cent.: see quots.
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1680 H. More Let. in R. Ward Life (1710) 356 I partly have some Knowledge of the Sweet Singers of Israel. But to say or sing sweetly is little to the Purpose, while there is a False Principle at the Heart... What a Discord in Your Sweet Singer was the Admiration of that roaring Wretch you described, that lately hanged himself!
1681 Act of Counc. in R. Wodrow Hist. Sufferings Church of Scotl. (1722) II. 221 Edinburgh, August 2, 1681. His Royal Highness and Lords of Privy Council, having considered the Condition of these Prisoners, called the sweet Singers, David Jamison, John Gib,..and some Women, give Order to the Magistrates to liberate them.
1688 G. Miege Great French Dict. ii. sig. Xxx2v/3 Tis a late blasphemous Sect, which call themselves the Sweet Singers of Israel. Whereof one John Taylor was Head, who had a Congregation of them at Guildford in Surry.
1692 Life of John Bunyan 22 A Sect of loose prophane Wretches, afterward called Ranters and sweet Singers.
1704 J. Swift Disc. Mech. Operat. Spirit ii, in Tale of Tub 319 Some Principal Sects, among the Fanaticks..to which I might add several among our selves, such as the Family of Love, Sweet Singers of Israel, and the like.
1711 Mem. Visct. Dundee p. ix At this Time, about thirty of these deluded People left their Families and Business, and went to the Hills, where they lived in Rocks and Caves for some Weeks... They called themselves The Sweet Singers of Israel, eat nothing that there was Salt in, or paid Tax to the King, blotted the Name of King out of their Bibles, and cohabited all together.
1732 P. Walker Some Remarkable Passages Life & Death D. Cargill 18 These People at first were commonly called Sweet-singers, from their frequently meeting together, and singing these tearful Psalms over the mournful Case of the Church, Psal. 74, 79, 80, 83, 137.
2.
a. A religious poet.
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society > leisure > the arts > literature > poetry > poet > poet by kind of poem > [noun] > religious poet
sweet singer1560
1560 Bible (Geneva) 2 Sam. xxiii. 1 Dauid.., the swete singer of Israel.
1652 (title) Herbert's Remains, or, sundry Pieces of that sweet Singer of the Temple.
1892 J. Julian Dict. Hymnol. 1284/2 William Williams, of Pantycelyn, was the Sweet Singer of Wales.
1933 Sign July 92/2 The sweet singer, Christina Rossetti.
b. A popular, esp. sentimental, writer or singer.
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society > faith > sect > Christianity > other sects and movements > sweet singers > [noun]
sweet singer1936
society > leisure > the arts > music > musician > singer > singer of other types of music > [noun] > pop-singer
pop singer1936
sweet singer1936
society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > weakness or feebleness > [noun] > feeble sentimentality > one who
sweet singer1936
1878 J. A. Moore (title) Sweet singer of Michigan.]
1936 New Statesman 25 Jan. 113/2 Kipling..was a sweet singer to the last. He could bring home the colours and savours of many distant places... But he was not a faultless writer.
1958 Listener 4 Dec. 913/1 The latest hit of one of the sweet singers of Hong Kong, Li Li Hua or Yao Lee.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1919; most recently modified version published online December 2019).
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n.1560