Seminar: The Testament of Ann Lee
Director Mona Fastvold's use of movement and music in The Testament of Ann Lee dramatizes the Shakers' actual practice.
While many of us know of Shaker music primarily through composer Aaron Copland's use of the song "Simple Gifts" in his Appalachian Spring, this musical tradition is a vast one, spanning the religion's origins in England through the 19th century when the Shakers reached their peak in the U.S. as part of the Second Great Awakening.
Join Kevin Siegfried and Robert Kirzinger of the Boston Symphony Orchestra to explore and hear Shaker music as an expression of philosophy and craft. Siegfried and Kirzinger both came to know of the Shakers via visits to Pleasant Hill, a large and important Shaker community outside of Lexington, Kentucky.
In addition to using their music to praise God and elevate Shaker philosophies, what did the Shakers sing about? (Sometimes they sang without words, as it turns out.) Although music will be our focus, Shaker craftsmanship and innovation is also highlighted in the film. We can think of music as a craft, in keeping with Shakerism's central tenet of work and community.
A Spotify playlist, curated by Kevin Siegfried and featuring all the primary recordings of Shaker music available--including the songs adapted for The Testament of Ann Lee--is available here.
This seminar is presented in partnership with the Boston Symphony Orchestra/E Pluribus Unum Festival.
ABOUT Kevin Siegfried
Kevin Siegfried is a Boston-based composer and arranger active in the preservation and performance of early American music. His research into Shaker music has led to collaborations with Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village and projects for the Library of Congress. He teaches at The Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
ABOUT ROBERT KIRZINGER
Robert Kirzinger is a longtime staff member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra as a writer, editor, and pre-concert speaker. He holds degrees in music composition from Carnegie Mellon University and the New England Conservatory.
