Simple Gifts

“Simple Gifts” is a Shaker song written and composed in 1848, generally attributed to Elder Joseph Brackett from Alfred Shaker Village. It became widely known when Aaron Copland used its melody for the score of Martha Graham’s ballet, Appalachian Spring, premiered in 1944. The tune and lyrics were written by Elder Joseph Brackett (1797–1882) of the Alfred, Maine Shaker community, although there is some disagreement as to which community Elder Joseph belonged to when the song was written. Elder Joseph resided with the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in New Gloucester, Maine community before he was called to serve in the Ministry in 1848.For the next decade, he served the Community in Alfred, later returning to New Gloucester. However, the Alfred community’s history makes no reference to “Simple Gifts”, although there are several mentions of Elder Joseph. The first known reference to “Simple Gifts” is an advertisement for a concert in October 1848 by the Shaker Family from the Society of Shakers of New Gloucester, Maine. The song was largely unknown outside Shaker communities until Aaron Copland used its melody for the score of Martha Graham’s ballet, Appalachian Spring, first performed in 1944. (Shakers once worshipped on Holy Mount, in the Massachusetts portion of the Appalachians). Copland used “Simple Gifts” a second time in 1950 in his first set of Old American Songs for voice and piano, which was later orchestrated.