aaron copland was the american composer who arranged simple gifts for orchestra.
aaron copland was the american composer who arranged simple gifts for orchestra.
what american composer arranged simple gifts for orchestra?
aaron copland
the song was largely unknown outside shaker communities until aaron copland used its melody for the score of martha graham's ballet "appalachian spring" (shakers once worshipped on holy mount, in the appalachians), first performed in 1944. 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.









































section::::lyrics.









































"simple gifts" was written by elder joseph while he was at the shaker community in alfred, maine. these are the lyrics to his one-verse song:









































poem'tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free
simple gifts
bullet::::- john p. zdechlik used "simple gifts" in "chorale and shaker dance," a 1972 composition for concert band. in 2004, robert steadman arranged the tune for orchestra featuring an off-stage trumpet and a thumping, dance-music influenced finale. frank ticheli also wrote a version of "simple gifts", presented in "simple gifts: four shaker songs".









































bullet::::- yo-yo ma and alison krauss performed a duet of "simple gifts" on his 2001 album "classic yo-yo".









































bullet::::- on their grammy-winning cd "simple gifts" (2008), the king's singers perform an "a cappella" version titled "gift to be simple".
simple gifts