The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is made up of some 360 men and women, all of whom are volunteers. There are many husband-wife combinations and many families have participated in the choir for generations. Choir members are currently limited to twenty years of participation, allowing new members to join the choir on a regular basis.
The choir was founded in August 1847, one month after the Mormon Pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley. The choir is completely self-funded, traveling and producing albums to support their organization. Choir members are not paid for their participation or performances.
Although the choir has traditionally been recognized for its sound quality, the most recent director, Craig Jessop, a student of Robert Shaw, has made changes designed to improve the overall quality of the choir. Jessop's efforts to add vitality to the choir's sound include the formation of The Orchestra at Temple Square, the 2005 addition of The Bells on Temple Square (a hand bell choir), and continual refinement of the choir's tone, enunciation, and repetoire. The minimum age for participation has been reduced from 30 to 25. In addition, new choir members participate in The Temple Square Chorale training choir, a combination music theory/performance school led by associate director and composer/arranger Mack Wilberg.
Simple Gifts
Mormon Tabernacle Choir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Tis the gift to be free
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be
And when we find ourselves in the place just right
It will be in the valley of love and delight
When true simplicity is gained
To bow and to bend, we will not be ashamed
To turn, turn, will be our delight
The lyrics of Simple Gifts reflect a message of simplicity, freedom and finding oneself in the right place. The opening line "Tis the gift to be simple" suggests that simplicity is something to be treasured and sought after. The following lines, "Tis the gift to be free" further the idea of the value of freedom. The lyricist conveys the notion that by shedding the complexity of life we can find true happiness.
The line, "Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be" appears to suggest that a simpler life, free of distractions and excess, is where each of us truly belongs. The following verse, "And when we find ourselves in the place just right, it will be in the valley of love and delight" reinforces this idea. It seems that in the place that is perfect for us, we will find love and be enveloped in joy.
Finally, the song suggests that when true simplicity is found and embraced, we will not be ashamed to bow and bend. The repetition of the phrase "to turn, turn" conveys the idea that progress and growth come in stages. By continuing to turn, we will reach our destination - we will "come round right."
Line by Line Meaning
'Tis the gift to be simple
Being content with the simple things in life is a gift
'Tis the gift to be free
Freedom is also a gift that comes with being content with simplicity
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be
It's a gift to realize where we belong and be content with it
And when we find ourselves in the place just right
Once we find our place, we will feel at peace and content
It will be in the valley of love and delight
Our place of contentment will be in a place filled with love and happiness
When true simplicity is gained
We can only find contentment once we simplify our lives and appreciate the little things
To bow and to bend, we will not be ashamed
We should be willing to be humble and flexible without feeling ashamed
To turn, turn, will be our delight
We should find joy in continuously adapting and improving ourselves
'Til by turning, turning, we come round right
By continuously improving ourselves and adapting to our surroundings, we will ultimately find success
Contributed by Kaylee A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@HEIMBURGERS
We need more 'simplicity' in our lives at this point in time. There are not enough hours in the day it seems, to enjoy the blessings, love, and opportunities the Lord has given us in nature and families!
@anusha668
I'm not Christian or Catholic...but I love this hymn. It's so beautiful...
@lostbooks2918
Jesus died for you too young one. All you must do is believe 🙏🖤🙏
@malapertfourohfour2112
Why are you distinguishing Catholics from Christians? I dont get it.
@RL-ck8zk
I'm a Quaker and I appreciate the upload. Beautiful.
@sidpheasant7585
And me an Anglican ... but it goes above and beyond it all...
Straight to the heart of the matter.
Not much of a coincidence that it later became "Lord of the Dance" (Jesus, not Mr Flatley).
In fact, no coincidence at all!
@angelosdaughterc5223
We are Roman Catholic, but I love this Shaker Hymn. We had a version (not this one; a simpler one by the Mormon Tabernacle choir) at our mother's funeral Mass.
@jodirose922
Wonderful version of this song! Truly lovely.
@tubasungod
What a fantastic arrangement and simply beautiful performance. Thank you so much for sharing this.
@benjaminwelch2719
That four part split at 1:50 is amazing