Variations on the Shaker Melody Simple Gifts

Variations on the Theme: Simple Gifts The Traditional Shaker Melody For Classical Guitar The Shakers were a peaceful people who had believed in gender and racial equality. The Shakers stimulated intellectual and artistic growth within their Society. Much like the Amish, they encouraged simplicity in dress, speech, and manner, and lived in rural enclaves away from the influences of society at large. The Shakers believed it was possible to create and live in a more perfected society upon earth. It was due to their worship practices that included energetic dance movement, music, that they were referred to as the 'Shakers'. The Shakers practiced communal living, where all property was shared. They required their membership to practice celibacy and forbade marriage, obviously, in order to sustain the sect, had to adopt children and recruit converts. For those that were adopted, at the age of 21 they were given a choice to either stay within the community or were free to depart. Unfortunately for the Shakers, most chose departure. They referred to those who lived outside their communities as people from "The World." Despite their beliefs, they permitted contact with outsiders. Shaker communities were agriculturally based, with men and women living separated, though women enjoyed greater respect than their 19th century counterparts in “The World”, being often chosen for leadership and prominent ministry roles. Spontaneous dancing was part of Shaker worship until the early 1800s, when it was replaced by more prearranged patterns of dance. More spontaneous dancing returned during the 1840s, but by the end of the 19th century dancing ceased during worship. Services from this point forward consisted of singing hymns, testimony, a sermon, and prayer. The Shaker hymn, Simple Gifts, was composed by Elder Joseph Brackett in 1848. It was part of the worship life of the Shaker faith community as a dance song. Aaron Copeland used the melody in his ballet, Appalachian Spring. This melody is also the basis for the song Lord of the Dance. 'Simple Gifts' was a dancing song. The Shakers called it a quick dance. 'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free, 'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be, And when we find ourselves in the place just right, 'Twill be in the valley of love and delight. When true simplicity is gained, To bow and to bend we will not be ashamed, To turn, turn will be our delight, Till by turning, turning we come round right.