How Can I Keep From Singing?
Music of the Shakers
Transcriptions For The Guitar
The Shakers, or, as they were formally known, the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, began as a small band of dissenting Protestants, led by Ann Lee, a blacksmith's daughter. They became known as the "Shaking Quakers" because when they bore witness during worship, their bodies shook and moved. In 1774, Mother Ann and her followers left England and emigrated to Watervliet, New York; from that original settlement, the movement spread and flourished throughout the northeast and as far west as Kentucky and Ohio.
Shaker communities withdrew themselves from the World, holding all property in common, living in strict celibacy, with sisters and brethren sharing leadership and responsibilities equally. They strove to put their "hands to work and hearts to God," and their ideal was simplicity.
Over many decades, The Shakers created an enormous treasury of songs --that number in the thousands -- many "received" in dream, trance or vision; some consciously composed by their authors.
In modern times, the Shakers are most well known for their high quality crafts and furniture. Like the crafts and furniture, their music was created with the same care and skill and with the same pure simplicity.
Shaker tunes were both simple and singable. And like their religion, Shaker music has always been a central aspect of their culture. Traditionally most of the Shaker songs were simple tunes sung in unison, but these melodies also lend themselves pefectly to being harmonized, as many composers have done over the years.
How Can I Keep
From Singing? Bow Down Low MIDI |
Sheet Music
For those of you who are interested, we have a PDF file that contains the notation (standard and tablature) for the music above. The price for the PDF file is $6.00.
To Order: (Available December 1, 2004)
We are still working on setting up an online payment system, but for now the only way we sell above music is the old fashioned snail-mail, mail order way..... you send a payment (check or money order, American funds), and we will e-mail you the selected PDF files. We hope to decide on on online payment service in the near future.Send payment (American funds) made out to "Alpha & Omega Printing" to:
Alpha & Omega Printing
2705 8th Avenue
Fort Worth, Texas, 76110Be sure to give a valid e-mail address where we can send you the PDF file. PDF files are viewable and can be printed using the free program "Acrobat Reader".
If you have any questions you can contact us by e-mail, (sometimes our spam filter overreacts and rejects valid e-mails, so, if you get an e-mail rejection notice, please try again later), or if you prefer by telephone at 817.921.3670.