Shaker Music

Music of the Spirit

‘Tis the Gift To Be Simple

Early Shaker Spirituals

1966, Rounder Records. Sister R. Mildred Barker with supporting vocals by Sisters Ethel Peacock, Elsie McCool, Della Haskell, Marie Burgess, Frances Carr; additional performers from the Shaker Society, Sabbathday Lake, Maine. Recorded at Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, New Gloucester, Maine.

Scroll through the gallery of lyrics below to learn the songs…

  • Lyrics - The Rolling Deep
  • Lyrics - I Hunger and Thirst
  • Lyrics - Come Life, Shaker Life
  • Lyrics - On Zion's Holy Ground
  • Lyrics - Little Children
  • Lyrics - Down in the Lowly Vale
  • Lyrics - I'll Spend and Be Spent
  • Lyrics - The Gospel Is Advancing
  • Lyrics - 'Tis the Gift To Be Simple
  • Lyrics - Low, Low in this Pretty Path
  • Lyrics - I Will Walk with My Children
  • Lyrics - Bow Down, O Zion
  • Lyrics - Low Down in the Valley
  • Lyrics - I Love Mother
  • Lyrics - Who Will Bow and Bend Like the Willow
  • Lyrics - I Looked and Lo a Lamb
  • Lyrics - Let Me Have Mother's Gospel
  • Lyrics - With a New Tongue
  • Sister Mildred shows the movements for the song "With a New Tongue"
  • Lyrics - Mother Has Come With Her Beautiful Song
  • Lyrics - I Never Did Believe
  • Lyrics - O Holy Father
  • Lyrics - Yielding and Simple
  • Lyrics - We Must be Meek
  • Lyrics - O Brighter Than the Morning Star (Star of Purity)
  • Lyrics - Farewell Earthly Joy
  • Lyrics - Down to the Deep and Rolling River
  • Lyrics - My Home, My Sweet Home in Zion
  • Lyrics - The Gospel of Mother
  • Lyrics - I Bless the Day
  • Lyrics - This Gospel How Precious
  • Lyrics - I Feel the Need of a Deeper Baptism
  • Lyrics - Gospel Kindred, How I Love You
  • Lyrics - Love Is Little
  • Lyrics - Love, More Love
  • Lyrics - How Lovely Are the Faithful Souls
  • Lyrics - Where is the Gem
  • Lyrics - Blessed, Thrice Blessed
  • Lyrics- O Give Me A Little Love
  • Lyrics- We Will All Go Home With You
  • Early Shaker Spirituals - Shakers
  • Sabbathday Lake Shaker song writers
Shaker Spirituals in Maine: Featuring Sister Mildred, Brother Arnold, Kevin Siegfried, and Radiance
A Homegrown Concert from the Library of Congress, Co-sponsored by the American Folklife Center
 

Hymnals stacked in the Shakers’ Music Room for use during Sunday Service.