Inauguration Music

As the inauguration of the 44th president comes to an end I would like to know what you thought about the music performed during the historic ceremony. (I'm not going to comment the fact that Obama struggled to recite the oath of office because that's not what this blog is all about.)

Aretha Franklin opened the ceremony with her rendition of "My Country 'Tis of Thee." Every American over the age of six knows the words to this song. Franklin, however, struggled. Maybe it was just me. She hid behind her soul background and belted out the few words she knew and let her background, pre-recorded music, do the work for her. The "Queen of Soul" maybe was not the best choice for this occasion.

Yo-Yo Ma, Hzhak Perlman, Anthony McGill and Gabriela Montero performed "Air and Simple Gifts" composed by John Williams. Did this song sound familiar to anyone else? If you grew up in church, it probably did. "Simple Gifts" is a Shaker song written in 1848 by Elder Joseph Brackett. Below are the lyrics to the one-verse song:

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,

'Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,

'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gain'd,

To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd

To turn, turn will be our delight,

Till by turning, turning we come round right.

If those are not the lyrics you remember from Sunday morning singing. That may be because the melody is used in many hymnals for the song "Lord of the Dance."

Let me know what you thought of the music used to celebrate this historic event.