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Source: Patterson, D W, 1979, The Shaker Spiritual, Princeton University Press, New Jersey
Notes:
Shaker 'Solemn Songs' were sung in "what they called an unknown language". This is quite commonly encountered in religious groups and is usually referred to these days as "speaking in tongues", Glossia or Xenoglossia.
Patterson wrote:
Ann Lee died in 1784 at the age of forty-eight, and the following song was sung at her funeral. The Marquis de Barb�©-Marbois, who visited Niskeyuna a short time later, believed that her followers had not expected the event and were cast into doctrinal confusion. Almost certainly, he was wrong. They were instead staggered by their sense of personal loss. Jemima Blanchard, for one, said that when she heard of Mother Ann's death she felt so distressed and sorrow-stricken that she "retired in secret and lay prostrate on the floor," expecting to breathe out her soul in sorrow. The more she tried to refrain, the deeper her sorrow became. "This continued," she said, "untill I saw the appearance of Mother Ann, about the size of a child 3 years old. This beautiful messenger held something in each hand that appeared like a wing, which she waved inward, and advansing towards me, said 'Hush, hush.' This took away my sorrow so that I was able to attend to my duty.'"
Haskell recorded this melody with the note, "This is one of the songs that were sung at Mother Ann's funeral." The strong tune has also served for such ballads as 'Clerk Saunders' and 'Pretty Polly,' and Jackson found it sung as a spiritual in both Pennsylvania and Virginia.
and elsewhere:
Analogues: "Clerk Saunders" in Bronson, ii, 84, no 3; "Diana" in Jackson, Another Sheaf, p 106
Roud:
Laws:
Child: