An Important CD Release From AMRC!

Some of the earliest religious music
composed by women in America

 

"I found it deeply moving...it is music that speaks to the heart"
Phyllis, a concert singer

 

 

"My Shaker Home" was the last known Shaker song
composed in the 20th century by this Shaker member:

 

Sister Bertha Lillian Phelps (1876-1973)
© Photograph by Gail M. Hall, 1972

This new CD from the American Music Recordings Collection (AMRC)
was produced by Roger Lee Hall, a composer and ethnomusicologist,
who has been researching and performing Shaker music for 50 years.

The United Society of Shakers have always believed in equality of the sexes in their communal celibate society.

They began in the area around Manchester, England in the mid-18th century.
A few of their members first arrived in New York City on August 6, 1774. Their first communities were in New York State. Later, they established communities in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Florida, Georgia. Today, the remaining Shakers are at Sabbathday Lake, Maine, which has a museum and research library.

When writing about the Shakers in his best-selling book, Fantasyland, author Kurt Andersen wrote:

"The Shakers were among the more successful of dozens of smaller American sects and cults, each led by an electrifying individual who claimed to have a direct line to God or His Angels."

For the Shakers, that "electrifying individual" was Mother Ann Lee (1736-1784) - the charismatic spiritual leader of the Shakers. One of her wordless songs is included on this CD (No. 3).

Shaker women as well as men were involved in many of their important daily tasks, including composing vocal music, reflecting their humility, spirituality, and caring for others.

This recording is the first one to focus exclusively on the words and music by Shaker Sisters.

Their words and music on this CD were written between 1783 and 1959, an impressively long history of religious music written by women in the USA.

One example of a Shaker hymn speaking of their dance rituals is "FOLLOWERS OF THE LAMB" (No.11) written by Clarissa Jacobs (1833-1904). The chorus of this hymn is often today accompanied by hand-clapping on these words:

"Sing on, dance on, Followers of Emanuel,
Sing on, dance on, ye Followers of the Lamb."

One of the most popular Shaker songs in recent decades has been "GENTLE WORDS" (No. 5), composed by Sister Polly Rupe at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky about 1867. This beautiful humility song was first discovered at a Shaker museum in Ohio and arranged by Roger Hall in 1976.

"GIVE GOOD GIFTS" (No. 8) has been featured on National Public Radio but the composer was not identified at that time. Roger Hall has since discovered that this popular Shaker song was composed by Sister Martha Jane Anderson at Mount Lebanon, New York in the 1890s. It
expresses a caring for others in its opening lines:

"Give good gifts one to another,
Peace, joy and comfort gladly bestow;
Harbor no ill 'gainst sister or brother,
Smooth life's journey as you onward go."

In the 19th century there were times when Shakers would “receive” spiritual messages and music while in a trance or while asleep.  One of them is the pacifist hymn, “A PRAYER FOR THE CAPTIVE,” (No. 17) received in a dream by Sister Cecilia DeVere during the early years of the Civil War.  It may have been sung on the day of President Abraham Lincoln's funeral in 1865.

One of the most beautiful early Shaker hymns is "THE HUMBLE HEART" (No. 20). This hymn has words reflecting aspects of nature by Sister Eunice Wyeth and an appealing tune by Brother (later Elder) Thomas Hammond at the Harvard Shaker Community in Massachusetts.. It was arranged in the 1940s by Conrad Held and performed here in a Premiere Recording sung by Karol Carroll, with Steven Lundahl on recorder and Kathryn Southworth, piano accompanist.

Also featured on this CD are examples by three of their most prominent Shaker women leaders who also wrote music:

Eldress Dorothy Durgin (1825-1898), from Canterbury, New Hampshire
[Hymn: PRAYER UNIVERSAL]

Eldress Mary Ann Gillespie (1829-1887) from Alfred, Maine
[Hymn: WATCHING AND PRAYING]

Eldress Anna White (1831-1910) from Mount Lebanon, New York
[Song: BRILLIANT GEM]

Important Note: This picture of Eldress Anna White has been incorrectly circulating on the web as the picture of Mother Ann Lee. That is false. There are no original pictures of Mother Ann Lee.

 

 

Sister Mildred Barker (1897-1990)
© Photograph by Gail M. Hall, 1983

“A PRAYER” (No. 22) and “SEARCH THOU MY HEART” (No. 23) are new compositions by
Roger Lee Hall based on two spiritual poems by Sister Mildred Barker, the best-known Shaker singer in the last half of the 20th century.

