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American Traditional Shaker Melody
The text is an adaptation of Psalm #145
The text is an adaptation of Psalm #145
This Shaker Melody is often attributed to "Anonymous"
but was probably written by Elder Joseph Brackett Jr. (1797-1882) in 1848.
It has had several names
Simple Gifts - Tis The Gift to be Simple - Lord of the Dance - Shaker Dance Song
Appalachian Spring
Ballet score composed by Aaron Copeland
premiered in 1944
Ballet score composed by Aaron Copeland
premiered in 1944
Scored for a thirteen-member chamber orchestra, it was created upon commission of choreographer and dancer Martha Graham, with funds from the Coolidge Foundation, headed by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge. It premiered on October 30 1944, at the Library of Congress in Washington DC, with Martha Graham dancing the lead role. The set was designed by the Japanese American sculptor, Isamu Noguchi. Copland was awarded the 1945 Pulitzer Prize for Music for his achievement. Within the composition are five variations on this Shaker theme, sung by a solo clarinet. It was taken from a collection of Shaker melodies compiled by Edward D. Andrews, and published as The Gift to Be Simple. The melody of Simple Gifts was used almost literally.
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