Music & Sound
Sounds Around

• The DownStreet Jukebox:  For Those Who Have Fallen, Taps 
     and Other Bugle Calls

• Sounds Around:  Shaker Songs of Thanksgiving & Praise

• Links to Music & Sound On-Line:  American Voices, Great Speeches
  .

.
.Sounds Around:  Shaker Songs of
   Thanksgiving & Praise

 *****     ***     *****

 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his  
presence with singing.                                   
Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that   
hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his
people, and the sheep of his pasture.              
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and        
unto his courts with praise: be thankful unto 
him, and bless his name.                                 
For the Lord is good: his mercy is everlasting:  
and his truth endureth to all generations.       
Psalm 100   

 *****     ***     *****

As we have in other sections this month, we're offering up a sampling of stuff from our first year ...  In this case, a series of Shaker Songs that originally appeared in last year's Thanksgiving issue in Religion & Spirit.  

We'd originally planned to do a reprise of some of our 1st year's material in Vol. II, No. 1 -- the issue originally scheduled for last month which we let go of in order to put out our Special Report: Terrorism & the Coming War.  But ...

A bit about the Shakers ...
Shakers is the name given to the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Coming, a sect began in Great Britain around the middle of the 18th century.  The founders of the group were James Wardley, a tailor, and his wife, Jane, who, along with some followers, seceded from the Society of Friends.  Jane, it seems, had "received a call" instructing her to go out and testify for the truth. 

The Shakers got their name from the trembling of the group at their meetings, as a result of which they came to be called Shaking Quakers or Shakers.   The sect came to the U.S. in 1774 with Ann Lee, who'd come from Manchester, England.   Initially, it had been relatively popular here in the U.S., and many Shaker communities were founded.   These communities, which were not always warmly received by their neighbors, held property in common, practiced asceticism, and honored celibacy above marriage.  Thus, with relatively few offspring, the movement slowly diminished, especially after the Civil War years.

For all the quiet simplicity usually associated with the Shakers' way of life, these songs may strike some as surprisingly vivid and energetic.  But if we recall how the Shakers got their name in the first place, perhaps they won't seem so surprising.  And in any case, these songs -- filled with joy and praise -- are certainly appropriate to the Thanksgiving season.  

So, as we said the first time around ...

Please accept these few things, with our blessings and best wishes, for a joyful Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family.  ...

Simple Gifts ... 
Shaker Songs of Thanksgiving & Praise

Click on any of the titles below to listen to the song.  They are performed by the Boston Camerata and are available here in Real Audio format.

• Followers of the Lamb

• Holy Mother's Protecting Chain

• Simple Gifts

.

*******       *******

If you would like to submit something for Sounds Around, or if you simply would like to suggest a performance you'd like us to cover, e-mail us at ... music@downstreetmagazine.com.

*******       *******

If you would like to advertise in this section, or throughout the magazine, please visit our Advertising Info Pages ... or call, write, or e-mail ads@downstreetmagazine.com.

*******       *******

   Phone                                (802) 453-5124
    Fax                                    (978) 428-6335
   ... or e-mail
   Advertising:                              ads@downstreetmagazine.com
   Articles & submissions:        submissions@downstreetmagazine.com
   Subscriptions:                          subscribe@downstreetmagazine.com
   ...    

All material copyrighted © 2000-2001.  All rights reserved.
Citations should follow standard conventions.
Please contact us for reprint permissions.
DownStreet Magazine is a registered trademark of Fern Hill Services.
Lou Colasanti, Editor & Laura Wisniewski, Associate Editor
.                                                                                                 .