This CD is titled after the last known song composed in the 20th century, "My Shaker Home."

It was discovered by Roger Hall at the library of Canterbury Shaker Village in 2009. The words by Sister Lillian Phelps describe arriving home from a pleasant summer outing and how pleased she was to return to her home -
"at the top of the hill, so quiet and still, is my lovely Shaker home."

You don't have to be a Shaker enthusiast to enjoy this CD of beautiful music by Shaker Sisters.

The basic goodness, peace and honesty expressed in Shaker words & music
can speak to us all!

 

 

My Shaker Home – Words & Music by Shaker Sisters (AMRC CD 0048)

 

Click on the links for music samples (for Online listening only):

1. +WELCOME SONG - Rosetta Cummings, Enfield, New Hampshire, 1869- Canterbury Singers
   
   
2. STAR OF PURITY – Susanna Brady, Union Village, Ohio, 1868- Sampler Singers
    
3. MOTHER ANN'S SONG - Mother Ann Lee, Harvard, Massachusetts, 1783 - Colleen Liggett
   
   
4. LOVE IS LITTLE – South Union, Kentucky, ca. 1834 - Sampler Singers
   
   
5. GENTLE WORDS - Polly Rupe, Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, ca. 1867 - Colleen Liggett
   
   
6. WE MUST BE MEEK – from the singing of R. Mildred Barker - Sampler Singers
   
   
7. MORE LOVE – Canterbury, New Hampshire, ca. 1870 - Sampler Singers
   
   
8. GIVE GOOD GIFTS - Martha J. Anderson, Mount Lebanon, NY, ca. 1892 - Sampler Singers
   
   
9. ++GOOD BRETHREN - Elsa Parsons, Enfield, Connecticut, 1837 - Simplicity
   
   
10. ++HERE TAKE THIS LOVELY FLOWER - Elmira Adams, Harvard, Massachusetts,1837-Simplicity
     
11. ++FOLLOWERS OF THE LAMB - Clarissa Jacobs, Mount Lebanon, NY, ca 1847- Simplicity
    
    
12. ++CHRIST'S SUFFERING – unknown author, Canterbury, New Hampshire, ca. 1880 -Simplicity
    
    
13. ++MY LOVE IS MY MOTHER - Molly from the spirit world, South Union, KY, 1821- Simplicity
    
    
14. ++I NEVER DID BELIEVE - Betsy Bates, Mount Lebanon, NY, 1829 - Simplicity
    
    
15. ++LOW WITHIN THE VALE - Paulina Bryant, Pleasant Hill, KY, ca. 1850 - Simplicity
    
    
16. ++BRILLIANT GEM - Anna White, Mount Lebanon, NY, 1859 - Simplicity
    
    
17. A PRAYER FOR THE CAPTIVE - Cecilia DeVere, Mount Lebanon, NY, 1862 - Leonard Hart & Chorus
    
    
18. WATCHING AND PRAYING - Mary Ann Gillespie, Alfred, Maine, ca. 1875 - Canterbury Singers
    
    
19. PRAYER UNIVERSAL - Dorothy A. Durgin, Canterbury, NH, ca. 1890 - Canterbury Singers
    
    
20. +++THE HUMBLE HEART - Eunice Wyethe, Harvard, Massachusetts, ca. 1820 -
    vocal by Karol Carroll, Stephen Lundahl, recorder, Kathryn Southworth, piano
    
    
21. +MAY I SOFTLY WALK - singing of Bertha Lindsay, Canterbury, NH, 1869 -
    Canterbury Singers Quartet
    
    
22. A PRAYER - poem by R. Mildred Barker, Alfred, Maine/ music by Roger Lee Hall -
    Soloist: Richard Cowing and Canterbury Singers
    
    
23. SEARCH THOU MY HEART (aka: A NEW YEAR'S PRAYER) -
    poem by R. Mildred Barker/ music by Roger Lee Hall -
    Susan Papinsick, Jim Miller and The Canterbury Singers
    
    
24. +MY SHAKER HOME - Bertha Lillian Phelps, Canterbury, NH, July 1959/
    Vocal Soloists: Jim Miller and Karol Carroll; Katie and Sammantha Allman, violins,
    Kathryn Southworth, piano.
    
