Simple Gifts

The beloved Shaker hymn attributed to Elder Joseph Brackett Jr. of the Sabbathday Lake Shaker community in Maine, written in 1848. One of the most recognized American folk songs, famously adapted by Aaron Copland for Appalachian Spring. Songleading by Shepsi Eaton (Darthia Farm, Gouldsboro, Maine) for the Library of Congress Homegrown concert series as we stacked garlic in my neighbor's barn.

Lyrics

'Tis a gift to be simple,
'Tis a gift to be free,
'Tis a gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in a place just right,
It will be in the valley of love and delight.

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.

Sources

Written by Elder Joseph Brackett Jr. (1797-1882) at the Alfred Shaker community in Maine in 1848. Originally titled "Simple Gifts".

The Story

I learned this in first grade from Miss Everard during daily morning sings at Appleton Village School in Maine. It became a core song of my early musical life.

It is proof that words matter. This song has been sung stiffly by many, almost march-like, but it doesn't have to be. Shepsi sings it loose and open, as you can hear in the video above, with a real groove. That likely influenced how I sing it today. It sounds nice a little slower than most people sing it. The lesson: songs are yours to make. Try them in your own body, your own voice. See how they fit.