Simple Gifts for Thanksgiving
The holiday of Thanksgiving in Canada originally started in the 19th century as a means of celebrating faith and the harvest of crops grown. In 1908 pressure from the railways caused parliament to move Thanksgiving to a Monday to create a long weekend. The reasoning of the railways was that three days allowed for families to travel by train to visit together.
At present the holiday of Thanksgiving is a national holiday and has both a sacred and secular traditions. The word “thanksgiving” means giving or sharing grateful thoughts. Perhaps we should all take time to give grateful thoughts as we continue to experience the circumstances of this world-wide pandemic. I thought of the gifts that are unique to each of us and was inspired to dedicate this post to the tune “Simple Gifts” that Aaron Copland introduced within his composition “Appalachian Spring” in 1944.
Aaron Copland, an American composer, wrote “Appalachian Spring” for a Martha Graham ballet that tells the story of a young frontier couple on their wedding day. It tells of new beginnings and possible dreams or directions for the future. As Copland often included American folk songs within his compositions, he used a Shaker song that was composed in 1848 by Elder Joseph Brackett entitled “Simple Gifts.” Here is an orchestral performance of “Simple Gifts.” Listen carefully to the openness of Copland’s harmonies that depict the vastness of the prairie and the triumphant hope of the young couple.
The shaker song “Simple Gifts” also has lyrics that are simplistic yet profound. This performance features the classical cellist Yo Yo Ma and the Blue Grass artist, Alison Krauss.
There are several variations of “Simple Gifts” available for viewing but I discovered two that were worth sharing. The first performance includes young professional musicians that play bells and brass instruments.
The second performance is by The Piano Guys – an American musical group that includes a pianist, cellist, videographer and music producer. Their version combines the song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” with the well known Shaker song.
As a conclusion to this Thanksgiving post I will include the story “The Very Cranky Bear.” This story demonstrates how each character has different gifts to be thankful for and willing to share. It also shows how sharing a simple gift can ultimately bring about a peaceful conclusion.