American Music Guide Series No. 5

Learn about one of the oldest religious singing traditions in the USA!

The music of the Shakers contains some of the most beautiful and meaningful spiritual messages from America's past.

In their excellent history, Shakerism: Its Meaning and Message (1904), writen by Eldress Anna White and Leila S. Taylor,
they wrote that their Shaker hymns “are marked by sweetness, simplicity and spirituality, a force of appeal which touches strongly all who listen.”

They composed some of the earliest religious music in the USA by both women and men in the 18th century including by their early leaders:
Mother Ann Lee, Father William Lee, Father James Whittaker, and others.

Over several centuries the Shakers wrote well over 10,000 texts and tunes more than any other American religious communal society.

Shaker music has become increasingly popular in our time and has been performed and recorded by non-Shaker musicians,
including folksingers and composers.

Their best known song, "Simple Gifts" (aka: "Tis the gift to be simple"), has had arrangements by well known composers:
and their arrangements of "Simple Gifts" were performed at three different U.S. Presidential Inaugurations:
Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton (Aaron Copland arrangement) and Barack Obama (John Williams arrangement, "Air and Simple Gifts").

This Shaker song has also been used in several films and its tune used in a new song by Sydney Carter he titled, "Lord of the Dance."

 

Disc Contents

This collection was compiled and edited by Shaker music scholar, Roger Lee Hall. His first research project was on Shaker alphabet music notation at Binghamton University in 1971-72. Since then, he has continued to be one of the most active researchers and musicians performing and recording Shaker music.

The first edition of this collection was published in 2017. This new edition has been expanded with over 300 files.

Here are the items included on the DVD-ROM with documents, pictures, audio and video features:

01 A GUIDE TO SHAKER MUSIC (expanded edition)

Resources:
Chronology (18th-20th centuries)
List of top twelve recorded tunes
List of major Shaker tunesmiths
Tune comparisons
Visitor descriptions
Checklist of printed Shaker hymnals
Where to find original Shaker music
Shaker Song Series
Music arrangements
"Simple Gifts" in the 20th century

Discoveries:
1. Mother Ann's Song (1783)
2. Father Jame's Song (In Yonder Valley) (1787)
3. How Happy Are They (1833) - Richard McNemar
4. Invitation To Zion (1846) - David A. Buckingham
5. Followers Of The Lamb (ca. 1847) - Clarissa Jacobs
6. The True Vine (1856) - Joseph Brackett
7. A Prayer For The Captive (1862) - Cecilia DeVere
8. Gentle Words (ca. 1867) - Polly M. Rupe
9. Doxology (1881) - Oliver C. Hampton
10. My Shaker Home (1959) - Bertha Lillian Phelps


02 Music Supplement to A GUIDE TO SHAKER MUSIC with arrangements of 15 Shaker spirituals

03 For The Record - comparing non-Shaker and Shaker tunes:

"Lord of the Dance" and "Simple Gifts"
"Run, Shaker Life" and "Come Life, Shaker Life"
"The President's March" and "Rights of Conscience"
"Animation" and "While We're Marching"

04 "Come Life, Shaker Life" - The Life and Music of Elder Issachar Bates, 1758-1837

05 "Simple Gifts" - information about the best known Shaker song

06 Image gallery including Shaker manuscript tunes and sheet music

07 Bonus No. 1 - A Western Shaker Music Sampler with sheet music

08 Bonus No. 2 - Interviews with several Shaker women members (1972-1987) and composer, Aaron Copland (1980)

09 Bonus No. 3 - Radio appearances with Mr. Hall on WGBH-FM in Boston

10 Bonus No. 4: Concert videos with arrangements by Roger Lee Hall and Conrad Held

 

 

 

 

"Invitation to Zion" -
A Shaker Music Guide
by Roger Lee Hall
(PineTree Press, 2017)

 

 

 

How to order this disc:

This title is available exclusively on a computer disc or USB. It contains hundreds of Word documents, music collections, plus audio and video examples.

The collection is recommended for singers, researchers, teachers, students and anyone interested in American religious or music culture.

 

 

Your order is payable through safe and secure PayPal for $24.95 including Free shipping.

To order your copy, click the button below:

 

 

 

After you have sent in your payment,
send an e-mail and mention this title
and if you wish to receive it on a computer disc or a USB.

Send to:

Invitation to Zion

 

 

 

 

This book is available separately...

Read about this informative book now in its 3rd edition --

click here

 

 

Shaker Music Series on 4 CDs

"The Humble Heart" - 24 Shaker Spirituals
(AMRC 0052)

"My Shaker Home" - Words and Music by Shaker Sisters
(AMRC 0048)

" Celestial Praises" - A Celebration of Shaker Spirituals
(AMRC 0017)

"Gentle Words" - A Shaker Music Sampler
(AMRC 0016)

 

 

 

Shaker Music Publications

A series on 4 computer discs

 

"Give Good Gifts"
Shaker Music in the 20th Century

 

"The Humble Heart"
A Fifty Year Survey of Shaker Music

 

 

"More Love" - A Shaker Music Legacy

 

 

"Simple Gifts"
Great American Folk Song

 

To see the list of Shaker music collections
by Roger Hall

click here

 

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