Mildred Barker - Tis the Gift to be Simple

Music 5 years ago

Mildred Barker - Tis the Gift to be Simple

Ruth Mildred Barker (February 3, 1897 – January 25, 1990) was a musician, scholar, manager, and spiritual leader from the Alfred and Sabbathday Lake Shaker villages. A prominent and respected Shaker during her long life, she is known primarily for her effort in preserving Shaker music. With the help of Daniel Patterson, she recorded Early Shaker Spirituals, a collection of Shaker songs. In recognition of her achievements in the field, in 1983 she received the National Heritage Fellowship. She also is known for co-founding and managing The Shaker Quarterly, a magazine and journal focused on the Shakers, and to which she was a regular contributor.