SA5006
Simple gifts
SAB
performance time approx 0m 30s (sung once through)
Shaker song
arranged by Sheena Phillips
for soprano, alto and tenor(and/or bass) unaccompanied chorus
See a perusal copy of the
music.
Download a
synthesized realisation
This is one of the most famous Shaker songs, written by Joseph Brackett in 1848 as a dance song. The tune and words appear in many different Shaker song collections of the time. Traditionally nearly all the Shaker songs were sung in unison but they come alive in a different way when harmonised.
As with Gaelic mouth music (also written for dancing), a sequence of Shaker tunes can work well in concert. Other harmonised Shaker tunes published by Canasg include Lay me low, Mother Ann's song, Star of purity and Turning shuffle tune.
Words
'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.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight
'Till by turning, turning we come round right.
Shaker dance song by Joseph Brackett, 1848
Our transcription of these words and the tune is taken from Edward Deming Andrews' book
The Gift to be Simple: songs, dances and rituals of the American Shakers published by Dover Publications, New York (and on the web at www.doverpublications.com).
Purchase – 5006: Simple gifts
Before you click the "buy" button, please enter the name of your group and select the appropriate size.
The price depends on the number of singers in your group.
This is a single payment for a licence to make as many copies as you
need for your group to rehearse and perform the song. You can also re-print
- for instance, to replace copies that get lost or worn out.
Copies must not be given, lent, hired or sold to any other group.
Orders are normally despatched within 24 hours - not
instantly, because each PDF file is created specially
for the purchaser.
Canasg sales are processed via Paypal. Paypal lets you pay with a simple
credit or debit card if you don’t have a Paypal account.
Your Paypal transaction will be in
sterling and it will be converted automatically if
your credit card draws on a different currency.
Paypal passes none of your secure information to Canasg.
If you would like us to send an invoice before you pay, or if you would like your order priced in $US or Euros,
then please
e-mail your order to us instead of using the form above.
