The Shakers emigrated from England to New York State in 1774 and their followers danced to this tune and many more as they used music to express their spiritual feelings. They excelled in many areas like inventions, furniture, architecture and hard work, and their music was a big part of their daily life.

In reading "A Shaker Musical Legacy" by Robert and Viola Opdahl and "Partake A Little Morsel" by Carol Medlicott, I discovered there were over ten thousand Shaker songs recorded in manuscripts and printed hymnals! I was fascinated reading about these gift songs and the variety of ways the songs were passed along. Some were tunes with no lyrics, many used letteral notation instead of classical notes, and many were beautifully handwritten later printed in hymnbooks.

From these simple, single melody tunes, I have enjoyed adapting and arranging them for modern use. I am thankful for scholars and devoted researchers like Carol Medlicott, Daniel W. Patterson, Roger Lee Hall, Christian Goodwillie, Jane F. Crosthwaite and Kevin Siegfried and I continue to learn from their work. The Shakers provided much music and their legacy reminds us to listen for our gift songs and appreciate the simple gifts of life! Twelve of my arrangements were performed at Shaker Village, Pleasant Hill, KY in the 1820 Meeting House and can be heard on YouTube or at the link above.

To learn more about the Shakers, visit Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill in Harrodsburg, KY, home to the third largest Shaker community in the U.S. between 1805-1910. Also, South Union Shaker Village in Auburn, KY was established in 1807 and closed in 1922.