    

+ = arranged by Roger Lee Hall
++ = arranged by Jack Bomer
+++ = arranged by Conrad Held

Performers on the CD:

The Sampler Singers: Mitzie Collins, Colleen Liggett, Roger Hall
(numbers 2-8)

Simplicity: Alyssa Daudt, Amy Stevens, Ian Sanchez, Joey Chen
(vocal quartet from the Eastman School of Music)(numbers 9-16)

Leonard Hart, bass, and Plymouth Church Choir (number 17)

The Canterbury Singers, Kathryn Southworth, Director
Soloists: Karol Carroll, Susan Papinsick, Ruth Smith,
Richard Cowling, Jim Miller (numbers 1, 18-19, 20-24)

Instrumentalists:
Katie and Samantha Allman, violins (1, 24), Steven Lundahl, recorder (No. 17),
Kathryn Southworth, pianist and organist on the 1908 reed organ (Nos. 18-24)

CD Art Design by Gail Hall

Mixed and mastered at CedarHouse Sound & Mastering
by Gerry Putnam

 

Roger Lee Hall, is available to present a multimedia music program for your audience,
either on the Web or in-person for your organization.

Program Title: "Gentle Words Kindly Spoken," focusing on some of the earliest religious music by women in America written by Shaker Sisters.

To write about scheduling a program and his reasonable fee -- click here

For his sheet music of Shaker tunes -- click here

 

Rave comments for this CD!

My Shaker Home is a CD treasure.  Roger Lee Hall is an expert on Shaker music who has researched the subject for many years.  I have heard a number of  his CD's with pleasure, but feel this is his best work to date,. capturing  the spirit of the Shakers in this well-crafted selection of Shaker songs, and including 24 numbers which speak eloquently of the purity and simplicity they seek, reflected in the clarity and beauty of the voices, both in the choral groups (Canterbury Singers, Simplicity  and the Sampler Singers) and the soloists. As a listener, I was especially charmed by Karol Carroll's rendition of "The Humble Heart".  The choice of melodies and the use of instrumental accompaniment seemed balanced and helped to weave everything together smoothly as parts of a whole.  I found it deeply moving.  In short, it is music that speaks to the heart.
-- Phyllis, concert singer       

        

I played it in the car right away. Really like it!
-- Marshall, concert singer and opera director

 

We enjoyed listening -- at least three times -- to "My Shaker Home." You did really well in producing this album. This may be your best-sounding and best-looking CD yet. I like the variety of songs and singers, certainly counting the many arranged and composed by Roger Lee Hall. Thank you very much.
-- Jim, concert goer and record collector

AMRC CD 0048

Note: This CD is available exclusively here
and not available from Amazon or other Online stores.

Free bonus sheet music now available!

You will also receive a free copy of the sheet music for
"My Shaker Home"
edited and arranged by Roger Lee Hall
and sent to you directly via email download.

 

 

USA Orders: Click the "Add to Cart" button for payment of $17.95 to safe and secure PayPal
payable to PineTree Productions. Your order includes shipping.

Other countries: Click the "Add to Cart" button TWO times ($35.90) to cover additional shipping cost by Air Mail.

 

 

 

 

 

After you've sent in your payment,
please send an e-mail and confirm your mailing address,
so you can receive the CD and bonus sheet music.


Send to:

MY SHAKER HOME CD

 

 

 

 

If you have questions about this CD -- click here

 

Available separately --

A book with the lyrics to 25 Shaker spirituals,
plus interviews with several Shaker singers and an interview with American composer, Aaron Copland, about his arrangements of the popular Shaker song, "Simple Gifts."

Read about this book --click here

 

This AMRC CD 0040 includes "Give Good Gifts" by Sister Martha Jane Anderson

 

See these other AMRC CDs with Shaker music...

 

 

Our Best-Selling CD!

"Celestial Praises" -
A Celebration of Shaker Spirituals
(AMRC 0017)

25 premiere recordings with a few original Shaker tunes
plus new arrangements by Roger Lee Hall and Conrad Held.

 

"Gentle Words" -
A Shaker Music Sampler
(AMRC CD 0016)

28 tracks with original Shaker music,
including the popular Shaker dance song, "Simple Gifts,"
plus interviews with Shakers
from Canterbury, New Hampshire and Sabbathday Lake, Maine
plus an excerpt from the 1980 interview with composer, Aaron Copland.

 

 

 

 

For any questions -- click here

 

 

 

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