Advent Calendar Dec 10: The Shakers Of Sabbathday Lake in Maine Wrote Over 1200 Songs; Only This One Survived

"Simple Gifts:" Elder Jospeh Brackett's Short Masterpiece-- "This May Be The Perfect Piece Of Music"

“Randy Folger, who sings the song each weekday for visitors at the historic Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Ky., says, ``The man who wrote this claimed it came to him by divine inspiration, and I truly believe that might have been the case. This may be the perfect piece of music. I've sung it close to 15,000 times over the years, and I never get tired of it.'

Shaker Elder Joseph Brackett

“The song composed in 1848 by Shaker Elder Joseph Brackett as an easy-to-learn tune for Shaker worship, extolling the virtues of a simple life, has become one of America's most popular all-purpose melodies.In its sesquicentennial year, it's hard to escape the song, which is performed with or without its original lyrics by folksingers, school choruses, church choirs and symphony orchestras. Versions have shown up in weddings, funerals, two presidential inaugurations, TV commercials - and even the hit Irish dance revue, ``Lord of the Dance.'

``It's surprising how many places the song is used. Sometimes, people don't even realize what they're hearing,' says Diana Van Kolken, author of a book about the Shakers and owner of the Shaker Messenger, a shop that sells Shaker-style furniture in Holland, Mich.

``People like this song today because they want to find simplicity,' Van Kolken says. ``We're surrounded all day by electronics and technology. The pace of our world is so fast. People just like to think about the words to this song: ' 'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free.' '

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