Phoenix Boys Choir - The Best of 40 Years

1- 'Simple Gifts', Shaker Song; arrangement by Aaron Copland.

Simple Gifts" is an 1848 Shaker song by Elder Joseph Brackett.
It has endured many inaccurate descriptions. Though often classified as an anonymous Shaker hymn or as a work song, it is better classified as a dance song.

Elder Joseph Brackett was born in Cumberland, Maine, on May 6, 1797. He first joined the Shakers at Gorham, Maine, when his father's farm helped to form the nucleus of a new Shaker settlement. In 1819, Joseph moved with the other Shakers to Poland Hill, Maine.
He later served as first minister of Maine Shaker societies, as well as Church Elder at New Gloucester, Maine, now known as Sabbathday Lake, the last remaining Shaker community.
Elder Joseph Brackett died on July 4, 1882.

"Simple Gifts" was written by Elder Joseph while he was at the Shaker community in Alfred, Maine in 1848. These are the lyrics to his one-verse song:
'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 gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.
Several Shaker manuscripts indicate that this is a "Dancing Song" or a "Quick Dance." That is apparent with such lines of the song as "turn, turn will be our delight" and "turning, turning we come round right". These are dance instructions. (It should also be noted that the tune traditionally paired with these lyrics.



2- 'Over the Rainbow', Harold Arlen, E.Y. Harburg

Since 1948, the Phoenix Boys Choir has provided top quality music education for boys ages 7-14 and lively entertainment for audiences around the world previously under the direction of Dr. Harvey K. Smith, who led the choir for forty years. The choir has been under the baton of Georg Stangelberger since 1999. Each season, 40 to 50 singers from the 170 member Phoenix Boys Choir are selected for membership in the organization's elite Tour Choir. Ranging from 10 to 14 years of age, these singers are lauded internationally as a result of their intensive Arizona-based training program.

From album 'Legacy Song', Harvey K. Smith, artistic director

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• phoenix
• boys
• choir
• trebles
• aaron
• copland
• shaker
• song
• legacy

[choirhampster]

Do you have any selections from the Phoenix Boys' Choir album, 'Our Finest Gifts'? I would love to hear the piece, 'Hodie, nobis de caelo descendit'. I think it's by Alessandro Grandi, but I'm not sure. I used to go onto their website to listen to it, but one can no longer do that. Thank you.

[treblechoir99]

Sorry, I don't have this album, but yes it's with Alessandro. Sorry

[wskfan]

Hi Editor, I again and again am astonished about

the multiplicity of your offers !

[treblechoir99]

As a web radio lol

[BachLoveNat]

thank you! :)

[treblechoir99]

Welcome.

[niftytalmage8]

ohh these boys shant be boys 8=====D~

[jd7x7jd]

@Billyford1067 Ouch I sympathise. And it starts off so tastefully too. Try the Old American Songs compilation, which is much better, although again it could do with more care with the video edting.

[dipsacus]

I like the pictures you show during Over the Rainbow. it'd be good to know where they're from or who they're by? Brilliant singing, my compliments to the Phoenix Boy's Choir!

[playjazzpiano]

Excellent interpretation of "Over the Rainbow", it's a pleasure to hear those young voices.

[Billyford1067]

How very, very sad. I saw "...The Best of 40 Years" and expected to see a well thought out depiction of the P.B.C. over the past 40 years. Instead I see and hear a tribute to the Wizard of Oz. It would be nice to see something intelligent put together about the Choir that I have known and loved since before I was even a member more than 30 years ago.

[brandon10175]

we have sang with this choir before last year well i was in resident choir so i didnt go but tour choir went i heard it was fun.