ADD: Simple Gifts - alt lyrics

Subject: Lyr Add: SIMPLE GIFTS
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 29 Mar 01 - 11:34 AM

In my school database are more verses to Simple Gifts:

SIMPLE GIFTS

1. 'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be
And when we find ourselves 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.

2 'Tis the gift to be gentle, 'tis the gift to be fair,
'Tis the gift to wake and breathe the morning air;
And ev'ry day to walk in the path we choose,
'Tis the gift that we pray we may ne'er come to lose. REFRAIN

3 'Tis the gift to be loving, 'tis the best gift of all,
Like a quiet rain, it blesses where it falls;
And if we have the gift we will truly believe
'Tis better to give than it is to receive. REFRAIN

Now I know that verses 2 and 3 aren't Shaker, but where do they come from? They're fitting, for our school, but I'd like to know the source!

Subject: RE: SSimple Gifts alt lyrics?
From: hesperis
Date: 29 Mar 01 - 12:02 PM

I would like to know as well, as I sung these lyrics in Choir, and never could find them after that, only the first verse. I would like to be able to find these again

Subject: RE: SSimple Gifts alt lyrics?
From: GUEST,Roll&Go-C
Date: 29 Mar 01 - 12:07 PM

Well, I didn't find your new verses in Rise Up Singing but there is a new verse and chorus there by Victor Ferkiss and Landon Dowdey which runs:

The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof
Its streets, its slums, as well as the stars above
Salvation is here where we laugh, where we cry
Where we seek and love, where we live and die.

When true liberty is found
By fear and by hate we will no more be bound
In love and in life we will find a new birth
In peace and in freedom redeem the earth.

Subject: RE: SSimple Gifts alt lyrics?
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 29 Mar 01 - 12:11 PM

Those words are nice, R&G&co, but not suitable for public school use, at least in my district. If it's Handel's Messiah, that's one thing. I'm treading on thin ground with a verse that says "we pray", but no one has complained (yet)!

Subject: RE: Simple Gifts alt lyrics?
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 29 Mar 01 - 05:05 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: Simple Gifts alt lyrics?
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 30 Mar 01 - 08:09 AM

No one???

Subject: RE: Simple Gifts alt lyrics?
From: LR Mole
Date: 30 Mar 01 - 08:54 AM

Sounds like St. Peter of Seger to me, but that's just a guess.

Subject: RE: Simple Gifts alt lyrics?
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 30 Mar 01 - 01:27 PM

You're right Mole, it does sound like him. Now I wonder how I could find that out!

Subject: RE: Simple Gifts alt lyrics?
From: Anglo
Date: 30 Mar 01 - 01:36 PM

Pete published a pretty comprehensive list of the songs he had added to in his book "Rise Up Singing." This is not there, so my best guess is that it's someone else. I would also suggest that Pete usually added a more political angle to his verses, and the lovely simplicity of the two verses don't reflect this. If it had not already been attributed elsewhere, I might have thought the "The Earth is the Lord's..." verse above might be Pete, for example.

Subject: RE: Simple Gifts alt lyrics?
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 30 Mar 01 - 04:03 PM

Subject: RE: Simple Gifts alt lyrics?
From: Wendy_
Date: 30 Mar 01 - 04:47 PM

This doesn't answer the question, but Smithsonian Magazine has an article on Shakers and Sabbathday Lake, here . There's some .wav's with fragments of shaker songs on the music page. "Simple Gifts" is one of them - the fragment is only the first verse.

I followed links from there to these pages:
Religion in Song: The Craftsmanship of Shaker Music
AMERICAN SHAKER MUSIC
150 years of 'Simple Gifts'

Also, this month's Saveur magazine has a write up on Shaker cooking.

Subject: RE: Simple Gifts alt lyrics?
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 31 Mar 01 - 06:57 AM

Great info, Wendy, thanks! I teach a unit on the Shakers to my 4th graders every year, and these will be great resources.

Subject: Lyr Add: SIMPLE GIFTS (Joseph Brackett, Jr.)
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 08:07 PM

On the BBC h2g2 site, I found an extended "Simple Gifts" of three verses, not Animaterra's; and I would like to know where these come from. The new verses are obviously modern in thought and cast. I am not familiar with the h2g2 site, but there is an entry ID that may belong with the song on the same page: A882119. The way the song is presented would lead one to think that all 3 verses are by Brackett.

The eight lines we all know start the song, as Joseph Brackett of Alfred, Maine, wrote them in 1848 ("The Gift to Be Simple"). I will enter the whole song as it appears in the BBC site:

SIMPLE GIFTS
by Joseph Brackett Jr. (1848)

'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 we find ourselves in the place just right,
It will be in the valley of love and delight.

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 we come round right.

'Tis the gift to be loved and that love to return,
'Tis the gift to be taught and a richer gift to learn,
And when we expect of others what we try to live each day,
Then we'll all live together and we'll all learn to say,

When true simplicity is gained, etc.

'Tis the gift to have friends and a true friend to be,
'Tis the gift to think of others not only to think of "me,"
And when we hear what others really think and really feel,
Then we'll all live together with a love that is real.

