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A Shaker hymn
sung in memory of President Abraham Lincoln
In 1862, during the Civil War, a Shaker Sister Cecilia DeVere sang in her sleep and a nearby Sister woke up and copied down the words and music. This hymn became known as "A Prayer for the Captive" also known as "Supplication in a Nation's Calamity" and speaks to the horrors of that war. The pacifist Shaker hymn was reportedly sung on the day of Abraham Lincoln's funeral in 1865 at all Shaker communities.
This Shaker hymn was edited from an original Shaker manuscript in 1976 by ethnomusicologist,
Roger Hall, and was first recorded that year with soloist, Leonard Hart and the Plymouth Church Choir of Shaker Heights, Ohio, directed by John Herr. It is available on this AMRC CD:
To read about this CD -- click here
A copy of the original music manuscript in Shaker alphabet music notation for "A Prayer for the Captive" by Cecilia DeVere is included in this Listener's Guide:
Related AMP Links
"Glory, Hallelujah!" - Songs and Hymns of the Civil War Era
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