An Important CD Release!

Some of the earliest religious vocal music

composed by women in America

beginning in the 18th century

The words & music by Shaker Sisters on this CD

were written between

1783 - by Mother Ann Lee

and

1959 - by Sister Bertha Lillian Phelps

 

 

"I found this CD deeply moving...

it is music that speaks to the heart"

Phyllis, a concert singer

 

"This may be your best-sounding

and best-looking CD yet."

Jim, a concert goer and record collector

 

 

Roger Lee Hall

is an ASCAP composer and music preservationist

and

Director of the Center for American Music Preservation (CAMP)

 

He has researched and edited many Shaker spirituals

One title he has researched

was thought to be by an unknown Shaker member

but he has found that it was

written by Sister Martha Jane Anderson in the 1890s

"Give Good Gifts" (see No. 8 on CD listings below)

This song has become quite popular

and has been played on National Public Radio.

This song was included in a music book and CD

with Shaker music for Christmas and The New Year,

with notes by Roger Hall titled,

JOY OF ANGELS:

Shaker Spirituals for Christmas and The New Year

Sampler Records, 1995

To contact him with any questions -- click here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more than 50 years

Roger Lee Hall has researched

music from the communal society of Shakers

written by both women and men.

Over the years he worked on 15 recordings

as consultant, singer or arranger.

He has interviewed several Shaker women

about their music

at Canterbury, NH and Sabbathday Lake, Maine

and the audio interviews are on this disc:

 

His first article on Shaker hymnody

was published in 1975.

 

 

He wrote the first article about the best known Shaker song,

"Simple Gifts" (aka: Tis the gift to be simple) in 1980,

and that same year he interviewed

American classical composer,

Aaron Copland about

his "Simple Gifts" arrangements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The "My Shakeer Home" CD has music written by Shaker women

including their beloved spiritual leader -

 

 

 

 

 

© Picture by Gail Hall

In this picture thanks to the invitation of

Roger Hall, composer Aaron Copland

meets Sister Mildred Barker

in Shaker Heights, Ohio in 1974.

Learn more about this historic meeting

from the Zoom program on YouTube -- go here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Featured on this AMRC CD are examples

of words and music by Shaker Sisters from 1783 to 1959.

These are three of the Shaker leaders who are featured on this CD:

Eldress Dorothy Durgin (1825-1898) from Canterbury, New Hampshire
[Hymn: PRAYER UNIVERSAL - no. 19 on the CD]

Eldress Mary Ann Gillespie (1829-1887) from Alfred, Maine
[Hymn: WATCHING AND PRAYING - no. 18 on the CD]

Eldress Anna White (1831-1910) from Mt. Lebanon, NYY

[Song: BRILLIANT GEM - no. 16 on the CD listed below]

 

Important Note:

This picture of Eldress Anna White has been

circulating on the web as the picture of Mother Ann Lee.

That is FALSE.

There are NO original pictures from the time of Mother Ann Lee (1736-1784).

But there are songs attributed to Mother Ann (see no. 3 below)

 

 

Sister R. Mildred Barker (1897-1990)
from Sabbathday Lake, Maine

see tracks 22-23 on the CD below

© Photograph by Gail Hall, 1983

 

Sister Bertha Lillian Phelps (1876-1973)

see track 24 on the CD listing below

© Photograph by Gail Hall, 1972

 

 

 

(AMRC CD 0048)

 

1. + WELCOME SONG -- Rosetta Cummings, Enfield, New Hampshire, ca. 1869 - Canterbury Singers, Two Violins, Recorder
   
   
2. STAR OF PURITY – Susanna Brady, Union Village, Ohio, 1868 -
   Sampler Singers
    
3. +MOTHER ANN'S SONG - Mother Ann Lee, Harvard, Massachusetts, 1783 - Colleen Liggett
   
   
4. +LOVE IS LITTLE – South Union, Kentucky, ca. 1834 - Sampler Singers
   
   
5. +GENTLE WORDS - Polly Rupe, Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, ca. 1867 -
   Colleen Liggett
   
   
6. WE MUST BE MEEK – from the singing of Sister R. Mildred Barker -
   Sampler Singers
   
   
7. MORE LOVE – Canterbury, New Hampshire, ca. 1870 - Sampler Singers
   
   
8. GIVE GOOD GIFTS - Martha J. Anderson, Mount Lebanon, NY, ca. 1892 - Sampler Singers
   
   
9. ++GOOD BRETHREN - Elsa Parsons, Enfield, Connecticut, 1837 - Simplicity
   
   
10. ++HERE TAKE THIS LOVELY FLOWER - Elmira Adams,
    Harvard, Massachusetts,1837- Simplicity
     
11. ++FOLLOWERS OF THE LAMB - Clarissa Jacobs, Mount Lebanon, NY, ca 1847- Simplicity
    
    
12. ++CHRIST'S SUFFERING – from Canterbury, New Hampshire, ca. 1880
    -Simplicity
    
    
13. ++MY LOVE IS MY MOTHER - Molly from the spirit world,
    South Union, KY, 1821- Simplicity
    
    
14. ++I NEVER DID BELIEVE - Betsy Bates, Mount Lebanon, NY, 1829 - Simplicity
    
    
15. ++LOW WITHIN THE VALE - Paulina Bryant, Pleasant Hill, KY, ca. 1850 - Simplicity
    
