Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Simple Gifts - Arranged for Harp


Here's one of my favorite hymns, which always puts me in a Thanksgiving mood.  "Simple Gifts" was written in 1848 by Shaker Elder Joseph Brackett, and I've arranged it here for harp.  If you're familiar with the work of the American composer, Aaron Copland, you'll recognize my little musical homage to him at the end.  This is a look at Shaker life and art from mostly over a hundred years ago. The video is about 2-1/2 minutes long.

Pictures in Video -

1 - A Little Basket Full of Beautiful Apples, Shaker drawing by Hannah Cohoon, 1856
2 - Shaker village, postcard, Sabbathday Lake, Maine, circa 1920
3 - Shaker box maker, photo, 1935
4 - Stone barn Shaker meeting house, postcard, Harvard, Mass., circa 1915
5 - Tree of Life, Shaker drawing by Hannah Cohoon, 1884
6 - Shaker gift drawing by Polly Jane Reed, before 1881
7 - Gospel Union Tree, Shaker drawing by Polly Collins, circa 1840
8 - Shaker gift drawing, by Polly Collins, circa 1840
9 - A Bower of Mulberry Trees, Shaker drawing by Hannah Cohoon, 1854
10 - A Present, Shaker drawing by Polly Jane Reed, before 1881
11 - Tree of Life or Blazing Tree, Shaker drawing by Hannah Cohoon, 1845
12 - Wreath, by Polly Collins, circa 1840
13 - Enfield Shaker village, postcard, Enfield, Maine, circa 1920
14 - A Tree of Love a Tree of Life, Shaker drawing by Polly Collins, 1857
15 - Harvard Shaker village, postcard, Harvard, Mass., circa 1905
16 - Shaker village, postcard, Alfred, Maine, circa 1915

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