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"Simple Gifts" - Elder Joseph Brackett's Popular Shaker Song
Shaker manuscript of the song
(Courtesy of The Western Resereve Historical Society)
The information which follows about the song was provided by Shaker music scholar, Roger Hall.
Just The Facts, Please!
There is much misinformation about this religious song in numeroua books and on the Web.
Now it is time, as the last line of the song says -- "We come round right."
It is often identified as a "Shaker hymn" or "an anonymous folk hymn."
Actually it is not anonymous nor is it a hymn.The Shakers had three basic types of their music: one verse songs, multi-verse hymns, and freely composed anthems.
They composed single line melodies and three or four part hymns and anthems.
As indicated in the above picture,
the Shakers called it a "Dancing Song."
It has only one verse which is typical of their songs,
especially the ones used for their dancing during the 19th century.
The first line of the Shaker song is NOT: "Tis a gift to be simple"
It should be "Tis THE gift to be simple" which means a specific gift being "simple."
Here are the words to this religious dance song in two sections (A+B) each one repeated:
[A] 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. (repeat A section)
[B] When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed,
To turn, turn, will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning, We come round right. (repeat B section)All the additional verses to this song available elsewhere including on the Web are NOT by any Shakers.
The beginning of the melody is also often incorrect in modern printings beginning with two quarter notes.
In Shaker manuscripts the song begins either with two eighth notes
or with two sixteenth notes (as shown in the mansucript at the top of this page).In Shaker manuscripts it is titled "Simple Gifts" or "Dancing Song" or "Quick Dance"
or with its first line of the song: Tis the gift to be simple.Here is the most authentic recording of Tis the gift to be simple (aka: Simple Gifts)
first released in 1976
with the singing by The Sabbathday Lake Shakers on"Early Shaker Spirituals" on Rounder Records
"Simple Gifts" (aka: Tis the gift to be simple) was first used in a ballet score for "Appalachian Spring"
composed in 1944 by Aaron Copland
The first modern day Shaker article to mention Elder Joseph Brackett was by Sister R. Mildred Barker in 1967.
The first research article about this Shaker song and its composer was by Roger Hall in 1980.
"Simple Gifts" has the distinction of being the only American religious song sung in three different U.S. Presidential Inaugurations
for both Republican (R) and Democrat (D) Presidents:
President Ronald Reagan (R, 1985) - arranged by Aaron Copland
President Bill Clinton (D, 1993) - arranged by Aaron Copland
President Barack Obama (D, 2009) - arranged by John Williams
This 19th century print shows the Shakers dancing
The words in the B section of the song have dance instructions like "bow" and "bend" and "turn, turn."
This color print shows the type of dancing possibly used for the "Simple Gifts" song."Simple Gifts" was originally intended to be sung at a fast tempo as it is on these two AMRC CDs:
This CD includes an arrangement of another Elder Joseph Brackett song, "The True Vine"
This CD includes "Simple Gifts" sung by a church choir
also highlights from an interview
with American composer, Aaron Copland
The Shaker Sister Who First Wrote About The "Simple Gifts" Composer© picture by Gail Hall, 1983
In their journal, The Shaker Quarterly (Summer 1967), Sister R. Mildred Barker wrote about Elder Joseph Brackett in Maine
identifying him as the composer of "Simple Gifts."
She had learned about him when she was a young girl living in the Shaker community at Alfred, Maine.
Later, she moved to Sabbathday Lake, Maine.
She was a Shaker music authority who could sing many of their tunes from memory.
