'Tis the Gift to be Simple

Our only surviving lupin of three planted last year, after major slug and snail attack.

All sorts of new routines have developed during this lockdown/shielding period.

One of them for me is the BBC Radio 3 sing-a-long at 8.55am on Fridays. The piece of music is announced on Monday, different versions are played each day, the lyrics are made available, and then on Friday it is sing-a-long to piano accompaniment (Anna Tillbrook) time.

This week's has been the Shaker hymn, Simple Gifts. 

A really interesting piece. The Shaker hymn, written in 1848 by Elder Joseph Brackett, was not really well known until in 1944 Aaron Copland used it in his patriotic score for a ballet for Martha Graham, which became Appalachian Spring. 

The tune then really caught on. It was further promoted when in 1963 different lyrics were written for the tune - and it became Lord of the Dance. And then much later Michael Flatley used it for his musical and dance production of the same name. All sorts of other people have used it in the pop world. Elder Joseph Brackett would be astonished.

The first verse:

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