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Please give credit to the Center for American Music Preservation (CAMP)
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Joseph Brackett's "Simple Gifts" - Simplicity in Song
original Shaker manucript of the song
© Manuscript music image by PineTree Press
Just The Facts Please
There is a lot of misinformation about this religious song in some books and on the Web,
including on Wikipedia where some of the information is misleading or incorrect.There are many claims by those who do not know the facts
that this tune is a "Shaker hymn."Some have claimed it is an anonymous folk hymn.
Actually it is not anonymous nor is it a hymn.The Shakers had three types of their music: songs, hymns and anthems.
As indicated in the above picture,
"Simple Gifts" is indicated as a "Dancing Song" and has only one verse.
Shaker hymns usually have more than one verse.
"Simple Gifts has only one verse and is melody only which is typical of their dance songs,
especially the ones used for their dancing during the 19th century.Who wrote "Simple Gifts"?
Sister R. Mildred Barker© photograph by Gail Hall
In their journal, The Shaker Quarterly (Summer 1967), Sister R. Mildred Barker identified Elder Joseph Brackett 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 where she became an authority on Shaker music and sang many tunes from memory.
Her singing can be heard on the recording: "Early Shaker Spirituals" (Rounder Records)
Highlights from an interview with her are on the CD: Gentle Words (AMRC)The Shakers have stated that Elder Joseph Brackett wrote his dance song in 1848, possibly in June.
But as with much folk music, it is not always certain which information is the correct one.
Though Elder Joseph Brackett reportedly wrote his song while at the Alfred Shaker community,
he also moved to the New Gloucester (now Sabbathday Lake) Shaker community around that same time.
The manuscript of the song from a New York Shaker music mansucript at the top of this page credits this song as:
"From Alfred 1848. Learned of Eld Joseph's Com[pany] New Gloucester"
The first line of the Shaker song is NOT: "Tis a gift to be simple"
Here is the complete original single verse dance song (A + B)
with "the gift" instead of "a gift"
meaning the words have special spiritual meaning not just any kind of gift.
[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)
Note: the words in the B section contain dance instructions.
The color print shows the type of dancing possibly used for the "Simple Gifts" song.The song was originally intended to be sung at a fast tempo.
All the additional verses you see elsewhere are NOT by any Shakers.
The non-Shaker texts should be identified who wrote them
so they will not be considered the original Shaker song.
"Simple Gifts" was the only American religious folk song sung in three different U.S. Presidential Inaugurations:
President Ronald Reagan (1985) - arranged by Aaron Copland
President Bill Clinton (1993) - arranged by Aaron Copland
President Barack Obama (2009) - arranged by John Williams
See Joseph Brackett Day -- go here
This PDF book includes a biography of Elder Joseph Brackett, the Shaker composer of the song, an interview with composer, Aaron Copland, and information about the "Simple Gifts" song, all written by Shaker music scholar,
Roger L. Hall.
Plus you will also receive an audio file of "Simple Gifts" (MP3) performed by a church choir.
This PDF book and an audio recording of the original song is available exclusively from this website for only $11.95
through safe and secure PayPal and payable to PineTree Productions, owner of PineTree Press.
The PDF book is available worldwide sent by email attachment. To order your copy, click the "Add to Cart" below --
Important!
After you have sent in your payment,
please send an e-mail and mention the book title
where your copy will be sent by email attachment.
Send your email address to:
Also available separately is a larger book
"Simple Gifts": Great American Folk Song
(PineTree Press, new 3rd edition)
In this larger book, there is more information about the different types of Shaker songs including "Simple Gifts,"
a biography of Elder Joseph Brackett, also about the arrangements of the Shaker song like the popular English song, "Lord of the Dance,"
which uses the Shaker tune with his own words by British songwriter, Sydney Carter.
New multimedia collection!
Now available is a massive collection with over 500 files and 100 audio examples
including information about the "Simple Gifts" song
and several Shakers meeting composer, Aaron Copland, in 1974.
To read about this new collection -- go here
Also available is this research article
written by the foremost expert 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)
May 6 is Joseph Brackett Day
Elder Joseph Brackett, 1797-1882
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 his book, The Gift to be Simple: Songs, Dances and Rituals of the American Shakers, Edward Deming Andrews states the following about the "Simple Gifts" song:
Like "Come Life, Shaker Life," this song was sung everywhere in the United Society. It appears in many collections copied down during thr period of "Mother Ann's Work" (1837-1847 and after) and probably was a product of that revival. One manuscript states that the song was "composed by the Alfred Ministry,
June 28, 1848." It is a rather lively piece, Shaker Allegro in the original MS.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 poet and composer of "Lord of the Dance."
He arranged the Shaker tune and added his own words and his song has become very popular.
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 by Conrad Held of this beautiful song,
and also an arrangement of "Simple Gifts" by Roger Lee Hall, order this popular AMRC CD:
See also 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 Hall
about the "Simple Gifts" song?In his illustrated talk (available online or in person) he will tell how "Simple Gifts" was written and its impact on popular culture,
including excerpts from interviews he conducted with
Sister Mildred Barker from the Sabbathday Lake Shaker community,
and classical composer, Aaron Copland.To inquire about scheduling this program about the "Simple Gifts" song -- click here
Other Links
Shaker Books and Articles -- books and articles about Shaker music
Shaker Music Preservation Archive
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