    
16. ++BRILLIANT GEM - Anna White, Mount Lebanon, NY, 1859 - Simplicity
    
    
17. A PRAYER FOR THE CAPTIVE - Cecilia DeVere, Mount Lebanon, NY, 1862
    
    
18. WATCHING AND PRAYING - Mary Ann Gillespie, Alfred, Maine, ca. 1875 - Canterbury Singers
    
    
19. PRAYER UNIVERSAL - Dorothy A. Durgin, Canterbury, NH, ca. 1890 - Canterbury Singers
    
    
20. +++THE HUMBLE HEART - Eunice Wyethe, Harvard, Massachusetts, ca. 1820 - vocal by Karol Carroll, Stephen Lundahl, recorder,
    Kathryn Southworth, piano
    
    
21. +MAY I SOFTLY WALK - singing of Bertha Lindsay, Canterbury, NH, 1869 - Canterbury Singers Quartet
    
    
22. A PRAYER - poem by R. Mildred Barker, Alfred, Maine/
    music by Roger Lee Hall -
    Soloist: Richard Cowing and Canterbury Singers
    
    
23. SEARCH THOU MY HEART (aka: A NEW YEAR'S PRAYER)
    poem by R. Mildred Barker/ music by Roger Lee Hall -
    Susan Papinsick, Jim Miller and The Canterbury Singers
    
    
24. +MY SHAKER HOME - Bertha Lillian Phelps, Canterbury, 1959
    (the last Shaker song composed in the 20th century)
    Vocal soloists: Jim Miller and Karol Carroll,
    Violins: Katie and Sammantha Allman
    Piano: Kathryn Southworth
    
    

+ = music edited or arranged by Roger Hall

++ = arranged by Jack Bomer

+++ = arranged by Conrad Held

 

Performers on the CD:

The Sampler Singers: Mitzie Collins, Colleen Liggett, Roger Hall
(numbers 2-8)

Simplicity Quartet: Alyssa Daudt, Amy Stevens, Ian Sanchez, Joey Chen
(numbers 9-16)

The Canterbury Singers, Kathryn Southworth, Director
Soloists: Karol Carroll, Susan Papinsick, Ruth Smith,
Richard Cowling, Jim Miller (numbers 1, 18-19, 20-24)

Instrumentalists:
Katie and Samantha Allman, violins (1, 24),
Steven Lundahl, recorder (Nos. 1, 20),
Kathryn Southworth, pianist and organist on the 1908 reed organ

CD mixed and mastered at CedarHouse Sound and Mastering
by Gerry Putnam

 

 

 

Rave comments for the MY SHAKER HOME CD!

My Shaker Home is a CD treasure.  Roger Lee Hall is an expert on Shaker music who has researched the subject for many years.  I have heard a number of  his CD's with pleasure, but feel this is his best work to date,. capturing  the spirit of the Shakers in this well-crafted selection of Shaker songs, and including 24 numbers which speak eloquently of the purity and simplicity they seek, reflected in the clarity and beauty of the voices, both in the choral groups (Canterbury Singers, Simplicity  and the Sampler Singers) and the soloists. As a listener, I was especially charmed by Karol Carroll's rendition of "The Humble Heart".  The choice of melodies and the use of instrumental accompaniment seemed balanced and helped to weave everything together smoothly as parts of a whole.  I found it deeply moving.  In short, it is music that speaks to the heart
-- Phyllis, concert singer       

        

I played it in the car right away. Really like it!
-- Marshall, concert singer and opera director

 

We enjoyed listening -- at least three times -- to "My Shaker Home." You did really well in producing this album. This may be your best-sounding and best-looking CD yet. I like the variety of songs and singers, certainly counting the many arranged and composed by Roger Lee Hall. Thank you very much.
-- Jim, concert goer and record collector

 

 

 

AMRC CD 0048

Now you can order any of the 24 audio tracks on this CD for the

low price of only $1.00 per title.


Your order will be sent directly by email attachment.

To order the complete limited edition CD sent by US Mail

or by Dropbox (including other countries than the USA)

put the number of audio titles (24) in the "Quatity" box

and as a bonus you will also receive a sheet music copy

of "My Shaker Home"


To place your order for one or more audio titles,

click the "Add to Cart" button below...

 

 

 

 

 

After you have sent in your payment

send your email address where your audio titles will be sent

Send to:

MY SHAKER HOME CD

 

 

If you have questions about this CD -- click here

 

 

Roger Lee Hall can present a Shaker music program for your audience,

either as a webinar or in-person for your organization.

To write him about scheduling a program -- click here

 

See his arrangements of Shaker tunes -- click here

 

 

 

 

Click this picture to read about this popular AMRC CD:

 

 

 

 

 

A book with the lyrics to 25 Shaker spirituals,

plus interviews with several Shaker singers and an interview with

American composer, Aaron Copland, about his arrangements of the

popular Shaker dance song, "Simple Gifts."

Read about this book --click here

 

Accompanying CD

28 tracks with original Shaker music,

including the popular Shaker dance song, "Simple Gifts,"

plus interviews with Shaker women musicians

from Canterbury, New Hampshire

and Sabbathday Lake, Maine

and an excerpt from the interview

with composer, Aaron Copland.

 

 

To read about this popular Shaker song -- click here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For questions about this Shaker music CD

click here

 

 

 

MUSIC OF THE AMERICAN SHAKERS

Resources and Recordings

 

 

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