When true simplicity is gained, etc.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/A882119: Simple Gifts

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Simple Gifts - alt lyrics?
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Jun 11 - 11:34 PM

just saw a video on you tube from my old friend John Ramsay that credits uses the second and third verses just above, and credits them to John's niece Jennifer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b6Wp-LmREY&feature=uploademail
copy and paste the url, I don't get the blue clicky thing yet.
S

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Simple Gifts - alt lyrics?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Jul 11 - 12:08 AM

Now, that's lovely, S. Thanks for posting it.
-Joe Offer-

P.S. I'm a moderator, and I changed your URL into a link.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Simple Gifts - alt lyrics?
From: YorkshireYankee
Date: 01 Jul 11 - 02:06 AM

Excerpt of John Ramsay's YouTube comments:

"The 12 year old child of American contra dance inspirator, Dudley Laufman, suggested the Petronella turn dance choreography for the Shaker tune, Simple Gifts, to Pat Shaw when he was in the United States in 1975. Pat shared his choreography with the Berea Country Dancers when he spent two weeks in Berea later that fall. We made a few changes. Here is the 1993 Country Dancer Troupe dancing it in El Salvador. My niece, Jennifer, added additional verses. ..."

If Jennifer did write them, she did it well before 1993 (maybe in 1975? hard to tell from his comments exactly when the additional verses were added); I learned those verses in ~1981 when I lived in Kansas City (or possibly was still at University of Kansas in Lawrence) Kansas, from a friend (a brilliant autoharpist named Karen Mueller, in case anyone reading this knows her; last I knew, she was living in the Minneapolis/St Paul area) whose group performed this song. BTW, as this group performed it, there was one more verse, which -- unfortunately -- I no longer remember.

I always wondered where they got these verses from, but didn't manage to find out; would love to, though, so that I could track down that other verse as well...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Simple Gifts - alt lyrics?
From: GUEST,SuzQuaker
Date: 10 Jul 18 - 02:03 AM

Hi, My grandmother gave me the same lyrics Yorkshire Yankee posted, with one additional verse:
‘Tis a gift to be caring, ‘tis a gift to be kind
‘Tis a gift to wait to hear another’s mind
That when we speak our feelings they may come true
Is a gift for me and a gift for you.

I don’t know where this verse came from, but it has been passed down through my Quaker family. I’ve never seen it anywhere on the internet.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Simple Gifts - alt lyrics?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 10 Jul 18 - 04:58 AM

If you want a LOT more verses, the tune works very well for Terry Pratchett's "Hedgehog Song".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Simple Gifts - alt lyrics?
From: GUEST,Ebor Fiddler
Date: 12 Jul 18 - 10:27 AM

That's the one where we all expect words out of "The Wild West Show", but it turns out to be a paean to hoggie idleness?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Simple Gifts - alt lyrics?
From: GUEST,Mark Bluemel
Date: 12 Jul 18 - 10:40 AM

Jack Campin wrote:
'If you want a LOT more verses, the tune works very well for Terry Pratchett's "Hedgehog Song".'

Heh. Very well suited to Shaker worship and contemplation, I'm sure.

Subject: Simple Gifts - alt lyrics?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 24 Jul 18 - 04:35 AM

A second verse is provided in "Twenty-one songs from many lands" by Roger Fiske and J.P.B.Dobbs. This second verse is attributed to 'RF' (one of the compilers)

'Tis the gift to have sympathy between me and you,
'Tis the gift to keep at what you ought to do;
And if you have your eyes on the skies above,
'Twill be in the valley of joy and love.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Simple Gifts - alt lyrics?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 24 Jul 18 - 04:55 AM

I notice that the DT entries give the tune title as 'Lordance'.
Without checking them all, and seeing that one says "This sings well to the tune 'Lord of the Dance'," I wonder whether a shortcut has been taken.
When Sydney Carter wrote 'Lord of the Dance' he used the tune from 'Simple Gifts', but made changes to allow for a different scansion.
So here is the tune for Simple Gifts as shown in the book mentioned in my previous post. For some reason the ABC converter at MandolinTab converts the leading apostrophes to raised dashes. I've tried a 'search & replace' with no success.

SIMPLE GIFTS
American 'shaker' song

‘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 we find ourselves in the place just right,
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

Chorus
When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed.
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come out right.

’Tis the gift to have sympathy between me and you,
‘Tis the gift to keep at what you ought to do;
And if you have your eyes on the skies above,
‘Twill be in the valley of joy and love.


