Simple Gifts: A Thanksgiving Reflection
American Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. My family prefers the spooky thrills (and candy!) of Halloween, or the joy and excitement of Christmas, but I look forward to Thanksgiving even more. A whole day dedicated to enjoying good food with loved ones and focusing on gratitude, followed by a long weekend of lazy days spent relaxing and enjoying leftovers, is definitely the superior holiday in my opinion.
As my students put the finishing touches on their Halloween pieces and start looking ahead to upcoming holiday performances, I’m often asked, “What about Thanksgiving Songs?” Admittedly, there are not many. But perhaps that fits the holiday’s spirit; its beauty lies in its simplicity.
Enter Simple Gifts.
Written in 1848 by Shaker Elder Joseph Bracket, this humble tune was originally a dance hymn sung in worship. A century later, American composer Aaron Copland brought it renewed life in his ballet Appalachian Spring, and folk singer Judy Collins carried it to yet another generation in the 1970s with her lyrical version. Today, Simple Gifts has come to symbolize an enduring piece of American heritage. It’s been performed at several presidential inaugurations, most notably at Barack Obama’s, in a moving arrangement by John Williams.
The lyrics make it a very appropriate ballad for Thanksgiving:
'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.
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.
As a musician, I’ve always loved this melody’s cheerful wandering and its unpredictable rhythm. And as a piano teacher, I appreciate the reading and rhythmic challenges it offers students; it’s perfect for helping beginning students fine-tune their directional reading and quarter note to 8th note rhythmic mastery!
When I began arranging my Level 1 version of Simple Gifts, I quickly realized my students needed a bit more scaffolding, so I split it into two parts — Level 1a and Level 1b — to help master the melody before layering in simple harmonies. If you are a piano student in your first year or two of studies, try working on Level 1a first, to get the melody in your ear and fingers. Level 1b is the same as Level 1a, but with simple harmonies added.
**A side note- my students often question what the diagonal lines between the treble and bass clef staves mean, such as in measure 4 of my Level 1 arrangements. These lines are simply showing you that the melody pops down into the bass clef staff lines for a note or two, then returns to the treble clef staff lines. Be sure and make the melody slightly louder than the harmonies when you’re working on Level 1b, even when that melody pops into the LH for a bit!
For Level 2, I experimented with giving the traditional tune a modern feel by setting it against gentle jazz harmonies. I love the idea of taking something simple and adding just enough complexity to mirror life’s own blend of beauty and tension. My first attempt went a little overboard, but I’m happy with the final version. Do share what you think!
This November, to celebrate Thanksgiving, I’m offering these two arrangements of Simple Gifts as free downloads. It’s my way of sharing gratitude through music.
And perhaps, we pianists can start a new tradition: playing a simple, meaningful piece for family and friends each Thanksgiving. Maybe Simple Gifts will be yours.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Shannon
Click here to hear me playing my Simple Gifts Level 2 arrangement
Click here to download my free arrangements of Simple Gifts