Maybe this is a little self-indulgent but a few weeks ago I heard a Shaker hymn in a Catholic Church which I found intriguing because it appeared to be the theme I remembered from long ago for a news program. Yesterday we sang it again and today I decided to solve the mystery.
The theme as I heard it decades ago was played full symphonic. The first version I found today was sung by four young girls dancing and singing in front of a Melrose Church in 18th or 19th century costume. Having identified the source of theme I checked further and found that "Simple Gifts" was a theme adopted by Aaron Copeland for a movement for his ballet " Appalachian Spring. "Simple Gifts." begins simply but he then reiterates it five or six times, each time increasing in complexity until the last iteration goes full symphonic as I remembered from all those years long ago. It only takes a minute and a half in toto..
This is the Fourth of July. Somehow I think to listen to this melody and how it developed into a majestic symphonic movement maybe analogous to the remarkable development and growth of our nation.
Happy Fourth of July. We have come a long way but we have much farther to go.
Simple Gifts
Appalachian Spring
-------------------------------------------------------------
This is not a promo for my book Quantum Christ but you can find out about it at:
http://johnklotz.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-coming-of-quantum-christ-has-arrived.html
The theme as I heard it decades ago was played full symphonic. The first version I found today was sung by four young girls dancing and singing in front of a Melrose Church in 18th or 19th century costume. Having identified the source of theme I checked further and found that "Simple Gifts" was a theme adopted by Aaron Copeland for a movement for his ballet " Appalachian Spring. "Simple Gifts." begins simply but he then reiterates it five or six times, each time increasing in complexity until the last iteration goes full symphonic as I remembered from all those years long ago. It only takes a minute and a half in toto..
This is the Fourth of July. Somehow I think to listen to this melody and how it developed into a majestic symphonic movement maybe analogous to the remarkable development and growth of our nation.
Happy Fourth of July. We have come a long way but we have much farther to go.
Simple Gifts
Appalachian Spring
-------------------------------------------------------------
This is not a promo for my book Quantum Christ but you can find out about it at:
http://johnklotz.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-coming-of-quantum-christ-has-arrived.html
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