An interview with her is in this book about 'Simple Gifts" plus an interview with composer, Aaron Copland -- click here
Also available is this research article
written by the foremost authority on the song's history:
"Simple Gifts": The Discovery and Popularity of a Shaker Dance Song
by Roger Lee Hall
in Communal Societies Journal (Vol 36, No 2, 2016)
The 50th anniversary of composer Aaron Copland meeting several Shakers in Ohio:
A special Zoom program was presented on November 7, 2024 by Shaker music preservationist, Roger Lee Hall, about his introducing Aaron Copland to several Maine Shakers
in 1974. It was their only meeting..This program was sponsored by the Shaker Historical Society and Shaker Heights Public Library and was titled,
"Tis the gift to be simple" - Aaron Copland Meets The Shakers in Shaker Heights
© Pictures by Gail M. Hall in Shaker Heights, Ohio in 1974
See the complete program on YouTube -- https://youtu.be/rcpVRysB328
Picture of Sabbathday Lake Shakers in the 1980s
courtesy of the photographer, Ann Chwatsky
These are the audio examples mentioned in the 2024 Zoom program on YouTube:
Original song sung by the Sabbathday Lake Shakers in Maine
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0TkI3HGZhM
Aaron Copland arrangement in finale of "Appalachian Spring" ballet score
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI6RYZygevA
Folk arrangement from Bolander610
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwH6-QmvM5c
Judy Collins arrangement
YouTube -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x426_84558
Benjamin Luxon and Bill Crofut arrangement
YouTube -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrFiSzOEkJI
Roger Lee Hall arrangement performed by The Canterbury Singers
YouTube -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrqXEQaPLcY
This last arrangement is included on the CD:
The audio examples from the Shaker Heights teacher workshop in 1974 with the Maine Shakers
and interviews with Aaron Copland and Sister Mildred Barker are on this special multimedia collection,
with 100 audio examples and 10 concert videos available on DVD-ROM or USB Flash Drive:
Book about the Shaker song
This PDF book has information about the song and the Shaker leader who composed the song.
Also information from Sister Mildred Barker and interview with composer Aaron Copland who first arranged the song.
When you order you will also receive an audio file of "Simple Gifts" (MP3) performed by a choir sent by email attachment.
The PDF book is available worldwide for the price of $11.95.To order your copy, click the "Add to Cart" below to receive the PDF book.
Important!
After you have sent in your payment,
please send an e-mail and mention the book title
and your email address where the book and audio file (MP3)
will be sent by email attachment.
Send your email address to:
Celebrate his birthday!
See Elder Joseph Brackett Day on May 6 -- go here
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"Simple Gifts" song, edited by Roger Hall
May 6 is Joseph Brackett Day!
Elder Joseph Brackett, 1797-1882
Portrait from The Aletheia : Spirit of Truth (1907) by Aurelia G. Mace, Farmington, Maine: Press of the Knowlton & McLeary Co.
Sponsored by The American Tune Lovers Society (ATLS), this day of remembrance began in 1997 on the bicentennial of the birth of Elder Joseph Brackett.
This description first appeared in the national directory, Chase's Calendar of Events:
JOSEPH BRACKETT DAY. May 6. Day honoring the Shaker religious leader, born May 6, 1797, at Cumberland, Maine in 1848.
He composed the popular Shaker song "Simple Gifts" (also known as "Tis the gift to be simple) while at the Shaker community in Alfred, Maine.This Shaker song became known worldwide after Aaron Copland used it in his score for the ballet Appalachian Spring in 1944.
Elder Joseph Brackett died at New Gloucester, Maine, July 4, 1882.
In the book, Simple Gifts: Great American Folk Song, a Shaker sister from Maine is quoted who wrote the following to one of her relatives:
You are a stranger to me but it must be that you are a very good man to be worthy of your lineage grandfather's brother whom you inquire about,
was our Elder Joseph, a man dearly loved by us all, one of the best men that ever lived.
Each year there is a birthday commemoration of this Shaker religious leader who composed the words and music to "Simple Gifts" in 1848.
It is coincidental that May 6 was also the birthday of Sydney Carter (1915-2004) who was the British composer of "Lord of the Dance."
He arranged the Shaker tune and added his own words and his song has become very popular.
There is information about Elder Joseph Bracket and Sidney Carter in the book on this multimedia collection -
It is not generally known that Joseph Brackett also composed other Shaker songs.
One of them is "The True Vine," composed in 1856.
To hear an arrangement of this beautiful song,
and also an arrangement of "Simple Gifts"
both are on this best-selling AMRC CD:
See the description on Checkiday of Joseph Brackett and his famous dance song -- click here
Illustrated Shaker Music Program
Would you like to schedule a program by Roger Lee Hall,
about the story of the "Simple Gifts" song?In his illustrated talk (available on the web or in person) he will tell how "Simple Gifts" was written and its impact on popular culture,
including discussion of interviews he conducted with Sister Mildred Barker from the Sabbathday Lake Shaker community,
and with composer, Aaron Copland.To read about Mr. Hall's many years of work in Shaker music -- click here
To inquire about scheduling this program for your group -- click here
Additional Links
Shaker Books and Articles -- books and articles about Shaker music
Shaker Music Preservation Archive
Music of the American Shakers - Resources and Recordings
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