Just as the stark beauty of Shaker craftsmanship and architecture is unsurpassed, so is the haunting loveliness of Shaker music. Music has long played a central role in Shaker worship -- from the early songs that expressed pure, wordless feeling, to the later hymns and anthems, which reflected some of the musical modes of the day. Shaker Songs contains the distillation of more than two centuries of Shaker music and art -- their remarkable power and quiet beauty is a testament to the Shaker vision of simplicity, proportion, and harmony. By Joel Cohen, medieval and Renaissance performance authority, and Christian Goodwillie, Curator of Hancock Shaker Village.