Aaron Copland was from a generation of American composers eager to break free of the constraints of European traditions and find a true "American" voice. Early works show the influence of his Parisian studies with Nadia Boulanger, evolving into a style that owed allegiance both to Stravinsky and to Schoenberg, but his return to the United States and subsequent work with the New School for Social Research encouraged him to seek inspiration from the popular and folk sources of American music. Acquaintance with the Mexican composer Carlos Chavez fueled this ambition, and Chavez conducted the premiere of Copland's El Salon Mexico in 1937. These two sets of songs for medium voice and piano were written during a period in which he was also working on the Emily Dickinson Songs. Copland's sources for the texts and tunes included American hymnody, folksong, and minstrel tunes; the arrangements are relatively straightforward and unpretentious, with a clarity and freshness that well compliments their populist origins.

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The Shaker hymn Simple Gifts first appeared in 1837, and a bit more than a century later it would become a highlight of Aaron Copland's ballet Appalachian Spring. Copland so loved the melody that he employed it again, this time with lyrics, in his first set of Old American Songs, premiered in 1950 by Peter Pears and Benjamin Britten, and first performed in America the following year by William Warfield with the composer at the piano.

As the Shakers sing it, Simple Gifts has a lively and slightly rough quality. Copland makes a few tweaks to smooth out the melody a bit, and while he subjects the song to a variety of mood changes in the ballet, here he treats it as a straightforward, noble hymn. After a fragmentary, bright introductory passage, the baritone begins the piece at a moderately quick tempo, made to seem slower by the broadly spaced chordal accompaniment, which tends to change off the expected beats. Things proceed apace in the chorus, which is closely related to the melody of the verse; then the verse is repeated complete with tiny intro, which also serves as the basis of a compact coda.

Copland arranged this song for baritone and orchestra; there's also a version for chorus and orchestra.

The verse and chorus:

'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

'Till by turning, turning, we come round right.

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