Shakers

The once prosperous (and now nearly extinct) religious community known as the Shakers played an important role in pre-industrial American life. You can read about their Culture and Artifacts here @ Wikipedia, and a fascinating video @ YouTube. Today Shakers may be best known for their classically simple furniture and for a single (simple) song: Here's a slightly jazzed-up version of the classic Shaker hymn, Simple Gifts.

The tune was also the basis of the John Williams piece performed at President Obama's first inauguration. The song may be better known for its melody than its lyrics--the melody being incorporated into one of the most beloved of American symphonic composition's: Aaron Copeland's Appalachian Spring. Here's a brief analysis of the piece @ NPR emphasizing the work's simplicity (There's also a link to a full perfomance, under "hear the Music'), and below are the original lyrics, written in 1848. Your job here: In your own words, describe the lasting appeal of the Shaker world--its artifacts, the song "Simple Gifts," or just general sense of the Shaker world.

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where you 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.