X: 1
T: Simple Gifts
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
Q:90
Z: NP 24/07/18
K: Ab
E/E/| AA/B/ c/A/c/d/| ee/d/ cB/A/| BB BA | B/c/B/G/ EE| A/G/A/B/ (c/B/)c/d/| e(e/d/) cB/A/| BB cc/B/| AA/A/ A2| e2 c3/2B/| c/d/c/B/ A3/2B/| cc/d/ e(d/c/)| BB/c/ BE| A2 A3/2B/ | cc/d/ ed/c/| BB cc/B/| AA A||
w: ‘Tis the gift to be sim-ple, ‘tis the gift to be free, ‘Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be; And when we find our-selves_ in the place just_ right, ‘Twill be in the val-ley of love and de-light. When true sim-pli-ci-ty is gained, To bow and to bend we_ shan’t be a-shamed. To turn, turn will be our de-light, Till by turn-ing, turn-ing we come out right.
w:’Tis the gift to have sym-pa-thy be-tween me and you, ‘Tis the gift to keep at what you ought to do; And if you have your eyes_ on the skies a_bove, ‘Twill be in the val-ley of joy and_ love.

From "Twenty-One Folk Songs from Many Lands"
by Roger Fiske and J.P.B.Dobbs
Oxford University Press copyright 1964
The date of the booklet suggests that this book may have been 'in production' before Sydney Carter's use of the tune became popular.
NP

Subject: Tune Add: Simple Gifts
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 24 Jul 18 - 04:57 AM

Just another post to change the subject on my previous post to "Tune Add" so that it gets picked up if necessary.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Simple Gifts - alt lyrics?
From: Mr Red
Date: 20 Apr 21 - 10:36 AM

BBC R4 Extra 18:30 (GMT+1) Documentary on "Simple Gifts" today & for at least 1 month sure to be some alternative lyrics in the programme. It has aired before within the last year.

track list includes Alison Krauss,SYDNEY CARTER, Martin Carthy and Leonard Bernstein & New York Phil.

Subject: ADD: Simple Gifts - alt lyrics
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Nov 23 - 12:33 AM

I have compiled all of the lyrics that people have posted here:

SIMPLE GIFTS

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be
And when we find ourselves 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.

'Tis the gift to be gentle, 'tis the gift to be fair,
'Tis the gift to wake and breathe the morning air;
And ev'ry day to walk in the path we choose,
'Tis the gift that we pray we may ne'er come to lose.REFRAIN

'Tis the gift to be loving, 'tis the best gift of all,
Like a quiet rain, it blesses where it falls;
And if we have the gift we will truly believe
'Tis better to give than it is to receive.REFRAIN

'Tis the gift to be loved and that love to return,
'Tis the gift to be taught and a richer gift to learn,
And when we expect of others what we try to live each day,
Then we'll all live together and we'll all learn to say. REFRAIN

'Tis the gift to have friends and a true friend to be,
'Tis the gift to think of others not only to think of "me,"
And when we hear what others really think and really feel,
Then we'll all live together with a love that is real. REFRAIN

‘Tis a gift to be caring, ‘tis a gift to be kind
‘Tis a gift to wait to hear another’s mind
That when we speak our feelings they may come true
Is a gift for me and a gift for you. REFRAIN

‘Tis the gift to have sympathy between me and you,
'Tis the gift to keep at what you ought to do;
And if you have your eyes on the skies above,
‘Twill be in the valley of joy and love. REFRAIN

The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof
Its streets, its slums, as well as the stars above
Salvation is here where we laugh, where we cry
Where we seek and love, where we live and die. REFRAIN

[To the tune of the refrain] When true liberty is found
By fear and by hate we will no more be bound
In love and in life we will find a new birth
In peace and in freedom redeem the earth. REFRAIN

Subject: ADD: Simple Gifts - alt lyrics
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Nov 23 - 12:33 AM

I have compiled all of the lyrics that people have posted here:

SIMPLE GIFTS

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be
And when we find ourselves 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.

'Tis the gift to be gentle, 'tis the gift to be fair,
'Tis the gift to wake and breathe the morning air;
And ev'ry day to walk in the path we choose,
'Tis the gift that we pray we may ne'er come to lose.REFRAIN

'Tis the gift to be loving, 'tis the best gift of all,
Like a quiet rain, it blesses where it falls;
And if we have the gift we will truly believe
'Tis better to give than it is to receive.REFRAIN

'Tis the gift to be loved and that love to return,
'Tis the gift to be taught and a richer gift to learn,
And when we expect of others what we try to live each day,
Then we'll all live together and we'll all learn to say. REFRAIN

'Tis the gift to have friends and a true friend to be,
'Tis the gift to think of others not only to think of "me,"
And when we hear what others really think and really feel,
Then we'll all live together with a love that is real. REFRAIN

‘Tis a gift to be caring, ‘tis a gift to be kind
‘Tis a gift to wait to hear another’s mind
That when we speak our feelings they may come true
Is a gift for me and a gift for you. REFRAIN

‘Tis the gift to have sympathy between me and you,
'Tis the gift to keep at what you ought to do;
And if you have your eyes on the skies above,
‘Twill be in the valley of joy and love. REFRAIN

The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof
Its streets, its slums, as well as the stars above
Salvation is here where we laugh, where we cry
Where we seek and love, where we live and die. REFRAIN

[To the tune of the refrain] When true liberty is found
By fear and by hate we will no more be bound
In love and in life we will find a new birth
In peace and in freedom redeem the earth. REFRAIN