Lyrics
(Joseph Brackett, 1848, a Shaker from Maine, U.S.)
‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free,
‘Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be.
And when you find yourself in the place just right,
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
Refrain
When true simplicity is gained
To bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
‘Til by turning, turning we come ’round right.
See also
- Country: Northeastern states (U.S.)
- Subjects: friendship / love / Aaron Copland
- Form: AB / listening map
- Harmony: Orff arrangements / chords I V
- Melody: melodic contour / dominant triad in the melody
- Meter: 4
- Rhythm: long & short
- Scale: hexatonic
- Tones: s,t,drmfs
YouTube
or purchase here (printables only)
- Melodic Contour
- Listening Map: Theme and Variations on a Shaker Theme (Copland)
- PDF of song with chords + Lesson ideas + Orff arrangement
- MIDI file
- Listen to the song
