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"On the landing of Mother Ann in America"
An important event has been celebrated each year by the Shakers and later by non-Shakers at museums and other locations. This event was the arrival of the Shaker spiritual leader, Mother Ann Lee (1736-1784), with a small number of Shakers for the first time in America.
They left Liverpool, England in May and after a long and dangerous voyage arrived in New York City on August 6, 1774. This is a very important date because it signifies the beginning of the Shakers in America.
Over several centuries the Shakers composed over 10,00 tunes
(one verse songs, mulit-verse hymns, and prose anthems).One of the special hymns is titled,
"On the Landing of Mother Ann in America," and it had four verses.This is the first verse:
O hail this happy welcome day,
When blessed Mother Ann
First landed in America
With her devoted band.
How did the wilderness resound
With Angel's songs of praise
When they on fair Columbia's ground
The gospel standard raised.
Chorus:
Again let the forest loudly resound,
Dear Children of Mother;
Her beautiful way our Spirits have found,
Surpassing all others.This hymn was written at North Union (today Shaker Heights, Ohio) just before the outbreak of the Civil War in 1860.
It was discovered and first introduced by Roger Hall during the Bicentennial Conference at Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland, Ohio in October of 1974. Then it was later sung by him when several Shakers from the Sabbathday Lake Community in Maine were in Shaker Heights for a teacher's workshop, and thanks to Roger Hall, they had just been introduced to the composer, Aaron Copland, known for his arrangements of the best known Shaker dance song, "Simple Gifts." This was the first and only meeting of Copland and the Shakers.
The complete version of "On the landing of Mother Ann in America" with four verses was edited by Roger Hall and published in this sheet music collection with accompanying CD, performed by The Sampler Chorus:
"On the Landing of Mother Ann in America"
is included on this multi-media collection:
You can receive the sheet music for the North Union hymn plus an audio recording of that Shaker hymn for only $2.00. Both will be sent by email attachment so be sure to include your email address when ordering.
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click on this link:Shaker Music Books and Articles
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