Joseph Brackett
1797–1882 · 19th century · 1 melody
Joseph Brackett (1797–1882) was a Shaker elder from Maine who wrote the song Simple Gifts. Melody you can play here: Simple Gifts.
He wrote Simple Gifts in 1848 as a dance song for Shaker worship. Aaron Copland used its melody in his ballet Appalachian Spring (1944), which made it famous worldwide.